More than 3 billion people are considered least-reached globally, and over 7,000 people groups are considered unreached. This is more than 40% of the total population. How can the word of hope reach the whole globe with this huge problem that the world church is facing? This is where Digital Evangelism Initiative comes into the picture. The Digital Evangelism Initiative is an online prayer and Bible study initiative that actively uses multimedia technology to make the gospel accessible to the digital environment.
Pastor Sam Neves, Associate Communication Director for the Adventist World Church, focused on the significance of synergy and how a new global paradigm impacts online audiences through different social media platforms. This motivates the church to develop strategies for introducing discipleship, Jesus, and the Adventist Church.
The Digital Evangelism Initiative joined the Communication and Digital Evangelism Initiative Conference in at the Hotel Savoy, Pasay City, Philippines, from January 26 to 29. The DEI Team was officially presented to the Southern Asia-Pacific Division delegation to encourage colleague communicators about how the media work has thrived and reached new heights for church evangelism efforts online.
The Digital Evangelism Initiative is designed to immerse internet searchers in Adventist information and introduce them to the Adventist lifestyle.
“The General Conference Communication department funded an initiative in 2019 to increase the reach of the Adventist Church's social media platforms,” said Ace Sintos, DEI Philippines Project Manager and Human Resource. “This gave birth to the Digital Evangelism Initiative, a diverse group of visionary creatives tasked with sharing Jesus and His love via prayer advertising, web designs, essays, video clips, reels, online bible study, and various other mediums,” Sintos explained.
The Digital Evangelism Initiative is a testing ground for innovative means of making the gospel accessible across several media platforms. A team of specialized digital evangelists working remotely from the Philippines manages the global church's social media network, boosting SEO and improving organic reach. This initiative works around the clock to create material, design visuals, and create web movies that provide more important information about the church through the digital environment.
"The Digital Evangelism Initiative, or DEI, aims to use the full potential of digital technology to reach the globe via multiple media channels," said Daniel Reyes, Digital Production Unit Manager of DEI. According to Daniel, the concord between creatives and scripture is a great instrument in our age for reaching billions of individuals yearning for hope and healing online.
The DEI project was presented to participants at the conference so they could fully understand the efficiency and how it is making a difference in the lives of those whom this project has touched via digital assets, online prayers, and pastoral care.
"We got a random prayer request from a Spanish online visitor. A few days later, the same person phoned back to say her prayer had been answered. Since then, she has participated in prayer gatherings and has actively prayed for others," said Roenna Sintos, Online Pastoral Care and Community Management Unit Manager. "It didn't stop there; only last year, the same woman phoned us again, telling us that she embraced Christ in baptism by God's grace and is now a member of the Adventist Church," Sintos said.
Since the project started, thousands of people have sent their prayer requests online, subscribed to bible studies, and followed Adventist platforms. The project encourages collaboration between departments and how various existing online materials are used to
The Digital Evangelism Initiative continuously discovers new ideas in digital ministry as it explores new strategies to reach people for Jesus. As the world shifts full gear transitioning to the most advanced technology available, this team of creative missionaries will never cease to create an influence on the world's vast digital space.
Edward Rodriguez, SSD Communication Department