By Eric D. Barreto

The current generation of young people in this country simply cannot begin to imagine a world without computers. That the yellow pages would be necessary to find a phone number or a newspaper to find movie times is inconceivable. Even more, the youth of today can have any question answered within seconds via the collective wisdom of Google or Wikipedia. At the click of a mouse, the whole world seemingly lies at our hands.

The challenge for leaders of young people in an age of instant information is multiform. How do we encourage youth to become intelligent consumers of information? How can our ministries create an effective and meaningful presence in the digital world of blogs, wikis, instant messaging, and social networks? It would be impossible for any single essay to provide specific technical assistance for the many ministerial contexts in which we find ourselves; for some guidance in such matters, see the additional resources listed below. Instead, what I suggest here are a handful of guiding principles and examples for a form of ministry that changes seemingly every day.

Three Principles

1. The Internet is no substitute for you.
Just as television makes a poor babysitter, a digital interface cannot replace the work of a youth minister or volunteer. We should not mistake a blinking cursor for a compassionate ear. Instead, consider the Internet an extension of or another medium for your ministry. The same principles of care and compassion are still vital components of online ministry.

2. The Internet should increase the quality of contact not the quantity of contact.
No matter the ministerial context, our contact with youth is limited and can be quite sporadic, especially if church attendance is not a family priority. The Internet provides one way to keep tabs on youth that slip through the cracks or to encourage normally shy students to have their opinions and perspectives affirmed. An online ministry that simply replicates the dynamics of weekly youth groups may not be worth the time and effort; instead, I would suggest striving for ways to integrate heavily involved students with those who participate at the margins of the ministry.

3. The Internet is not going anywhere but neither will it stay the same.
Every day computers go from cutting-edge to obsolete; modern technology is a game with constantly changing rules. The moment we have mastered a technical skill, new advances make those hard-earned skills seemingly outmoded. These fast-paced realities do not offset how pervasive the Internet is in the lives of our young people. They are developing life-long skills that will probably be their primary mode of information gathering and processing. As Christian leaders, we must keep apace of these sustained and cultural shifts so as to help our youth develop discernment and wisdom in the wild world of the web.

Two Applications

In light of these guiding principles, we will now consider two practical applications of online ministry. Reading through these suggestions, many of us will find ourselves overwhelmed by the technical lingo of Internet technology. However, both of the applications can be easily used via the online Christian community of Caleb’s Café. This website provides simple ways to implement your youth group’s online presence.

Of course, ministerial contexts can vary widely, so these are not the only ways to develop a presence on the Internet. These suggestions are but illustrations meant to stoke your imagination in your own contexts.

1. What Can Brown RSS Do for You?
If our contact with youth is sporadic, communication with their parents can be erratic at best, especially if forgetful, distracted teens are the go-between. A website is one way parents can hear directly from you about the activities of the group and how they can be involved. If announcements can be automated, important information can arrive on a parent’s computer in timely fashion.

Syndication protocols such as RSS accomplish just this by communicating with web browsers and specialized programs. Instead of requiring parents and students to check your website everyday for new announcements, RSS feeds notify subscribers when new information is available. For a quick introduction to RSS, see the “What is RSS?” website linked below. Simply put, a web browser or RSS reader will alert subscribers that new information is available on your website. RSS feeds make communication both quick and effective.

2. Beyond the Sunday School Room
Sometimes the close of Sunday school arrives at just the wrong moment. When conversation is just getting serious, it is time to head to worship. Equally true is that our young people may have new insights or questions hours or days after a class. The Internet can open a way for ongoing communication. Online discussion boards create a digital space for ongoing, organized conversation. Every week you can create a new discussion “thread” focused on the week’s theme or study, inviting students to continue discussing and integrating the lessons of the week. A fantastic benefit of digital communication is that it could easily encourage normally shy students to find their voice outside the pressures of a youth classroom.

Recommended Resources

Caleb's Cafe (http://www.calebscafe.com/)
Hess, Mary. Engaging Technology in Theological Education. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005.
Richardson, Will. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, Cal.: Corwin Press, 2006.
What is RSS? (http://www.whatisrss.com)

A doctoral candidate at Emory University and a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Eric Barreto is a regular volunteer with youth at Peachtree Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.