'News of the Word'

Paignton (Palace Avenue) Methodist Church

Palace Avenue, Paignton, Devon, TQ3 3EQ.

Evangelising via internet

The stirring story of Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit to the disciples is an inspirational foundation to much that Christians do and achieve in the world.

At Pentecost, Jesus' followers were baptised with tongues of fire and enabled to speak all kinds of foreign languages. So, it seems to me, the Pentecost story is about communication, that as Christians we are called to be communicators in the world. Communicators of the love of God and the Good News of Jesus.

It's true, we don't see too many tongues of fire these days – and, with different health and safety regulations, perhaps it's a good job the Holy Spirit always uses means which are suitable to the time and place.

But what means is the Spirit using to communicate today? Probably as many means as there are people, but here are a couple which I have come across in the last weeks.
I was moved to read recently that churches in rural areas have been ringing their bells to signal Christian solidarity with the farming industry during the foot and mouth disease crisis. It has been a brilliant use of an ancient form of communication in order to communicate God's caring into a modern crisis. Hopefully, it heartened the beleaguered farmers. It might not have changed anything, but it let them know they were not alone.

But the Holy Spirit isn't restricted to the ancient, the well-tried or the traditional. She is also part of the communications revolution brought about by information technology. God won't be left out of that revolution, and, as a result, churches everywhere are responding to the IT challenge.

Several churches in our area have their own Internet websites, for example Palace Avenue Methodist Church in Paignton where, from very small beginnings, a comprehensive website will now put you in touch with every aspect of life in their church.

The Palace Avenue mission statement says they are aiming to expand the work of Jesus Christ. As part of this, their website lets people contact them who are far beyond the scope of their Sunday Services. It gives its visitors a flavour of life in the church, even down to some of the music likely to be heard, and is now being visited almost 3,000 times a month, from as far afield as China, Australasia, Turkey. Incredibly, in one month, there were 35 visits from Tonga alone!

Their Webmaster says: "It's great because it enables church people to be in the world, literally. All round the world, and yet it's available for local people too. It has grown like mad and we've grown with it. It's a wonderful outreach for the church."

Their Webmaster also tells me that, for those who don't yet have Internet access, you can come along to Palace Avenue any Monday or Wednesday morning between 10.00 and 12.00 to see what this is all about.

Someone will be pleased to show you the website on the church computer which isn't tucked away in an office, but takes its place in the church itself, amongst those other communicators of the good news of Jesus, the people.

The Palace Avenue Website Team is willing to advise other churches who would value assistance. They can be contacted by visiting www.palaceavenue-methodist.org.uk/contactus.