It is a wonderful thing to be able to use the resources of the internet to further our studies and to come and love Christ more. It has enabled those who are inclined to do so to participate in bible conferences via audio and video in a way that was just not possible a few years ago.
Often, a person, including me, may not have had the resources to go to that one conference that might benefit their maturing in Christ. Equally there may not have been the resources to buy the tapes or cd’s or dvd’s.
It’s not that we cannot grow without a bible conference. We probably would grow more with less. More of our study would be first hand not second hand.
But of course, we all benefit from men whom God has gifted with certain areas of understanding that we have not yet discovered.
I mention this because we have been using John Piper’s teaching on Don’t Waste Your Life, not from the book, but hearing him teach it in person at the 2008 Conference, http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByConference/40/
We are viewing this a part of a study time on Sunday morning before our larger meeting. Being bi-vocational, not only does this periodic use of technology help me prepare some other studies but I benefit from it as much as anyone else and it makes it a live event for all of us. We can say we “attended” the conference together, which probably would never occur in real time.
The use of technology for the advancement of the kingdom is a reality today. There are many pastor’s who long for the fellowship of the brethren and have never even been to a pastor’s conference.
As I prepare to teach a pastor’s conference in the Philippines over Easter, this is something that really is on my heart.
When I think of what one computer, a video projector and internet access could mean to a group of pastors in under resourced areas of the world who are attempting to keep up their studies, I get really excited.
Using a tool like WebEx ( or others), you could teach a conference from your church building or your home to as many people as could be assembled on the other side of the world in a room and with a monitor and a microphone have compete interaction using powerpoint or any other teaching tools.
Most of us know that online education is the present reality for even some of the top schools in the world. In a day of uncertain economics and political unrest, the training of national pastors and missionaries can take on a whole new dimension. That does not exclude personal contact periodically, but rather than getting together once a year or less frequently this could be done more frequently depending on how the resources are set up on the other end.
I am amazed at how much money needs to be raised to send one family as missionaries when using technology (in many places) and using nationals once trained, that same money could support ten times as many national workers.
Mission agencies have not caught on to this yet. But local churches could do so much more by developing relationships with nationals and then using technology afterwards. I am convinced we could send out hundreds if not thousands more pastor/ missionaries in this way. Mission agencies could become a thing of the past with a few churches partnering together to do what they are attempting to do.
So pass the salt and Piper ( or whoever else can provide Christ centered teaching for all of us) via the dinner table of the internet so that we can see the kingdom advance for the glory of our Lord and Savior.
