The world is changing at the pace of artificial intelligence and the massive presence of social media. Such a digital impact is also affecting churches and Christian ministries.

This could be seen at the event on the digital age and Christian values, organised by the Evangelical Council of Madrid, along with the international platform Indigitous and the Lausanne Movement.

The event, which had around 50 participants in person and another ten connected via Zoom, presented many of the efforts the Christian world is making to take advantage of the technological wave in the expansion of the message of Jesus and the training of disciples.

Global ministries; national initiatives; projects being developed in local churches; very sectorised strategies in the audio-visual field, the gathering connected people who are passionate about technology and who want to take advantage of its virtues to “accelerate” the fulfilment of the Great Commission.

Looking to the new generations

At the recent Lausanne global congress in Incheon, South Korea, one of the main emphases was to “embrace digital”, in the words of Michael Oh, the CEO of the Lausanne Movement, as a tool for the good and the expansion of mission.

Even in the Seoul Declaration, a theological document with reflections on mission for the church worldwide, there is a specific section dedicated to technology.

“United in the name of Jesus, we can fulfil this mission of carrying the gospel”, said pastor Fran Quesada as he introduced the gathering.

Quesada, who is responsible for the youth area of the Evangelical Council of Madrid, explained that it is necessary to reach young people “where they are”, and that involves the use of technology and social media.

Ale Medina, another youth pastor in Madrid, explained that with the pandemic “we realised that the social media were not of the devil, but are a tool for the extension of the kingdom", as long as it is "according to God's purpose".

For Medina, it is important that “the digital does not replace the real, but that we reflect who we are”.

David Trujillo, pastor and head of the Canzion Institute in Spain, and another of the hosts of the event, pointed out that “there is nothing better than putting what we have at the feet of Jesus”, and that the “training of the saints involves equipping them to fulfil the Great Commission by also using technological tools”.

Several participants from around the world connected, all of them already linked to Indigitous.

This global platform seeks to bring together digitally skilled people to put their talents at the service of the extension of the kingdom. Jonah from the United States, Selegna from Panama, and Yomi from Nigeria spoke about that.

Creativity, excellence and entertainment

Another interesting presentation was that of Liz León, who is behind a digital animation project from Argentina, Biper and his friends, which has millions of subscribers.

“Joy, excellence and faith are our values”, explained Liz, who encouraged others to explore a world “in need of God” with their art.

“We want to encourage you to believe in the ideas that God puts in your heart. We want the Christian worldview to reach everywhere. God's ideas can thrive if we put the faith of a child in them”, she added.

Other ministries showed how they are reaching out through social media or the digital world.

Andy Wickham from Pontea explained how projects like El Cafetal, a podcast of interviews, is helping people to ask relevant questions about faith.

Willem van de Poll from Alpha told how the pandemic opened new horizons for a project based on face-to-face meetings.

Mateo, a young content editor, shared his testimony of how God had been faithful and how to develop platforms to connect with young people on social media.

Jorge Muñoz shared how a digital marketing strategy can be useful to promote an event or project.

José Manuel Maceiras, from EBM Radio, talked about digital radio broadcasting, and the strategies they are using to reach young people in their closest environment.

Daniel Gómez, head of communications at Assemblies of God Spain, underlined the importance of not making the transition to the use of technology an additional burden, but rather using it wisely and “always taking care of people”.

Aitor de la Cámara, representative in Spain of Prayer 24-7, presented the development of two Apps for prayer and biblical meditation. “Whatever you do, don't forget to pray”, concluded Aitor.

Time for sharing

In addition to those and other presentations, there was time to chat and share a coffee, in an atmosphere of companionship and friendship.

Although digital tools are experiencing a moment of growth and empowerment, they still fall short of the warmth of a hug or a smile. That is why digital adoptees and natives also need, from time to time, to meet face to face. And it certainly will not be the last time.