Although Sue was too depressed to leave her apartment, she mustered enough energy one day to go online and search for encouragement. She found a page that helped her see other people struggle with depression and that Christ could heal the hurt in her heart.
Across the ocean, Emad, who lives in a country where Christianity is not embraced, searched for topics about eternity after his mother passed away. He stumbled on a page explaining how Jesus is the only way to heaven, and how to begin a relationship with Him.
The pages that Sue and Emad found are part of PeaceWithGod.net, part of SearchForJesus.net, an Internet Evangelism ministry launched in late April by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Based on John 3:16, PeaceWithGod.net uses videos, testimonies and a simple Gospel presentation to explain how a person can be saved through faith in Jesus Christ.
“Millions of people go online searching for answers to their questions—questions about things like having peace with God, personal pain, anxiety and dealing with stress,” said John Cass, director of the Internet Evangelism ministry. “We know the ultimate answer is Jesus, but we also want to help them find practical, biblical solutions to their problems.
“This new website provides a clear presentation of the Gospel that gives all who visit a chance to respond,” Cass explained. “A person may not say ‘yes’ right then. But, we have had 300,000 people wandering around this site. They’ve heard the Gospel. God’s Word is not going to return void.
“It’s like having a Crusade or Festival in your own home,” Cass added.
Since its launch, tens of thousands of people from all walks of life have made decisions to follow Jesus.
Volunteers are being recruited now so that in coming months, they will be able to follow up with people who choose to share personal information. “We will be able to see how they are doing,” said Cass. “We’ll have the opportunity to encourage them to study the Bible and get involved in a local body of Christ.”
While the primary goal for the ministry is to change lives for eternity, PeaceWithGod.net also offers solutions for believers who need a reminder of God’s love, or clarity on a point of confusion.
Cass recalled doing a live chat with a man from St. Lucia who struggled after he presented the Gospel to a friend. He felt as though he didn’t do a thorough and clear job explaining the plan of salvation.
“I had the chance to remind him that God loves him and his responsibility is to care about others and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them,” Cass said. “You never know, a lot of times, what people take away from conversations when we think we’ve failed.”
Soon, the Internet Evangelism team hopes to provide chat counselors around the clock, and extend the languages available to Portuguese and Spanish. A one-on-one online discipleship program is in the works.
