Mobile Technology Has Scaled the Gospel, but Something Has Been Lost

Over the past 18 years, the Church has experienced the greatest enhancement to “scaling” the Gospel since the printing press. The internet, but more specifically mobile technology, has changed the way the Church communicates with its congregation and those outside of the Church. In that process, a new term, “Digital Discipleship” has emerged.

Very simply, “Digital Discipleship is the process of making disciples through digital methods.”

“Digital Discipleship” by this definition, has revolutionized the Church’s ability to reach, teach, and preach. We are hopeful and optimistic for it to continue in such inventive and effective ways.

But in this process, something has been lost.

In the frenetic pace of digitally discipling others, we have not been discipled digitally ourselves. We — parents, spouses, kids, church leaders, Christians — have not learned how to use these tools. And as a result, though we have grown effective at optimizing digital tools in some areas, damage is happening to our souls.

This might sound hopeless, but this is unbelievably hopeful.

We can do something about it by taking a discipleship approach, something the Church is already great at doing in different subject matters. While approaches vary, most discipleship models follow a similar pattern: Learn, Live, and Lead.

A church learns best practices, frameworks, and clear language around technology, lives it out as a staff, and leads their congregation well in this area.

One major challenge of technology and smartphones is, to date, we have not had wise sages to show us the best way.

In other areas of life like parenting, marriage, friendship, and certainly in our walk with Jesus, we have been taught with timeless principles by a generation who was taught by the generation before them.

With technology, this presents a unique challenge in two ways:

1. We simply do not have generational wisdom to draw from.
2. Someone must have the boldness and clarity to be the first generation of wise sage in technology.

We believe this must be the Church through church leaders such as yourself.

The Church taking the mantle (as a first generation sage) is the initiation of Digital Discipleship.

As noted above, this begins with Learning (seeking out wise voices in this area), builds to Living (culturally as a staff), and crescendos with Leading (addressing clearly in words and action); in other words, creating new disciples.

The most effective churches in technology follow this model. It becomes deeply held through Learning, cultural through Living, and viral through Leading.

But something else happens in the process:

Effective discipleship always leads to evangelism.

When you Learn, Live, and Lead your people, you become a Light to the world.

By addressing the most prevalent pain point in culture, you are speaking to the needs of culture confidently because you are equipped with the tools to address it.

The neighborhoods around you or culture at large might not yet believe in a risen Savior, but they will like the way you clearly address this issue.

They will like how you help families at Parent’s Nights on technology. They will like the certainty you provide. And in the process, they will be drawn closer to Jesus.

In other words, through your church, they will “see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.”

One final note: this is not immediate.

It is OK to stub your toe. It will take a while. It will be imperfect. You won’t have the exact answers for every situation.

But this is the nature of discipleship — imperfect humans doing their best to emulate a perfect Savior.

So embrace the time it takes and the imperfection knowing that your discipleship is drawing people closer to Jesus in the imperfect process.

Reclaimwell is here to help lead the way in digital discipleship. Learn more here.

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