Mission goes on in the face of a global pandemic. In some ways, we have more/better access to people for gospel ministry now than we normally do; millions of Christians have more time on their hands to engage people in every corner of the world and every corner of the internet. The airports may be closed, but the internet is open. This is a wonderful time to use the technology we already use every day to engage people in gospel conversations.

To set the stage for what leveraging the internet for mission might look like, let’s start with a quick overview of how we navigate social networks:

When you’re new to a social media network (like Twitter, Facebook or Instagram), you don’t have any followers or friends. If you post something, there isn’t anyone listening. In order for communication to occur, you have to make some connections.

As you start to establish connections your sphere of influence grows. You follow people, like what they’re saying, post a response. You realize that before anyone follows you back, they probably review everything else you’ve posted. If they like what they see, they may eventually follow you back. Your network has begun!

Virtual Tribes

As you continue to extend your reach into the network, you come to realize that your audience isn’t actually one big group, but rather a collection of interconnected groups that you can interact with.

You post something about your local church that resonates with your pastor. You post something about work that your coworkers like. You post something about mission and mission leaders retweet it. Your local church, people you know from work, mission leaders–these are the virtual version of Tribes.

Many of you might have ready the Upstream Book, Tradecraft: For the Church on Mission. I contributed a chapter on "Engaging Tribes." In it, I outline the idea that a “tribe” is “any social grouping in which members might find a sense of identity and belonging.” It’s a group of people that have regular, ongoing, meaningful interaction that helps provide a sense of identity. It’s how people develop a sense of “us” vs. “them.” The resulting connections eventually develop into subcultures with their own sets of norms (“This is how we do things around here.”) Tribes serve to help people people process information about the world around them (“What do we think about this?”).

On the internet, tribes tend to be established around affinity– what people enjoy and choose to emphasize in their lives. Some examples:

Geography-based virtual groupings: nextdoor, Neighbors, various civic associations, etc.
Sports, eSports: Fans, players, YouTube, Twitch
Career: School communities, professional associations, etc.
Hobbies: Book clubs, TV shows, podcast, various fandoms

There are literally millions of internet-based tribes. Each of them have regular, ongoing interaction. But they all have their own sets of rules for how to join, how to engage, and where the conversation takes place. What would it look like if Christians everywhere intentionally tried to join tribes in order to connect with people, be a blessing, and share the gospel?