Church Next What Will the Church Look Like in the 21st Century

9780825431852

0825431859

When printing technology revolutionized mass communication more than five hundred years ago, the church embraced technology-making the Bible widely available and changing the course of history. Today the Internet offers the church an opportunity for worldwide impact of the same revolutionary proportions. Now the church must decide how to creatively and appropriately exploit technological benefits for the sake of the gospel. Coauthored by a father-son team combining ministry expertise and technological savvy, this book provides a balanced look at the twenty-first century challenges of uniting ministry with technology. By examining reasons behind the decline of American Christianity, the authors illustrate the urgent need to make strategic use of Internet technology to reach the upcoming generations. Combining their uniquely matched experiences, they provide workable solutions to reach online generations with the message of Christ. Aubrey Malphurs (Th.M., Ph.D., Dallas Theological Seminary) teaches in the Pastoral Ministries Department at Dallas Theological Seminary and is president of Vision Ministries International, a consulting and strategic training organization that works closely with churches and their pastors. He has served as a pastor and church planter and is the author of numerous books in the areas of leadership, vision, and church ministry, including Ministry Nuts and Bolts: What They Don’t Teach Pastors in Seminary; Doing Church; and Developing a Dynamic Mission for Your Ministry. Michael S. Malphurs is creative director of Digital Dream Design, a Web design and advertising boutique in Dallas, Texas. He has more than seven years of experience in the creative services industry, much of it in Web design. Michael has also served as a Web consultant to companies around the world and has spoken at conferences and seminars in the southeastern United States.