If any of you all use Twitter, use the hashtag #OMTrip when tweeting about the Online Missions Trip. It’ll pool all the tweets about the OMTrip together in one search.
Once people start using the hashtag on Twitter, you can see all the latest tweets about the Online Missions Trip here on Twitter.
With the Online Missions Trip only weeks away, we want to remind you that this is not necessarily a once-a-year deal. Our hope is that sharing your faith through the communication mediums you use will become a natural part of your life. This is just an annual event to help encourage you to do that.
The Online Missions Trip is really part of something much bigger, a holy calling of God to share Christ with the people around us. Dare 2 Share Ministries calls it, THE Cause. If you haven’t checked it out already, watch the video on THE Cause’s website and start thinking of ways how you can advance THE Cause, not just with the Online Missions Trip, but as a lifestyle of honoring God with your living and spoken testimony.
Today the Evangelical Covenant Church denomination officially announced the 2010 Online Missions Trip on their newswire. Check it out here.
It’s been a while since we’ve been in touch with you all. Hope your summer is going great as many of go on mission trips, camps and such.
Speaking of mission trips, our next Online Missions Trip is scheduled for January 31 to February 13, 2010! It will follow basically the same format as last year.
We’re working on getting our website updated with information, a new welcome video, resources and ideas, but in the meantime, please join our Facebook page. We will be using that to communicate with you all for the next Online Missions Trip instead of this group. So if you want to get info, connect with others who are going on the Online Missions Trip, and stay up-to-date, switch over to our Facebook page.
Looking forward to joining you all in using social media to share Christ!
Despite the short notice, we had a great time last night debriefing about the Online Missions Trip! Thanks to everyone who participated! We shared some cool stories, discussed how it worked in our youth groups, vented some frustrations, and gave suggestions for how to improve it.
Mark Matlock recommended that we continue to build momentum by doing the Online Missions Trip every month or two, both individually and with our youth groups.
Questions I have about that:
If the Online Missions Trip experience moves from an annual basis to something more frequent, I would definitely appreciate some help with promotion, answering questions, collecting data, keeping the site updated with new resources and ideas, and finding ways to help kids take this seriously for an ongoing basis.
I’d love to hear your input in the comments below.
Tonight at 8:00 PM EST join me and others who participated in the Online Missions Trip for a LIVE conversation! Share stories, give feedback, and give input into the event for next year.
You can access the conversation two ways:
1. Go to the link below and join the live chat room where you can listen to the conversation and interact via your computer.
http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19105
2. Call (724) 444-7444 and enter ID 19105. If you have a pin number, you’ll be asked for it. If not, no big deal. You can join the conversation either way.
The phone call is free, although long-distance charges may apply.
Hope to talk with you tonight!
Just because the Online Missions Trip campaign is over doesn’t mean that your conversations with unsaved friends needs to stop now. In fact, this should only be the beginning. Continue to use social media and conversations to “bring God up” with your friends both online and face-to-face because their eternity depends on it.
If any of your friends made decisions to receive Christ over the last two weeks, check out some of the follow-up resources we have available for you to use for the next several weeks with that individual. It’s important that you help them start growing and understanding more about what this whole Christianity thing is all about.
There’s also resources there for your youth group to use for discussions and large-group follow-up. Check it out.
We would absolutely love to hear your stories about the Online Missions Trip. How did you see God work? What was the hardest part? How difficult was it? Did any of your friends come to know Christ? Anything and everything you want to tell us, we want to hear! If you want it to be public, post it in the comments below or on our Facebook group. If you want your story to be private between just you and us, use this form to share it.
Outreach Magazine is writing a story on the Online Missions Trip and wants some stories from teenagers about their experience on the trip. If you have a story to share, comment below or use our form to contact us. I’d love to hear your story and put them in touch with you.
Not only do we want to hear your stories, but we also greatly value your feedback, input, suggestions, and recommendations. It looks like we’re planning to do this again next year, so how can you help us make it better for when that time comes? Again, comment below or use the contact form.
We’re also planning to have a LIVE conversation about it sometime soon where students and youth leaders alike can all join together and talk about their experiences and give feedback for next time. Stay tuned to this blog for that.
April 26, 2009 is set as Internet Evangelism Day for this year. It’s kinda like the Online Missions Trip, but it’s only for 1 day. Check it out at InternetEvangelismDay.com.
Brian Ford, the guy who wrote some of our pre-trip training resources, recently did a great radio interview with WJTL in Pennsylvania. Michael Rothermel joined him, the guy who provided the photography for you guys to upload to your online profiles to use to spark spiritual discussions with friends. Listen to them talk about the vision behind the Online Missions Trip.
Here’s a shorter one I recently did with KTIS that covers the mid-west region of the United States.
NOTE: If you are seeing this in your email or RSS reader, you may need to visit this post directly in order to play the audio clips.
I lost count of how many radio interviews I did about the Online Missions Trip, but it was a lot. For about a week or two I was doing several of them every day.
This first recording is an interview that aired several times on the Pilgrim Radio Network in Nevada, Wyoming, and Montana.
This second recording is an interview that aired on Moody Radio’s Prime Time America.
I find it interesting that Christian radio stations edit out any references I make to World of Warcraft, Xbox Live, or other social online gaming. Editing it out doesn’t detract from the message of the trip at all, but people in those online places need Jesus just as much as the people on Facebook, MySpace or YouTube do. I’m not saying teens should create a WoW account or sign up for Xbox Live for this trip — I’m just pointing out that it’s another place to share your faith with people online if you’re already in those places anyway.
NOTE: If you’re viewing this in an email or RSS reader, you may need to visit this post directly in order to listen.
Just sent this message out to our Facebook group:
Hey guys! As you know, the Online Missions Trip officially starts this Sunday, on Super Bowl Sunday (if you’re in the US). There’s a forum discussion started in our Facebook group about it. Are you using the Super Bowl to share Christ with your friends? Discuss it here.
Also, don’t forget to pray for this experience. The ONLY way anything good will come out of it is if the Lord is working through it, not because of our own human efforts. That’s why it’s so critical that we spend time in prayer about it, asking Him to move, to work, and to prompt those spiritual conversations with our friends. If you haven’t committed to pray for a time slot in the 24/7 Prayer Room yet, check it out.
I’m really excited about the Kingdom impact you all are going to have! Eternity will be impacted! There are well over 3,000 teenagers participating, with almost every continent on earth represented. You all are a part of a huge movement where God will use you to change lives forever! How mind-blowing is that?!
If you need any info, tips, or anything else about this trip, check out our website: OnlineMissionsTrip.com
