Web-savvy ways to reach more kids

Group, Jan/Feb 2003 by Young, Kevin

Practical ideas that will fuel your ministry with online resources and tools.

On the day of the 9/11 attacks, one of my teenagers tried and failed to convince her friend that his murky spiritual beliefs were misguided. Finally, she got frustrated and asked if I could talk with him. We introduced ourselves, dived into his questions, then spent several hours discussing the gospel. The fact that this "divine appointment" dropped into my lap on a pivotal day in our history is cause for celebration.

But it never would've happened if I hadn't been surfing the Web that day.

That's right, the entire interchange happened online. My exasperated evangelist sent me an Instant Message about the situation, then gave her friend my screen name. Soon after, he connected with me.

His questions came fast and furious, and several times referred him to Internet sites' that could provide more thorough explanations. At the end of our conversation, he said it all made sense. Later, I visited his Web site, where he wrote about our conversation. He said a friend's youth pastor had talked to him online and helped him place his faith in Christ.

Web life has quickly become a way of life for millions of teenagers-that's obvious. Their insatiable appetite for relationship has made them fluent in Internet-speak. According to market research firm Cyber Dialogue, 17 million American young people ages 12-18 spend time on the Internet every month. Of that number, 75 percent use Instant Messaging (IM) to stay connected, and often prefer it to more traditional forms of communication.

So how do we enter into their cyber-world to converse, relate, and minister in their language?

1. Be available online.

Two decades ago I used a dial telephone and a typewriter with a broken lowercase "b" to stay connected with my kids. Today the pace of life is crazy-fast, and the Internet is a must-have tool if I hope to make a relational impact in their lives.

* Instant Messaging-The Web is popular among teenagers because it's relational. Most of them use Instant Messaging to communicate, so familiarize yourself with its features. The most popular IM client, by far, is America Online's Instant Messenger (AOL IM). If you don't have a screen name, register for AOL IM and download the free software.2

If you already have a screen name, start passing it out or publicizing it to your students. Put it on your business cards, if you have them. Some youth leaders choose a specific time when they'll be available online, then let their kids know. You could plan to go online during your kids' peak online hours-most are creatures of habit, and that means they'll likely be on the Web between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Just ask them about the best time span to connect.

But be warned! If you've never had simultaneous conversations with multiple teenagers, or if you're a slow typist, you might get frustrated the first few times you try IM. The current runs swift on the Internet, and kids use a language all their own to get their messages across quickly. The only way to join in is to jump in!

When young people give you their screen names, enter them into your "buddy list." When you log on, you'll be able to see which buddies are online with you. Be casual but definite. You could send kids a quick note just to let them know you're online. Or you can wait to let them initiate the conversation. Make sure you move the conversation along at a pace that's comfortable for each student.

I know kids who are quite shy in person and simply unable to talk about their faith face to face. But they open up when I pursue them via email or IM. It's a less-threatening environment to them, and teenagers are wired to respond to the safety of their surroundings.

What if a young person doesn't respond to your online attempts to connect? Be patient, and don't take it personally. IM can be just as shallow or just as deep as face to face connections. Either way you're building relationship.

* Chat Rooms-You can build a thriving online community by using chat rooms. AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger all have a quick, easy feature that helps you set up a chat with as many teenagers as you like. If you use AOL IM, simply click on the Send Chat Invitation icon. Then check to see who on your buddy list is online, and choose a few to invite into a chat. Write a personalized invitation message, then click on Send.

You can use chat room discussions to plan an upcoming event, follow up on a Bible study by answering questions that you couldn't get to, or even pray for friends who don't know Christ. Whatever you can do face to face in real time, you can do online.

2. Make your online connections personal. Online contacts can be impersonal, but so can our face to face encounters. I've had many deep online conversations with young people-they just take time to develop, that's all.

I was chatting with a student one night about random stuff when the conversation became more and more serious. This was your basic all-American guy who was at Bible study every week and spoke out about his faith to others. Online, he opened up about sexual activity in past relationships, his struggles with shoplifting, and his desire to yield those areas to God. When we discussed the same stuff weeks later, he told me he was having success in those areas as he walked by faith.