The Internet Evangelism Day (IE Day) team has recently launched an online self-assessment tool, as churches become increasingly concerned with how to communicate well to outsiders through their websites.
The tool leads churches through a series of questions, to highlight areas of their website which may need development.
"I think it will be very helpful to churches," comments Gene Anderson of Resurrection Lutheran Church in the US.
A church site which has been prioritised for non-Christian visitors can be remarkably effective in reaching the community. "Week in, week out, more visitors turn up at our church on a Sunday because of the website, than anything else," writes one growing church in London using these principles.
The IE Day website also explains other types of online evangelism, such as outreach sites, video clips, blogging and podcasts. There is even a free 'conversation starter' screen-saver to download.
In addition, the IE Day team encourages churches and other groups around the world to hold their own 'web awareness' focus day on (or near) 29 April 2007.
The IE Day site provides downloadable video clips, drama sketches, posters, handouts and a PowerPoint presentation, making it easy for any church to create its own 'IE Day' programme. This can as brief as a 2-minute spot within a worship time, or an entire themed church service, seminar, or midweek meeting.
Internet Evangelism Day is an initiative of the Internet Evangelism Coalition, an umbrella group of major interdenominational Christian groups involved in web ministry.
For more information, go to www.InternetEvangelismDay.com.
