It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million users. TV hit the mark in 13 years, though personal computers reached that many users in just 16 years. But the Internet left them all in the dust. It nailed the 50-million-users mark in only four years.

More than 100 million American adults now surf the Web, up from 65 million only a year ago. Seventy-seven percent of the surfers are now sending email, with the average user sending more than six emails a day. More than 20 percent of Internet users have created or updated a website in the past three months.

And like Christ we should seek to meet people where they are—online.

When using chat rooms to be on mission, remember these key points: Don’t misrepresent yourself as someone you’re not. Ask questions first. Then seek openings to share the gospel. Exercise Christ-like consideration for others—even virtual Bibles can hurt when wielded to win arguments instead of establishing relationships. Realize that people who visit chat rooms want to talk. Ask to exchange email addresses for follow-up.

Internet evangelism is serious stuff—so serious that on May 1, Siam Rogers became the North American Mission Board’s first appointed Internet missionary, commissioned to share (and help others share) the gospel in cyberspace. "The power of an [evangelistic] website," he told Baptist Press, "is that while we’re sleeping, the Lord is out there using that to reach people who are looking for answers."

Gerald Boyd of Carmel, California, hosts daily chats at amazinggrace.com. Over the past three years, about 100 people per year have prayed to receive Christ. He shares the story of one Satanist who contacted him, telling him that Christianity was a hoax. After a long time of emailing back and forth with Gerald, the Satanist eventually wrote to him: "God has changed my life and given me an inner peace that I’d never known. I truly did ask Jesus to come into my life and I am happy now! I can’t thank you enough—I really can’t. You have shown me the way, and for that I will forever be in debt to you."

Message boards are another hot cyber-spot. Thousands of people post messages daily, writing stories about their lives, trials and accomplishments and posting opinions about current events and other topics. Many are reaching out for help. Many others post stories about miraculous events that have happened to them.

• Become familiar with scriptures that relate to becoming a Christian. Jot down key verses and keep them close by while chatting or surfing the Web.

• Take a virtual prayerwalk. Pray diligently for the people you meet online and ask God to give them receptive hearts.

• Have a list of referrals nearby in case you encounter someone with a serious problem. Directing a person in need to the proper source could become a life-saving event. The North American Mission Board Evangelism Response Center has counselors available at 800-JESUS2000.

• Keep in touch. Follow up with words of encouragement. Encourage people you meet online to attend church and join a congregation filled with caring believers. Offer to forward links for daily devotions and guidance.

• Keep a list of inspirational sites that offer guidance for becoming a Christian and how to live a Christ-like life in your list of bookmarked sites. Share these with new Christians and seekers.

amazinggrace.com
Gerald Boyd may be a retired pastor, but he has not retired from ministry. He frequently shares Christ online and offers advice for other cybersaints.

e-vangelism.com
This site provides articles on Internet evangelism, a weekly electronic newsletter and more.

www.strike.someone.net
Developing chat-room ministry is the purpose behind STRIKE, which stands for "starting technology-based relationships introducing Christianity everywhere."

Fishthe.net
A search engine and directory of Christian websites with an emphasis on Internet outreach.

onmission.com
The Web version of On Mission magazine includes daily devotionals and downloadable resources to help Christians share Christ effectively.

accessjesus.org
This ministry from Buford, Georgia, points visitors to a "special offer"—the gift of salvation—and includes a compilation of inspirational emails.

gospel.com
A website designed to equip believers to share the gospel—on the Net or in their neighborhoods.

net.simplenet.com
Australian minister Grantley Morris developed this website, which contains hundreds of articles and links to other e-vangelistic resources. Morris’ site includes testimonies from online seekers who have found encouragement through this outreach.

simpletruth.org
The website of Charles Stanley’s In Touch Ministries is designed to reach online seekers who are examining non-Christian religions.

thegoodnews.org
The personal testimonies on this site, maintined by NAMB, make for compelling reading and draw visitors closer to Christ.

Even on the Internet, where people discuss religion almost as freely as they talk about sex, evangelism can be a tough calling. True, the Net is a fairly risk-free environment for Christians who want to practice evangelism, and the anonymity of chat rooms can be liberating for those not comfortable discussing spiritual matters in our secular society. But the freedom with which people discuss religion on the Internet doesn’t always translate into true converts to the faith. For the past six years, I’ve been involved in some form or another of online evangelism. I’ve shared Christ in Wiccan chat rooms and respectfully debated atheists in online forums. My personal testimony is on the Web, and the dozens of email messages I’ve received in response to that story tell me that it’s being noticed. I’ve even written a book about Internet evangelism. But I have never led anyone to Christ over the Internet. Does this mean I’ve failed in my "e-vangelistic" endeavors? Not if we look at witnessing as a process, rather than as a single event in time. Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians remind me how that process works. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor (1 Corinthians 3:8). Or as Joe Aldrich puts it in his book Lifestyle Evangelism (Multnomah), "Evangelism is gift driven. Some are great cultivators. Some are gifted sowers. Others are gifted reapers." Whether we’re sharing Christ on the Web or in our neighborhood, it’s important to remember that who sows and who reaps is not important. What matters is that the process of evangelism has borne fruit, that a person has been given an opportunity to become a follower of Christ. —Andrew Careaga

powertochange.com
This resource of Campus Crusade for Christ provides testimonies from the famous—such as tennis pro Michael Chang and former Washington Redskins football coach Joe Gibbs—and the not-so-famous.

thekristo.com
An excellent multimedia gospel presentation targeting today’s Net-savvy teens (requires the free Flash plug-in).

wuzupgod.com
Another "Flash"-y, multimedia gospel presentation aimed at digital youth, from the same anonymous donor who brought us the "God speaks" billboard campaign.

barneyfife.com
Step back in time to Mayberry, USA, circa 1960. This site, inspired by a series of Bible studies, brings the lessons of "The Andy Griffith Show" to the Internet generation.

discoveryseries.org
This site hosts electronic versions of the "Discovery Series" booklets from RBC (Radio Bible Class) Ministries.

billygraham.com
The official website for the world’s best-known evangelist and his organization, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

devotions.org
A ministry of Back to the Bible, the name says it all.

(All-in-one resources for news, chat, forums and inspiration. Many also provide free email. These sites take more of a general interest approach to Christian living but often include ideas or motivation for sharing Christ.)

christianity.com
Stay tuned for the unveiling of this site later this year. It promises "integrated and compelling content, services and tools for all Christian individuals and organizations."

christianityonline.com
The website for the Christianity Today family of publications. Check out the site’s Church Locator search engine (www.christianityonline.com/churchlocator/).

A few weeks ago when I signed online, I immediately had an instant message from a woman whom I had talked to several months earlier. Her first question was, "Nancy, may I ask you a spiritual question?" "Sure. Any time." For the next hour and a half we chatted about God, His grace and His mercy. We touched on church attendance, forgiveness and eternity. She didn’t understand salvation or what she needed to do to become a Christian. I could tell, however, that she wanted the assurance that she would spend her eternity with the Lord. I asked, "If you died, or if Christ returned to earth tonight, are you sure you would spend eternity in heaven?" She responded that she wasn’t sure and that the thought petrified her. I explained that becoming a Christian is really a simple process and that all she had to do was ask. "If it’s so easy, why isn’t everyone saved?" Her question popped up on my screen. "Everyone hasn’t asked," I answered. Then I asked her if she would like to become a Christian that night. Immediately, she responded, "Yes, I surely would." I grabbed my Bible and asked her to get hers. I guided her through a few verses in the book of Romans. She asked questions about them as we went along, and I explained to the best of my ability what they meant. All of this was accomplished through instant messaging. I am certain that I will see this online friend in heaven someday, though I don’t know her real name or where she lives. I’m convinced that she became a Christian that night. A few weeks later, I got another instant message from her. She asked if I would also talk to her son. Of course I agreed, and I’m looking forward to the day when he asks me to help him answer life’s most important question. —Nancy B. Gibbs

crosswalk.com
Great discussion forums make this site click.

ibelieve.com
A new site for Christian community on the Web, iBelieve.com features news, articles and discussion forums that can aid on mission Christians in maintaining their evangelistic lifestyles.

gospelcom.net
The granddaddy of the Christian portals, the Gospel Communications Network is a collaboration of more than 170 ministries and organizations.

iexalt.com
Terrific navigation and content, with an added bonus: the top Web page fits on one screen—no scrolling needed!

church2000.org
Billed as "the Christian information source for the new millennium," Church2000 is an online directory of churches, Christian bookstores, seminaries and other bricks-and-mortar resources.

family.org
The website for Focus on the Family features articles and RealAudio broadcasts of the ministry’s radio programming.

peggiesplace.com
The home page of Peggie Bohanon, editor of the Internet for Christians newsletter and a writer from Springfield, Missouri.

Andrew Careaga is the author of E-vangelism: Sharing the Gospel in Cyberspace, published by Vital Issues Press.