by Karen Schenk

Ministering to the remotest parts of the world has never been so accessible. By simply logging onto your computer, connecting to a chat room or serving as an email mentor, you can share with individuals from every walk of life.

There are several very effective ways that you can minister online:

1. Mentoring involves a sincere desire to encourage others with the wisdom of the Bible. Actively pursue mentors who have a deep desire to share the love of Christ. Choose mentors who are engaged in a growing relationship with Christ themselves.

What services do mentors provide to meet these objectives?

• Mentors provide support, encouragement and biblical guidance for people dealing with loss, unemployment, financial, relational difficulties, personal growth and sin problems.
• Mentors assist people in finding resources within their community and on the internet to help them with their difficulties.

What are the qualifications for Mentors?
Spiritual maturity, psychological stability, love for and interest in people, appropriate spiritual gifts, some life experience, previous training or experience in helping people, availability and teachability.

Be realistic. Be resourceful.
Keep in mind: You can’t fix people’s problems. Since you are mentoring by email - your time and influence with people is very limited. You need to know resources to point people to since you will likely only have one contact with them. You are not a professional counselor.

You can pray before and after you email the person. Prayer is powerful. God can intervene in that person’s life because you prayed and cared.

2. Praying in an email is a very effective way of presenting needs to the Lord while encouraging the person who has given the prayer request. Initially, this method of praying can seem a little awkward; however, it is very effective. Praying scripture directly in the email responses is very encouraging to those who receive the emails.

3. Discussion (message) boards: Moderated boards give people the opportunity to share thoughts and ideas and hear about the Gospel.

4. Online Courses. TruthMedia’s topical and Bible study courses are designed to address personal and spiritual needs that the mentoree can work through at their own pace together with a personal study coach. The lessons provide opportunity to share prayer requests and personal needs. http://www.thelife.com/study

5. Follow-up strategy. TruthMedia has developed a strategy that enables online follow-up for offline events. http://www.truthmedia.com/tools/followupstrategy.html

6. Chat rooms are a great place for in-depth ministry!

Why minister in a chat room?
TruthMedia’s chat rooms exist on the sites to provide an arena where Bible-based evangelism and discipleship can occur in a safe, welcoming community. The purpose of each chat room is to glorify God and allow the Holy Spirit to teach, encourage, and change lives.

What style works best in chat?
TruthMedia uses moderated or hosted chats to allow for focused discussion groups that elicit ministry. Open chat rooms build community and provide a place for ministry to happen on an informal basis. The terms of service apply to both open and moderated chats.

Why use the small group model in a chat environment?
Evangelism and discipleship can happen more easily in small groups or what we term ‘hosted chat’ sessions. Prayer times happen more naturally when in a small group and teaching is more effective in a small group setting, The small group atmosphere lends itself well to building community meeting the felt needs of all participants.

Who leads the small groups?
These groups are led by a teams of leaders and co-leaders who have gone through an application process as well as training sessions. Selected leaders are then placed under the guidance of a head coach.

How are small groups led?
We encourage the hosts to lead the room using the topical curriculum provided. This chat curriculum has been designed with the use of “leading questions” that allow for the audience to interact and share their own insights to the posed question. We do not encourage the posting of large amounts of text as answers to any questions since this takes away from the interactive part of the ministry. We don’t “lecture” but allow the participants to ask questions as long as they in some way pertain to the topic. The chat room is a round table discussion. We maintain control in the room, but at the same time, make it warm and inviting for all participants.

Why do we allow open chat?
We allow open moderated chat for the purpose of building community. This environment offers an atmosphere for people to meet and visit. It also provides a place where our trained regular chatters can share the Gospel and pray with others.

How it works:

1. Curriculum is developed by the Curriculum Development Team and is posted online on the training site. Specific curriculum development can be requested.
2. Host/hostess prayerfully selects the scheduled curriculum topics three months in advance in accordance with the audience of the chat site and what they are sensing the Holy Spirit is leading them to do.
3. As chat topics are selected they are submitted to the Chat Administrator who enters them into the posted calendar online. Subsequent newsletters are sent out announcing up coming chat sessions. Chat changes in schedule or topics are sent to the Interactive Coordinator/Chat Administrator.
4. Guest authors in chat are welcomed. Information regarding guest authors is available for both the guest as well as the host moderating the session.
5. Specific training on how to determine where people are spiritually, how to share the Gospel, how to share Holy Spirit message and how to deal with challenging issues are provided in the general chat training section on the training site. Online host/hostess training sessions are also provided on a regular basis.

On going training for the chat host team is also provided through individual coaching, participation in the chat room for hands-on experience, weekly or monthly training sessions. The chat host team also receives “Connecting Online”, a monthly newsletter.