Mephibosheth Ministry Church Relations

Using the Internet to Reach out for Christ

By Tait Berge

The Internet is becoming a powerful evangelistic tool, and Global Media Outreach reaches people all over the world for Jesus, at their point of need. GMO is seeing over 1 million people on average per month make a commitment to Christ with many signing for follow up discipleship.

Their mission is simple: To use the Internet to reach people for Christ. When people find a website like www.Jesus2020.com, they receive a gospel message and can connect to an online missionary who is there to give love and support, share the Gospel, and answer questions.

When Joni and Friends first approached me about being an online missionary, I was skeptical. Me in evangelism ministry? It’s not my gift. But I was at a point in my ministry where I’d try just about anything to get out of a funk.

It took me a few months to warm up to talking with people online about Christ. I didn’t get it, and I certainly didn’t care about the spiritual needs of the people receiving my emails. Sending a preprepared email to somebody just didn’t seem right. Anyone can sit and send emails. In my mind, I also signed up for this job to minister to people who were affected with disabilities, and I was just buying my time until a letter from someone with a disability showed up in my mailbox.

I finally realized that I was throwing away a gift God had given me. My ministry wasn’t limited to disability ministry...I needed to minister to anyone God put in my path. Disabled or not, these people I was emailing needed Jesus, and it’d be my honor to lead them to salvation!

When I wrapped my mind around this idea and let go of my agenda, I saw new opportunities. I can reach people over the world with the love of Christ – just from my computer. How cool is that?

Even if I never write to someone with a disability, being an online missionary has been the best thing for me, for my ministry, and my personal growth as a Christian. Because of my disability, not many “strangers” would allow me to come into their lives and lead them to Christ, but they can’t see me through the computer. Therefore, I can lead them to Christ without any restrictions. I can use my writing skills, knowledge of scripture and theology, and experiences to get the message out effectively.

Thank you, Lord, for leading me to become an online missionary. May the folks I minister to come to know and love you.

To become an online missionary, one must fill out an application and go through a training. More information can be found at http://www.globalmediaoutreach.com.

Happy New Year!

For the first time in years, perhaps in my entire life, I feel I’m right where I should be. No more down the road, no less. I ask myself what goal should I take on this year – write another book, try to work with a church, strengthen my body somehow or at least talk to my therapy advisors about what I can do, but the Holy Spirit tells me I’m right where I need to be. Yes, He will make me grow this year, I’m sure, and I do have ideas of what I want to do, but I have no desire to force my will on something I can’t control.

I could, for example, question my body. It’s not working like it has been…I’m basically stuck in one position any more and can’t even roll over in bed. Should I worry about that? Could something be done to help me be movable? It’s a question worth asking, but I’m not going to worry about it as I have in the past. I have exercises I do, play the WI, and go to swimming a few times a week. I’ll do what my body allows me to do – nothing more nothing less.

The question comes across my mind: am I using my degree in Leadership and Ethics like I planned? What have I done lately in my work as Church Relations Director to deserve to keep that job title? Okay, I manage a church database for the Colorado Springs area, and I helped present a seminar last September. My old self would shame me for that because I could do so much more, and I do have two ideas I’m praying about doing. For example, I would like to write more about what it takes to involve someone with a disability in a church body and sell it, and/or video our presentations and post them on the web. Both are realistic goals, and I hope Mary Jane will give me the go ahead to pursue these goals. I have faith that I’ll do whatever my body will allows me to do.

For now, I’m working as an online missionary where I get to lead people to Christ almost every day. This may be my true calling, and again if I’m not careful I could deny Christ’s work through me. My degree is in Leadership and Ethics, and my job is a Church Relations Director. But there are some days when my body isn’t behaving and I can’t seem to get going. I can always write a note to a contact, and I have participated in God’s Kingdom if I just did that. I have also discovered that this ministry has given me a place where I can use all my skills and knowledge I have developed the past 15 years. Whether it’s explaining the Trinity to a new Christian, or answering a question about a disability issue, my years of study are starting to pay off!

There are days when my body doesn’t work and I just want to pray. I get angry because I thought I’d be doing so much more. After all, Joni Eareckson Tada and Mary Jane Ponten hurt maybe more than I do, and look at them. They’re always on the go, and I resigned myself that my body doesn’t work and I just can pray?

Nothing against prayer. Prayer moves mountains. But I never thought of myself as so disabled, so crippled, that all I could do is to pray. After all, I’m not medically fragile. I’m not dying. Yet, years of wear and tare on my body have taken it troll, and I’m starting notice it. There’s nothing I can do about it, so I’ll do what I can and leave the rest for God.

Prayer requests:

• For my body, that it allows me to do my work

• For my work as Church Relations Director and possible new projects

• For my work as an online missionary, and for Thapelo who is so close for accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Tait