How can the Church evangelize in the digital age?
Jesus Christ dedicated his life on Earth to evangelization and, after His passion on the cross, actively encouraged His followers to minister to others by proclaiming the gospel. Over two thousand years later, sharing the story of Christ’s life continues to be the fundamental assignment that the Church is tasked with. As members of this universal mission, we are expected to invite others into a relationship with Jesus, through the method of communicating His love for humanity to the ends of the earth. However, it is very clear that the evangelism landscape has undergone significant changes, particularly with recent changes to our surrounding society. Collectively, we are becoming increasingly more dependent on the virtual world for purposes of entertainment, communication, research, and learning. Society as a whole has evolved to embrace this digital age, and, inevitably, the Church must accordingly alter its methods of evangelization in order to continue carrying out its divine mission statement.
The coming of the digital age introduced a multitude of new forms of entertainment. From podcasts to video streams found across nearly every platform available, it takes very little effort to find something to occupy our time and thoughts. With that reasoning, social media is among the simplest and most widespread forms of digital evangelization that can be employed by the Church. Nearly everyone, even the youngest and oldest generations, have easy access to social media platforms, whether it be on their phone, laptop, or television. These platforms specialize in spreading content to massive audiences of all types. For the first time in centuries, we control the ability to share the gospel from the literal ends of the earth, all with a simple 2 ‘upload’ and ‘post’ button. Most notably, podcasts and other audio recording sources excel in distributing the words of gospel preachers in a quick and efficient manner. Such a method of digital evangelization is already in place in today’s society, as seen by the massively popular “The Bible in a Year” and “The Catechism in a Year” podcasts conducted by Fr. Mike Schmitz, a Catholic priest and speaker. One of these podcasts alone is responsible for 6.8 billion total listening minutes and 750 thousand average daily downloads, over nearly every available podcast and social media platform. These particular podcasts are a ground-breaking approach to proclaiming salvation history with special emphasis on what it truly means to participate as a part of the Church. In the previous decade, it has become abundantly clear that the world has developed a set of preconceived notions on Christian beliefs and lifestyles. It is undeniable that these notions are what keeps many people from willingly accepting Jesus into their lives. Podcasts and audio recordings combat this issue, giving non-Christians and the general public insight into what a relationship with God looks like with clear explanations and factual knowledge.
Furthermore, social media provides the Church with the opportunity to post videos with the purpose of evangelization. In a society that seems to have lost its open-mindedness, the short timespan of videos found on platforms used by the younger population are easily accessible and quickly grab the attention of the viewers, enticing them to watch. Beyond just preachers and Church teachers, the average population is actively encouraged to share their gospel experiences, beliefs, and encounters with the digital audience. The world no longer seeks to listen to informed teachers; rather, they seek those who have seen and experienced Jesus’ love for themselves. The digital age provides everyone with this exact sentiment. Video content is immersive and convenient, enabling the Church to engage audiences with gospel teachings in real time. A study 3 conducted by Barna, reveals that access to technology makes it significantly easier to share faith. The study concluded that 31% of self-identified Christians use digital interactions to share their faith with a non-Christian. In parallel, 58% of non-Christians say that someone has shared their faith with them through Facebook and 14% through other forms of social media. Through personal posts, sharing posts, and comments, the average Christian can easily contribute to the Church’s mission by evangelizing through their social media profiles.
Though digital evangelization contributes to exciting new possibilities, as a collective, we must remember to balance our digital interactions with deeper, face-to-face interactions that harbor discipleship. Together, the Church can harness the capabilities offered by the digital age to strengthen genuine relationships between people and God, transforming hearts and sharing hope with others.
How can the Church evangelize in the digital age?
In today’s technological age, how can we, as Catholics, continue to spread the word of the Lord? This question becomes more and more prominent as society trades pamphlets for social media posts and newspapers for online articles. Instead of continuing with traditional methods, the Church can use these digital sources to its advantage. If done correctly, the Church will be able to evangelize to more people than ever in a fast and efficient way.
Some simple ways the Church can use technology in an effective way are by creating social media accounts. According to Wallaroo Media, popular social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok each have over one billion monthly users. Creating an account on one of these apps is as simple as making an email account. Updates on local, church-sponsored events can easily be shared through social media. The St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church does this extremely well. However, Social media is more than a broadcasting service. Furthermore, through social media, the Church can directly interact with members of the community. Comment sections on certain posts can encourage discussions about faith and the Church, supplementary to evangelism. Additionally, if members of the parish are available for it, the church can even collaborate with larger Catholic content creators who will spread the gospel further to a broader audience. There are many Catholic influencers who would be able to achieve this.
Another way the Church can evangelize digitally is through a simple website. A website is the perfect “homebase” for anyone looking to explore more about the Church. Especially one that is easy to navigate with multiple aspects can be immensely useful for both new-comers and current members of the Church. Regularly, I find myself checking on my parish’s website for updates on events. Within the website, there could potentially be a section for people to learn about catholicism at their own pace. There may also be online events, such as Bible studies or virtual retreats. Moreover, the Church could create an app. This would be similar to a website, just a more accessible alternative. The goal of these sources would be to give more people the opportunity and resources necessary to learn more about Christ. They would be great ways to create a more engaging community online, which would then translate to the Church.
In the end, the goal of online evangelization is to encourage people to learn more about Jesus and our Catholic faith. It is important to understand that within a website or a social media page, there should be a clear invitation to join our Church. This could be something like an invitation to attend mass or a bible study. An important thing to acknowledge is that shifting to more online systems does not limit those who do not have a device or internet access. It actually enhances the availability of information and resources for joining a parish. By implementing these strategies, the Catholic Church can reach a wider audience and share the message of hope and love in the digital age.