Hide It Under a Bushel, No! I’m Gonna Let It Shine!

Are you letting your light shine? As Christians, we are all called to share the Great News of the Gospel. Are you shining? Is your church on the main drag of town? Do you have signs leading, or pointing the way to your location? Do you have a web page or a web site?

You knew I’d get around to that website thing. Being a designer, of course, I’m going to mention this. And it is my battle cry most of the time. But, being unintentionally stranded in Birmingham, AL now for 4 days had made me once again realize how vital an internet presence is today. My husband & I used our cell phones to navigate around, communicate, and stay connected to the world.

I just read an interesting article in the USA Today weekend paper about technology striving to create voice hyper-text. In other words, create programming that would allow persons without reading and writing ability to communicate via cell phone to interactive internet sites. It may sound crazy but the world, even the third word, is moving into technology at a rapid pace for means of information. Voice activated texting would allow those without communication skills the ability to ask questions and respond even if they were standing in a rice field in Vietnam.

Now back to the light thing: Driving around Birmingham, I’ve seen countless Baptist Churches. I just returned from the famous 16th Street Baptist Church in downtown Birmingham that sits adjacent to the Civil Rights Institute. I’ve seen St. Vincent’s and United Methodist, and Episcopal churches, but not one Presbyterian Church. Being a Presbyterian, this troubles me. From Googling, there are apparently over 7,000 churches in the greater Birmingham area. Where are the Presbyterians? Where is your church? Are you out there?

How are you going to shine your light if no one knows you’re there? If no one can see your light? The single, easiest, and most cost effective way today to let people know you exist is through a web presence, even if it is merely one page letting folks know your location and worship times. The Presbytery of the Pines, a PCUSA governing body believes this to be true. They recently contracted with VTG Enterprises to provide one page sites to any church under their jurisdiction because they believe this is an important evangelism tool. Out of fifty possible churches, only three have taken advantage of this opportunity to date. Maybe they don’t feel they need to do this…..

Many of you reading this all ready have websites and hopefully can attest to the value it has brought your congregation. I encourage you to spread this news. I’d love the business, but more important is the message. What are you doing in your congregation to shine? When was the last time you had new faces in worship? Use technology to work for you. If you don’t know how, seek help; ask questions. Latch on to this tool. Throw away the bushel.