https://www.thetide.org/the-media-persona/
Mark recounts the following as Jesus called His first disciples:
As He was going along the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will have you become fishers of people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. (Mark 1:16-18).
What followed for these and the other disciples was three plus years of living in very close quarters with the Lord, walking with Him every day, learning and putting their growing faith in action. Jesus made it clear to us that the model of discipleship was to continue, as he announced His Great Commission marching orders for us:
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
After the Church was inaugurated at Pentecost, the early believers lived and met together, sharing their possessions and shouldering each other’s burdens. These and many other illustrations in the Scriptures make it abundantly clear that discipleship – something Jesus wants every one of us to pursue – is not merely the pursuit of knowledge but a rubber meets the road faith lived out in community.
How do media ministries like The Tide fit into the Christian model of discipleship? Media augments discipleship-making ministries as it is possible to share and distribute media content to large audiences, including in restricted areas. The scope of reach of media ministries can surpass what is possible with in-person interactions.
However, media ministries are not the whole picture, because teaching is only one part of the discipleship process. To make a disciple means in-person connections – conversations, relationships, and being plugged into a body of believers.
Holistic strategies like what our partners pursue mean integrating media outreach with in-person connections. Here is a representative framework that works for many:
- Bathe the entire pursuit in extraordinary prayer
- Creating and broadcasting media content and advertisements which draw in the intended audience (media persona)
- Having digital follow-up conversations to identify persons who are interested in discipleship
- Coordinating follow-up and in-person meetings, plugging persons into community
In some respects, the digital follow-up is the key bridge which begins the process of connecting listeners and viewers into discipleship. This is an essential part of our ministry. We reported on some of this in the Middle East last week, and will provide more ministry updates of digital conversations in a later entry. Stay tuned!