Bringing the Mission Field Closer to Home: Strategies for using the Internet in missions A paper presented by Jennifer Beckley to fulfill requirements of the "Making of a Missionary" class taught by Dr. Everett Hunt at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. © December 15, 1995, by Jennifer Beckley. This paper may be reproduced in whole or in part for academic and missions purposes but must include this copyright information. Contents Introduction Internet Tools You Can't Live Without Headquarters Wants to Know... Recruiting and Support Communication with Missionaries Preparing for Overseas Ministry Connecting with Supporters Training and Orientation Relationships with Other Missionaries Support for Missionaries on the Field All the Folks at Home What about the Kids? Continuing Education Growing Spiritually What's Happening in America? We forgot to bring Peanut Butter! or What can I send my parents for Christmas? Conclusion: Is it worth it? Is it personal? Is all this information worthwhile? Can people use it? Is it safe? Is it effective? Is it necessary? Endnotes Bibliography I welcome anyone's feedback. Let me know if this is a useful resource, and feel free to share other ideas of how the use of the Internet could impact the world of missions. Jennifer Beckley / jennb@webpub.com / http://www.webpub.com/jennb/ Introduction Unchecked distribution of child pornography, manipulation of innocent young minds by anarchists and neo-Nazis, open discussion of bomb-making techniques among fundamentalist militia members--many people perceive the Internet as being a haven for these types of activities. Christians may wonder if anything good can come out of this "Nazareth." What are missions organizations doing on the Internet? How does Cyberspace meet the needs of such agencies and churches in a better way than other existing tools and resources do? This paper addresses these questions. Many ministry resources have already become part of this network. Christian college viewbooks, magazines and devotionals, and even missionary newsletters are freely distributed. Unlike past methods ministries have used to share information, the Internet is unique in that it encourages users to respond immediately. This paper is divided into sections focusing on: what tools are available, how they can be helpful to mission staff and administrators, what uses they may have to missionaries preparing to go abroad, what practical purposes they serve for missionaries on the field, and concluding with an honest look at the value of utilizing the internet. Internet Tools You Can't Live Without It is useless to discuss Internet tools if some do not have a clear understanding of what the Internet encompasses. Those who are uncertain of what the Internet is should find the following description helpful: The internet [sic] is a communication strategy that uses the ability of computers to store and transmit digitized information. Digitized information can include text, pictures, video, and audio. The system is completely interactive in that every computer connected to the internet can communicate with any other connected computer. Each computer on the network can both send and receive information.[1] With over 125,000 computers worth of interconnected information,[2] it is important to use tools that are free or inexpensive, easy to find and use, and basic for performing almost any function on the Internet. Electronic mail (e-mail) provides a quick and inexpensive means of delivering a message. It can be used to communicate important information that requires a fast response. Mail remains in the receivers mail-box until he or she reads it. Mailing lists provide private group interaction via e-mail and can facilitate discussion of a particular topic or issue. These lists can be moderated to keep the group on topic, prevent personal attacks, and eliminate unnecessary messages. Chat programs allow two or more individuals to communicate in writing. Unlike e-mail where the sender and receiver do not have to connected to the Internet at the same time, chat programs allow instant communication between all parties connected to the Internet at that time. More than one person may be typing at the same time, and in some programs all participants can read what you are typing as you type it. The Internet phone is a chat-related tool that goes one step beyond in allowing two people to converse over the Internet using the spoken word rather than the written word. The World Wide Web (or Web) connects related pages of information. A page may be composed of plain text, hypertext, photographs and artwork, sound clips, and even video clips. Organizations and individuals who have a page or multiple pages on the Internet are said to have a Web site. Unlike e-mail and chat programs where a person has no control over what they are viewing, they must specifically request a Web page in order to view it. File Transfer Protocol (FTP) permits a person to request a file from a public storage area and save it on their computer. These storage areas can be found on most computers connected to the Internet. Programs, pictures, sounds, movies, and articles are typically available. Like the Web, an individual or organization can create a public storage area and make it available to anyone on the Internet. While your life may continue even without these tools, they are essential for using and providing resources on the Internet. Headquarters Wants to Know... How can the tools and resources of the Internet help in the administration of a mission? There are two areas in which headquarters could utilize Cyberspace: recruiting and support-related activities, and communication with missionaries on the field. Recruiting and Support Missionaries generally come to a mission organization because they heard about it somewhere and liked what they heard. Mission supporters are no different. Perhaps they knew someone who had been a missionary with the particular agency, became connected with an agency through their church, came in contact with a representative at school or a conference, or simply responded to an advertisement in a magazine. The Internet provides a completely new avenue of distributing information to prospective missionaries and mission supporters. Many companies and organizations are now including their e-mail addresses in their publications and advertisements, so that interested persons have a quick and easy way to get in touch with them. This is essential, but is it enough? The World Wide Web provides a new method for sending out information to prospective candidates and supporters, and the costs of maintaining a Web site are much lower than those associated with other forms of advertisement. Many people have computers with full access to the Internet, and nearly all colleges and universities, including a number of seminaries, provide Internet services for their students, and more will in the future. Several missions organizations have already begun taking advantage of the recruiting potentials of the Web. Wycliffe Bible Translators, for example, has full job descriptions on-line.[3] In addition, they include a color-coded map of the world which gives an overview of the translation needs.[4] DELTA Ministries has information on-line about their summer missions teams[5], and Thai Harvest includes in their Web site a list of resources which are of interest to future missionaries to Thailand, and a list of prayer requests.[6] All of these organizations include an e-mail address and phone number for individuals to contact them. However, these two methods do not take full advantage of all the ways a user could respond to the agency, and it does not include all the information the agency could collect from the person. A mission organization should also include a preliminary application or questionnaire which the user could fill in and submit without ever leaving the page. The agency could then send back information (displayed immediately, or sent by e-mail or surface mail) tailored specifically to the user's responses. The information the user submitted would be inserted into the organization's database, added to their mailing list, and/or passed on to the regional director. Audio and video clips could be of use, especially as most computers are now being sold in full-equipped multimedia packages. An audio or video welcome message from the president of the organization is easily included in a Web page and catches the attention of those who are using such multimedia computers. In the future, such messages will probably be the norm. In addition, the opportunity to view a short on-line promotional video would be attractive to the user and less expensive to reproduce and send than video tapes. It is important to note that the Internet does not replace the existing good advertising media, but merely supplements it. In addition to including a phone number or e-mail address in advertising space, a missions organization could include their Web address, where interested persons could view more detailed information in a matter of seconds, rather than waiting several days for information to arrive in their mailbox. Communication with Missionaries Traditional postal service is too slow, and the telephone too expensive for extended communication with missionaries overseas. The Internet provides alternatives to both of these options with the use of e-mail and Internet phone software. E-mail is already being used by many in the missions community. An increasing number of missions organizations are providing their missionaries with e-mail capabilities. Even missionaries in remote locations can send and receive e-mail by using a radio transmitter instead of a phone. Missionary Aviation Fellowship has been instrumental in bringing this technology to missionaries through their MAFLink program.[7] E-mail is an essential ingredient in connecting the sending agency with overseas missionaries. Other tools complement the use of e-mail. Chatting software allows two people to communicate with one another simultaneously using text when both parties are on-line. Internet phone software operates on the same principle, providing an alternative to expensive overseas phone calls. A computer with either the Windows or Macintosh System 7 environment, a sound card, and a full Internet account (getting Internet through an on-line service such as CompuServe or America Online will not work) are the only items necessary to use the Internet phone. This possibility allows mission headquarters to discuss significant issues and plans with their overseas missionaries for the price of a local phone call. Regular Internet phone sessions between the sending agency and the missionary could supplement the use of other Internet tools. Preparing for Overseas Ministry The previous section revealed ways in which the Internet could serve to connect potential missionaries with the appropriate organization. This section discusses ways in which this technology can be of use in preparing missionaries to go overseas--in areas of deputation, on-line training, and developing relationships with other missionaries who are already on the field. Connecting with Supporters Typically, missionaries will prepare a prayer card and/or prayer letter as they begin to raise funds for their overseas ministry. They speak at various churches and group meetings in order to gain both financial and prayer support. The resources of the Internet could greatly enrich this process. E-mail, for example, makes it considerably less expensive and time-consuming to send support updates to many groups of people. Obtaining e-mail addresses from supporters for the purpose of sending these updates would become an important task in deputation. As a missionary prepares for overseas ministry, the tools of the Web may be increasingly useful providing the same kind of updated material in the form of charts and graphs, and in providing country information in the form of a table, a map, or links to related Web sites. Audio and video tools could be used, providing the missionary an opportunity to say a few words to those he or she may not be able to speak with in person. Any Web page of this sort would be incomplete without an e-mail link through which to send messages of encouragement to the missionaries. This kind of interactive environment can serve to personalize the process of deputation and draw a missionary closer to distant friends who may support him or her during overseas ministry. Training and Orientation A missionary who is preparing to go overseas has a lot to look forward to in ministry, yet a long road to follow in actually getting there. Before actually taking part in foreign ministry, the missionary usually must undergo intensive orientation to the country--its language, primary religion, and other aspects of culture. In addition, a missionary will spend a significant amount of time becoming acquainted with the missionaries who may already be in that location. The tools and resources of the Internet can serve to initiate this process before the missionary leaves home. As mentioned in a previous section, some missions organization already provide information relevant to prospective missionaries. Thai Harvest, for example, includes information on the religion, customs, and other cultural aspects of Thailand.[8] Other resources are also present on the Internet. A missionary who is preparing to go overseas can choose from the plethora of resources which exist for many countries in the world. From this information, he or she may learn more than would be possible to learn from a encyclopedia or even a book about the culture. Language instruction could begin before the missionary goes overseas through use of audio software such as the Internet phone or even the audio component of a Web page. The missions organization along with missionaries already overseas could place links within a Web page which will play key phrases to the missionary so that he or she will be able to at least find a way through the airport and maybe even be able to ask for and understand directions upon arrival in the foreign country. Aside from placing these resources within a Web Page, it would be advantageous for the missionary to be able to transfer a program of this kind to his or her computer using the FTP capabilities of the Internet. Any program can be transferred in this way, and the mission would be using its time and resources wisely in creating such a software package and making it available to new missionaries. In any case, the use of Internet tools and resources may help ease the transition and minimize culture shock by educating the missionary about such cultural issues beforehand. Relationships with other Missionaries New missionaries need to be in contact with the other missionaries with whom they will be working. Through the tools of the Internet, they can develop such relationships in greater depth than has been possible in the past. E-mail allows this kind of contact to take place in written form, and is most useful for one to one communication with another missionary. Mailing lists could prove to be useful if a whole community of missionaries is in the specific location or country. In addition to allowing the missionaries already overseas to share happenings with one another though they may be separated by tens to thousands of miles, mailing lists also would allow new missionaries to be primed in what is actually happening overseas--what issues the missionaries are facing individually and as a team. New missionaries would be added to mailing lists which already exist as a service for those already on the field. Two other effective tools, discussed in a previous section, are chatting software and the Internet phone, which could draw a new missionary preparing to go to the field even closer to a missionary who is already there, through immediate interaction and feedback. Any such communication could help ease the missionary's transition to the field by assisting him or her in developing relationships with fellow missionaries. Support for Missionaries on the Field Once a missionary arrives on the field and begins work, the tools and resources of the Internet may take on an increased importance in providing communication with home, a network for missionary kids, educational resources, materials for spiritual enrichment, news from the home country, and an alternate method of ordering needed items. All the Folks at Home... In the midst of culture shock, a missionary may find him- or herself longing for something from home. It may be that a short note or phone call would be all it would take to fulfill that desire. I already discussed how e-mail, chatting, and Internet phone software can be of use in communication with missionaries on the field. They also are an effective means for a missionary to communicate with family members and friends at home, especially when things on the field get rough. In addition, the Internet can link a missionary to the supporting church. The Internet holds incredible potential for communicating with missionaries throughout the world... Missionaries can now have almost immediate access to their supporting church, and members now have a convenient tool to get to know their missionaries. We can send a message anywhere in the world for the price of a local phone call.[9] Not only is the cost low, but the communication can be instantaneous. Prayer letters including up-to-date pictures can be exchanged between home and the field using either the FTP or Web tools of the Internet. Thai Harvest has taken advantage of these capabilities in providing each of their missionaries with a family Web page where they may place pictures, prayer letters, and other information of interest to their supporters.[10] In addition, the page may include a link through which the one viewing the page can send e-mail to the missionary. Communication works both directions, as some churches are also finding it useful to have their own site on the Web, including information about the church including news and events. Even if churches merely send their newsletters and other information electronically to the missionary, that is one extra step toward maintaining ties between the supporting church and the missionary. What about the Kids? As more families go overseas, more Missionary Kids (MKs) are displaced from their friends. This kind of displacement may occur repeatedly as a child shifts from school in America to life on the field with Mom and Dad to a boarding school environment to college. The tools and resources of the Internet can help hold a youngster's world together. E-mail, chatting, or Internet phone software can link a child to family and friends regardless of where they are. When a child is not sure where home is, it would be especially helpful at least to know there's a way to speak with an old friend or even a parent. If missions organizations take advantage of the technology of the Internet, there may be less need for children to move around as much in the future. On-line education is already taking place in colleges, universities, and seminaries, and this kind of program adapted to the MK may allow him or her to remain at home with Mom and Dad at least until college, if not beyond. Communication with old friends may not be all the MK needs, for friends may not be able to understand the things he or she is going through or the issues he or she faces. It would be helpful for every MK to be in contact with other MKs who are dealing with or have already dealt with the same kind of situations. Such resources are already in existence on the Internet. The Missionary Kid Home Page provides information on a variety of resources which are helpful to MKs.[11] A registry of missionary kids provides a means of becoming pen-pals through e-mail, and a mailing list called MKNet allows kids to write about issues they are dealing with or have faced in the past as missionary kids. It is, essentially, a virtual support group for MKs.[12] The MK Web Site includes announcements about retreats and conferences, information about MK-related organizations (i.e. Mu Kappa for college students), information on MK schools, and a writing forum for creative pieces submitted by MKs.[13] Further resources of interest to MKs include an endless supply of information about US Colleges and Universities, many of which have their own Web sites. Although the MK may not be able to travel to the States to visit the school of choice, he or she can take a "virtual tour" of it through the Web and talk to admissions staff and current students through e-mail, chatting software, etc. Continuing Education The overseas missionary is learning a tremendous amount about his or her host country, but may find it difficult to keep up with other academic topics which may be of interest and of value in a cross-cultural setting. The information superhighway can help a missionary and his or her family keep caught up with new academic information and even provide a means for theological education. "Academic institutions form much of the backbone of the Internet."[14] It is no surprise, then, to find a variety of academic information on-line. In fact, the databases, scholarly conferences and academic journals which already serve the academic community may also serve the missionary who is overseas.[15] It has been hard to miss the series of commercials IBM has done about the impact of such technology overseas. One of these commercials depicts a farmer who wrote his doctoral thesis using the University of Indiana's Internet library resources all the way from Italy. This technology is available today. Consider how a missionary might benefit from reading a recent journal of anthropology or missiology. Families overseas can visit institutions like the Smithsonian on-line.[16] Many sites of interest for religious education exist including the Creation Research Society,[17] the entire Bible,[18] and classic Christian literature.[19] There is even a whole book devoted to urban ministry on the Web.[20] A missionary surely cannot take his or her whole library overseas, but now they do not have to! The missionary now has access to useful religious and academic resources while on the field using the Internet. Missionaries would not have to leave the field in order to pursue a further degree, whether at the Masters or Doctoral level. Asbury Seminary has seen a great deal of advancement in the past several years, and Dr. McKenna, former president (1982-1994) believes that: Asbury is poised to become the virtual seminary of the future. As the virtual seminary, Asbury would serve as a resource center for a global network offering two-way access, as well as the retrieval and creation of information. Connections with strategic churches, academic centers, and international mission fields would expand Asbury's ministry to all corners of the world.[21] Asbury is just one example of this kind of virtual education. United Theological Seminary has already made provisions for distance learning using the Internet,[22] as have other colleges, universities, and seminaries. Growing Spiritually How does an overseas missionary get fed spiritually, especially if serving as the sole pastoral figure wherever he or she is? The Internet provides an answer. Already the World Wide Web has a large selection of devotional materials, Bible studies, and magazines related to Christian growth.[23] Resources are being added and updated every day. With the capabilities of sending sound over the Internet, it would be relatively easy for missionaries without access to any local church overseas to listen to a sermon on-line. A home church may decide to make each week's sermon available in this manner for its missionaries and for other members who cannot be present. The sermon may be stored on computer for the missionary to transfer to his or her personal computer using FTP, or it may be included as a link on the church's Web page. Other potential uses of the technology include virtual Bible studies (with a group of people using chat or e-mail), discipleship partners (using a combination of e-mail, chat, and Internet phone software), and prayer groups or partners. Any of these options would serve to foster spiritual growth for the missionary, whether they include only missionaries or are extended to laypersons as well. What's happening in America? It is difficult for an overseas missionaries to keep up to date with what is happening in their home countries. Once again, what is difficult with old technology is easy in Cyberspace. CNN[24] and USA Today[25] are just two of the leading US news sources which have Web sites which are accessible for free. Other news sources, such as the San Jose Mercury News, provide news on a fee basis, charging a few dollars a month to access their on-line resources.[26] A missionary with full access to the Internet has access to these resources. In addition, magazines that deal more with the culture of home are also available on-line. Some are available to read on-line, and others can be ordered on-line. The overseas missionary family can use these resources to read up on what is happening at home in the worlds of music, television and movies, art, and so forth. Having access to this kind of information can ease a missionary's re-entrance into American culture when he or she returns from the field. We forgot to bring Peanut Butter! or What can I send my parents for Christmas? Many companies have begun to use the Web to market their products, and most of these take orders on-line. There are even virtual shopping malls on the Internet! Whether the missionary forgot to bring something to the field or wants to shop for gifts for friends and family in the States, he or she can do it over the Internet 24 hours a day. Just like ordering flowers over the phone, the missionary can have a gift sent anywhere. To pay, he or she may use a credit card or check and submit either one of these electronically since such data can be transmitted securely now and because of the technology of electronic checks. If you can shop on the Internet, you must be able to do just about anything. It is true. The ways in which the Internet can be of service to a missionary are truly endless. Conclusion: Is It Worth It? Is it personal? Most Internet users report that computer communication is...very intimate. Exchanges over the Internet give people a feeling of being present with each other. This characteristic of the Internet is often difficult to comprehend for people who have not used the network. The sense of intimacy is not limited to times when the Internet is used to communicate directly with another person. Even home pages give a sense of intimacy.[27] Still, there are people who are itching to get out of Cyberspace and back into "the real world." What are their reasons? According to author Clifford Stoll, when you use the network, "you are entering a non-existent universe...a soluble tissue of nothing.... Life in the real world is far more interesting, far more important, far richer, than anything you'll ever find on the computer screen."[28] Stoll's argument gives us an incentive to make the Internet an ocean of something rather than nothing. The Internet is not to be an escape from the real world, but a tool which helps us understand it. By virtue of connecting the real world of America with the real world of the mission field, we transcend Stoll's suggestion, transforming something which might seem on the surface to be impersonal into a very personal tool used for God's glory. Is all this information worthwhile? Russell Baker calls the underlying assumption of the Information Superhighway "fatally defective" because "the modern world is not dying for want of more information... its plight is too much information." As a result the world is being "battered senseless, then buried under avalanches of information."[29] The world is indeed full of information, and the Internet provides a new way to store and share this sea of knowledge. Yet it also provides the user with a compass for navigating through Cyberspace. Helpful information can usually be easily found on-line, and if it is not readily accessible, an e-mail message to the Webmaster or system operator of the on-line service can usually point a person in the right direction. The World Wide Web has numerous search utilities which anyone can use to find relevant information more easily. Can people use it? Baker comments, "It is hard to see how it is going to bless the substantial part of the population that (a) can't afford the machinery and (b) lacks the know-how to make it work."[30] These are legitimate concerns, but they have already been answered. In Central Kentucky, which is far from being "Cyberspace Headquarters," there is a volunteer society" at work educating individuals in order to bring the community up to speed and keep it up to date on all computer-related issues, including the various aspects of the Internet.[31] A friend of mine is also working with a non-profit organization called "Forward in the Fifth," which is in the process of providing Internet access and education for those in the poorest areas of Appalachian Kentucky. Given the amount of progress that is taking place in Kentucky and elsewhere, it is reasonable to assume these concerns are being answered. The problems of lack of access to and education about the information superhighway do exist at present, but they are being quickly resolved. Is it safe? The headlines say it all. Nearly everyone who criticizes the Internet makes some statement about the presence of pornography. The fact is that pornography exists on the Internet, just as it does in other areas of public expression. Concerned parties can avoid this material on the Web using a program which safely and effectively limits what information can be viewed. Even churches may provide their congregations with clean Internet service which protects members and families from the harmful excesses of the Internet which many news agencies report.[32] Pornography's presence on the Internet is no more than a reflection of other aspects of our society, where pornography is also alive and well. We can't keep the information highway cleaner than we keep our streets. In addition, the proportion of "clean" information on the Internet far exceeds that of sex-related material. Based on an informal survey of a popular Internet search tool in September 1995, only .14% of all pages on the Web contained sexual references.[33] Is it effective? The Internet's effectiveness is hardly questionable due to its efficient and interactive nature. Because it is completely independent of time and distance, information can be sent and received at any time and is not limited by geographical location.[34] As a result communication takes place more quickly and efficiently over the Internet than in any other medium. The interactivity of the Internet is unique, superseded only by face to face communication. The television, for example, also distributes information rather efficiently (though not completely time or distance independent), but with that medium, broadcasts only travels one direction at a time. On the Internet, communication travels in at least two directions at the same time.[35] These advantages speak for themselves in their ability to facilitate interaction at any time regardless of the participants' geographic location. Is it necessary? In an increasingly complex world, many are turning to the Internet as a key resource to make sense of the world around them. The Vice President of the United States is actively promoting the Internet.[36] David Barrett contends that "unless we avail ourselves of computer and electronic communications technology, the complexity of our world will make it impossible to monitor the progress and understand the challenge of Christian mission."[37] Ken Bedell, in a video script given to missions leaders exploring the possibilities of missions in Cyberspace, said the following: As we move into the new communication era we need to make sure what we take from that past is not the values that were conditioned by old technologies. Rather we need to look with fresh eyes at the potential to develop new ways of organizing and structuring our mission work that are based on Biblical principles, the teachings of Jesus and the leading of the Holy Spirit.[38] American society, along with other nations of the world, is heading in the direction of the Internet. The world of missions can either run from it, maintaining old and less effective means of communication and so distancing missions from the culture, or embrace it, taking advantage of the useful elements of the Internet and allowing these tools to enhance communication and create better-equipped missionaries. Endnotes 1.Ken Bedell, "New Communication Systems, New Mission Systems," prepared for OMSC study group on Mission Issues, Fall 1995, 3. 2.Tom Steinert-Threlkeld, "Internet Growth in 1995 Unrelenting, Lycos and Zona Find," Inter@ctive Week, http://www.zdnet.com/~intweek/daily/951211d.html (11 December 1995). 3."WBT -- Job Descriptions," http://www.wycliffe.org/WBT-USA/REC-GEN/wbtjobs.htm (28 November 1995). 4."Personnel Needs in WBT," http://www.wycliffe.org/WBT-USA/REC-GEN/help.htm (28 November 1995). 5."1996 DELTA Ministries Teams," http://www.teleport.com/~pmagee/delta/teams.htm (December 1995). 6."THAI HARVEST Home page," http://www.sky.net/~nragan/index.html (December 1995). 7."Mission Aviation Fellowship," http://www.maf.org/ (6 December 1995). 8."THAI HARVEST Home page." 9.Dennis E. Callaway, "Missions in Cyberspace," CBInternational Impact, Fall 1995, 8. 10."THAI HARVEST Home page." 11."MK Home Page," http://www.xc.org/mk/ (December 1995). 12."MKNet Info," http://www.xc.org/mk/m-lists/mknet-info.html (December 1995). 13."MK Home Page." 14.John Ottenhoff", "The World Wide Web: Taking the plunge," Christian Century, 11 October 1995, 930. 15.Ibid, 931. 16."The Smithsonian Institution Home Page," http://www.si.edu/ (13 December 1995). 17."Creation Research Society," http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/crs/crs-home.html (18 November 1995). 18."The WWW Bible Gateway," http://unicks.calvin.edu/bible (November 1995). 19."Christian Classics Ethereal Library," http://ccel.wheaton.edu/ (14 December 1995). 20."Transforming the City - Contents," http://homepage.interaccess.com/~telchar/theocity.htm (December 1995). 21.Jonathon Page, "November Press Update, " Asbury Seminary Communications Department, November 1995, 1. 22.Dale Lature, "NTR:Online Education," New Technology Review, http://www.iac.net:80/~dlature/newmedia/ntroled.html (November 1995). 23."GOSHEN: Global Online Service Helping Evangelize Nations," http://www.goshen.net/ (December 1995). 24."CNN Interactive," http://www.cnn.com (13 December 1995). 25."Top of the news," USA Today, http://web.usatoday.com/ (13 December 1995). 26.Mercury Center Home Page," http://www.sjmercury.com/ (15 December 1995). 27.Bedell, 4. 28.Joshua Quittner, "Back to the Real World," Time, 17 April 1995, 56-57. 29.Russell Baker, "A Little Cyber Grouch," New York Times, 25 March 1995. 30.Ibid. 31."Central Kentucky Computer Society," http://www.mis.net/ckcs/ckcsmain.html (28 November 1995). 32.Callaway 9. 33.Ottenhoff, 932. 34.Bedell, 5. 35.Bedell, 6. 36.Ottenhoff, 929. 37."From Famine to Feast? Mission Research in the Computer Age," International Bulletin of Missionary Research, October 1995, 145. 38.Bedell, 6. Bibliography Baker, Russell. "A Little Cyber Grouch," New York Times (25 March 1995). Bedell, Ken. "New Communication Systems, New Mission Systems," prepared for OMSC study group on Mission Issues. Fall 1995. Callaway, Dennis E. "Missions in Cyberspace," CBInternational Impact (Fall 1995): 8-9. "Central Kentucky Computer Society." http://www.mis.net/ckcs/ckcsmain.html (28 November 1995). "Christian Classics Ethereal Library." http://ccel.wheaton.edu/ (14 December 1995). "CNN Interactive." http://www.cnn.com (13 December 1995). "Creation Research Society." http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/crs/crs-home.html (18 November 1995). DELTA Ministries. "1996 DELTA Ministries Teams." http://www.teleport.com/~pmagee/delta/teams.htm (December 1995). "From Famine to Feast? Mission Research in the Computer Age." International Bulletin of Missionary Research (October 1995): 145. "GOSHEN: Global Online Service Helping Evangelize Nations." http://www.goshen.net/ (December 1995). Lature, Dale. "NTR:Online Education." New Technology Review http://www.iac.net:80/~dlature/newmedia/ntroled.html (November 1995). "Mercury Center Home Page." http://www.sjmercury.com/ (15 December 1995). "Mission Aviation Fellowship." http://www.maf.org/ (6 December 1995). "MK Home Page." http://www.xc.org/mk/ (December 1995). "MKNet Info." http://www.xc.org/mk/m-lists/mknet-info.html (December 1995). Ottenhoff, John. "The World Wide Web: Taking the plunge." Christian Century (11 October 1995): 929-933. Page, Jonathon. "November Press Update." Wilmore, KY: Asbury Seminary Communications Department, November 1995. Quittner, Joshua. "Back to the Real World," Time (17 April 1995): 56-57. Smithsonian Institution. "The Smithsonian Institution Home Page." http://www.si.edu/ (13 December 1995). Steinert-Threlkeld, Tom. "Internet Growth in 1995 Unrelenting, Lycos and Zona Find." Inter@ctive Week http://www.conceptone.com/netnews/tandt.htm (11 December 1995). Thai Harvest. "THAI HARVEST Home page." http://www.sky.net/~nragan/index.html (December 1995). "Top of the news." USA Today http://web.usatoday.com (13 December 1995). Transforming the City - Contents." http://homepage.interaccess.com/~telchar/theocity.htm (December 1995). "WWW Bible Gateway." http://unicks.calvin.edu/bible (November 1995). Wycliffe Bible Translators. "WBT -- Job Descriptions." http://www.wycliffe.org/WBT-USA/REC-GEN/wbtjobs.htm (28 November 1995). Wycliffe Bible Translators. "Personnel Needs in WBT." http://www.wycliffe.org/WBT-USA/REC-GEN/help.htm (28 November 1995).