Many of the members have never met. Even so, this group
of nearly 200 pastors and laypersons from around the world use the Internet
to teach and learn from one another every day.
Many of the members have never met. Even so, this group
of nearly 200 pastors and laypersons from around the world use the Internet
to teach and learn from one another every day.
Louisiana Baptist pastor David Anderson of Franklin, started
a church growth ideas e-mail list in April 1999 as an outlet for pastors and
laypersons to share ideas, sermons, resources and other church related topics
with one another. It has grown to have close to 200 members worldwide who send
and receive daily e-mails.
Anderson says he wanted to show pastors how important the Internet
can be in their ministries. “I think most pastors today really undervalue
the role of the Internet in their ministries,” he says.
The list offers members an opportunity to use the Internet
as a ministry tool, as well as a chance for pastors to communicatewith each
other. “The Lord inspired me and showed me what we could do,” Anderson
says.
The e-mails’ content is “strongly-flavored Southern
Baptist,” but members are from all denominations, Anderson says.
Pastors and lay persons contribute a variety of thoughts to
the list. It helps pastors to share their “joys and triumphs, ” Anderson
says. It also gives laypersons a better understanding of a minsterial viewpoint
of their churches. “It helps them to get a feel for what their pastors
go through,” he says.
Although church growth ideas are the focus, members also discuss
much broader topics. “I pretty much let it go the way the members want
it to go,” Anderson says.
Anyone can subscribe to the daily list. Members send an e-mail
to the list’s main address, and every subscriber receives it that day.
There is no charge for the service.
Membership is available in two formats. In the undigested format,
subscribers receive every e-mail sent to the list – an average of eight
to 10 e-mails per day.
The digested format compiles all of the day’s e-mails
into one daily message. Anderson says he prefers this method to avoid being
flooded with e-mails.
The list also has a website that archives all circulated e-mails – www.egroups.com/group/churchgrowthideas.
Anderson says he hopes to see the list grow even more, especially
among pastors in foreign countries who do not have opportunities to attend church
growth conferences. “I would really like it if we can get it circulated
widely in the Third World.”
The list has helped him personally to develop his own ideas,
he says. “I’ve grown as a result of having to think through ideas
to write them down for others. I’ve just enjoyed seeing other people on
the list grow.”