Overview #

Executive Summary #

Many missions executives feel lost in the digital transformation the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated. This report will help navigate strategic opportunities and identify potential avenues for partnerships.

The internet has changed how we communicate, shop, travel, learn, and socialize. Technological advances often happen so quickly that it can be challenging to keep up, even for industry insiders. Billions of people worldwide now use specialized digital tools; missional and global organizational leaders must be aware of current digital technologies.

Introduction #

This report provides extensive market research, strategic analysis, and insights into how digital strategies, technology, and experiences can accelerate the work of the Great Commission. This report was commissioned by the DXM Institute, in collaboration with the Indigitous network.

As a disclaimer, this report aims to be a starting point. The research team was primarily English-speaking and many of the resources listed come from a western perspective. We recognize that there may be gaps and many resources not listed in this report.

Today’s Internet and Digital Technologies #

As of January 2022, 62.5% of the world’s population uses the internet. This data implies that about one-third of the world’s population does not use the internet or has limited access. However, the number of internet users continues to grow. There are about 600,000 new internet users each day, growing at 4.8 percent of total users annually.

The Linguistic Gap #

The available content on the web is disproportionate to the languages of internet users. This raises the need for collaboration with people of different cultures and languages.

::: clinical-grid :::

The available technology in the world is wonderfully vast, diverse, and complex. It is crucial to monitor the technologies that people groups use and the most appropriate communication methods for evangelism and discipleship.

A Brief History of Internet Evangelism #

When the internet became mainstream in the mid-1990s, several Christian ministries launched outreach efforts through websites like Bible Gateway and Blue Letter Bible.

• 1995: ChristianAnswers.Net launched, one of the first evangelistic Christian websites.
• 1995: Cybermissions launched by John Edmiston.
• 2000: EveryStudent.com began.
• 2001: Jesus.net started as a collaboration of websites.
• 2004: Global Media Outreach (GMO) began.
• 2008: Network211 focused on global evangelism and discipleship.