A Digital Infrastructure For Reformed Missions

I remember coming back from California and starting the mission work here in Bucharest. The first thing I did was to reconnect with everyone I knew, to talk to everyone about our church plant, in hope that some would be interested. But after a while you run out of friends and acquintances. So do the other people of the core group. Then what? You need to find a way to reach out to people you don’t know personally.

On a missions field where Protestant churches are considered cults, that is quite a difficult thing to do because the missionary will be perceived as a cult leader who wants to brainwash you. You are ”selling” something nobody wants, something almost everyone hates. So the best way is to put it out there and let the people search for it.

In our 21st century case, ”out there” is online. Facebook. Youtube. Instagram. Although people don’t want what you have to offer, their own questions and search leads them to your online content. There, they search on their own, they watch and read without feeling that someone is trying to push them. There they feel secure to engage the search for spiritual truth.

After four years of hard work, our church plant website has about 150 organic visits per day and we have reached 1000 subscribers on Youtube. The numbers are still small, but this translates into several new members and regular visitors to our Sunday services. The Lord has been using these means to bring sinful people to the Gospel. Video recordings of Sunday sermons as well as the Theology & Coffee vlogs have proved the best way to get in touch with new people.

They say it gets easier after you reach 1k subscribers on youtube. We will see. Our help is in the Name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. But he works through means. I pray for wisdom in the use of the common grace means of communication.

Our church plant Youtube channel right before reaching 1000 subscribers.