The Mission Field is at Our Fingertips
What is this “hidden” mission field?
Did you know that millions of people are googling the spiritual questions they’re afraid to ask their friends or family?
Today, people turn to Google for all kinds of answers. Especially to questions they’re hesitant to ask the people around them.
Where is this mission field?
We can’t see it on a map, but it’s anywhere and everywhere. This mission field is digital, and it includes seekers all around the world—anywhere with an internet connection.
Who is in this mission field?
It’s made up of millions of people who type their spiritual questions into Google because they don’t have anyone else to ask. They’re doing their own research and looking for sources they feel they can trust.
We might not know who or where they are. They’re “hidden” from us… until we see the questions they type into search engines.
And when it comes to those in crisis, those who are desperate to find meaning in their struggles, they often don’t look at who is answering their questions.
They just want answers.
They want the information needed to help them create a solution.
They have little patience for fluff, elaborate metaphors, long stories, or content that doesn’t get right to the point.
“If I don’t confess my sins to a priest, will God not forgive me?”
They’re asking questions like:
“What will happen to my mother after she dies? Will she be in heaven?”
“Why hasn’t God healed me?”
“Which day is the Sabbath?”
“What is an easy online Bible study for beginners?”
Many of these people are at the end of their rope. Many don’t have anyone else to turn to.
And many of them are eager to start studying the Bible, or even join a church!
Before the existence of this digital mission field, it was difficult to reach such a broad range of people at once—especially those already prepared to hear our message and to study with us.
The people in this mission field don’t need convincing. They’re not looking for people or organizations that are flashy or cool or entertaining. They just need to see that we have the answers to their questions!
But they don’t know where to start. So they let Google lead them.
That’s what the Center for Online Evangelism can find out through our extensive keyword and topic research process, as part of our greater Search Engine Optimization strategy.
How do we reach this mission field?
The great news is this since this mission field is digital, we can access it from anywhere. But if we want Adventist content to be found over the competition, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) must be part of the content development process.
In the online world today, individuals, groups, churches, and businesses use SEO to make their webpages appear more prominently in Google’s search results for specific topics. They let these strategic principles guide their content creation, social media, web design, etc.
They make it a point to study their audience, learn what they’re asking, learn what they want, and learn how to best prepare content seekers will read, remember, save, and share.
But these other websites may not have the truth about the state of the dead, the nature of humanity, the divinity of Christ, or other key doctrines.
They might not be a real church.
They may not even be Christians.
They could be trying to sell something, preying on the vulnerable who are turning to the internet for answers to their deepest questions.
This mission field needs us!
It needs the Adventist message of hope, proclaiming gospel truth and the soon coming of Christ!
This is an opportunity we can’t afford to miss.
