Engaging Kingdom Workers Online

The Web is a major part of anyone’s search for a mission opportunity. It only makes sense. We do our school research, shopping, photo sharing and relationship building online. So why would we not use the web when it comes to seeking out how and where we will serve in the Kingdom? But what makes for a good experience when looking for mission opportunities? Explore some of the strengths and weaknesses in this Missiographic.

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<p><a href="https://missionexus.org/engaging-kingdom-workers-online/"><strong>Engaging Kingdom Workers Online</strong></a><br />The Web is a major part of anyone's search for a mission opportunity. It only makes sense. We do our school research, shopping, photo sharing and relationship building online. So why would we not use the web when it comes to seeking out how and where we will serve in the Kingdom? But what makes for a good experience when looking for mission opportunities? Explore some of the strengths and weaknesses in this Missiographic.</p>

Personal Reflection
When was the last time you were online looking at a short term trip opportunity, researching an organization you were considering volunteering for or seeking out a long term fit for your mission calling? Think about the role the Web played in that exercise. Now look at the strengths and weaknesses identified by those who were involved in the most recent research. How has your experience been similar or different? What were you looking for when you were searching for information? Consider letting the agency you were researching know what you liked and what they could improve so that they can continue to offer better engagement with those searching to serve.

Engaging the Church
When someone in your church is searching for opportunities to serve, where do you send them? Do you ever follow up and see how the search went? If so, what are you hearing from your staff and those who attend your church about how ministry web sites are functioning? How might your church play a role in helping people navigate and find what they are looking for? How might you come alongside ministries and help make the searching process more effective for the searcher and the mission involved? Remember that, even though it is an online experience, it requires real life coaching and training for it to lead to people on mission.

Organizational Application
When is the last time you looked at your ministry site with the eyes of a searcher? Whether they are searching for ways to pray, give or go, it is easy to build an online presence that fits the organization’s paradigm and taste rather than the audience’s needs. Here are a few things you can do to be proactive about your next web site redesign or your ongoing web modifications:

1. Take a look at the two “web sites to watch” in the infographic and identify a few things you can model on your own site.
2. Consider purchasing GMI’s Agency Web Review and using that data in your web development (www.gmi.org/agencywebreview)
3. Don’t miss our first infographic on the research that focused on the 5 profiles of Web searchers ({CCM:BASE_URL}/agency-web-review-infographic.htm).
4. Don’t go it alone. Consider bringing in a partner like Olive Technology (the sponsor of today’s infographic www.olivetech.com) or another web development firm that can give you some outside input.
5. Don’t forget to survey your web community and find out what is specifically important to them.

Good information is key for any individual or ministry. For more insights look at missiographics.com.

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