From "The Digital Cathedral: Networked Ministry in a Wireless World," by Keith Anderson

"In the second half of the twentieth century, seminarians – myself included – and church leaders were told that we must cast a large vision for the congregation, for, as they say, “without vision the people perish (derives from Proverbs 29:18) and to generate programming to support that vision.  The ministry leader was out in front, envisioning a plan for the future for the congregation to follow. This understanding of the role of ministry leaders is persistent today.  It is often one of the first questions asked of potential pastoral candidates.  When I interviewed for my first call, the first question the church council asked was, “What is your vision for us?”

"In the end, this visionary-programmatic approach is a consumerist and perhaps even cynical model of ministry, in which people become consumers of programs, objects to be won, and not necessarily to Christ, but to church membership.  It puts congregations and clergy on competition with each other for the biggest vision, the best programs, and the most members."

The post-modern world of the 21st Century presents many challenges for Christians who wish to spread the good news of the Gospel.  Anderson makes a compelling case that spreading the Gospel will best succeed through a ministry that is networked, relational, and incarnational. We must be ready to communicate through networks, establish genuine relationships (and that doesn't dismiss the reality of digital relationships) with people, and be the available, listening and compassionate presence of Jesus to the world.  We must move from "marketing" our programs to living out the message of the Gospel.  Relationship building is an end in itself not a manipulative in-road allowing us to bring people into church membership.