Cybermissions 101

Assessment:
Cybermissions 101: A 2000 word (4 page) essay on the topic: "The concepts, possibilities, limits and strategic utility of Internet based Christian ministry."

Each six week course costs $37.50 which can be paid by Paypal, see links below.

These courses will require you to read some online material and browse and analyse some sample websites, and then post your responses in an online forum. Finally you will complete an assignment which you will email to your lecturer.

These are online courses and require access to the Internet on a regular basis.

A college level of English is required: there is a large amount of reading involved and there are regular writing tasks in the forums, journal and final assignment. Some basic computer knowledge is essential.

Objective: To encourage and equip Internet evangelists and cybermissionaries to work effectively and strategically in using the Internet to fulfill the Great Commission.

Instructors: John Edmiston is the course co-ordinator, facilitators include experienced members of the Internet Evangelism Coalition Global Forum. However the course is meant to operate in a community-based adult-learning mode where we teach each other and where all real learning is due to the work of the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 23:8).

Organization: Cybermissions.Org is a division of the Antioch Internet Bible International (http://www.aibi.ph) which is 501 (c) (3) religious non-profit corporation registered in the State of California, USA, and is based in Carson (Los Angeles). The AIBI is a member of the Internet Evangelism Coalition.

Who Can Enroll?: Great Commission Christians over the age of 18. You must agree with the Nicene Creed.

Enrolling
Enrolment is a three step process that takes between five to ten minutes.
1. Read the material below
2. At the bottom of this page there is a link to the enrolment form - fill out the form. Pay attention to the required fields.
3. Log in to the Interaction Center (your online classroom). When you first go to the Interaction Center you will need to register - and choose a username and password.

Educational Method: Online classes, readings, forums and reflective journalling.

Time Commitment: Around 4hrs a week depending on reading speed - 1 hour to read the 3 articles, 30 minutes to visit 6 links at 5 mins each, 30 mins to write in the forums, 30 minutes to write in the journal, 1 hour to work on the strategic plan for your ministry.

Cost: $37.50 - here are three good reasons for the cost:
a) Personal Motivation - people who donate tend to press on to complete the course and do the assessment while people who do it for free tend to stop half-way.
b) Cost Recovery- This ministry costs around $6500 a year to run in overheads alone. Your donations are a real help.
c) Biblical - the laborer is worthy of his hire etc.
You can pay by IKOBO , Paypal or by cheque on a US bank

Texts: Print texts tend to be expensive or unavailable in many countries so we have deliberately not set a compulsory textbook.
The closest thing we have to a textbook is the online Web Evangelism Guide by Tony Whittaker (who will join us as one of the guest lecturers). Quite a few of the set readings are from it.
However Perspectives On The World Christian Movement edited by Ralph Winter and Steven C. Hawthorne and E-vangelism by Andrew Careaga would both be very helpful in this course.
There is also a Cybermissions Reading List for those who want to do some deeper study.

ONLINE CLASSROOM

The Interaction Center is where your online classrooms are located and where you participate in forums, use a reflective journal or upload certain files. You will find links to these on the left-hand side of the relevant subject area.
The forums are public discussion areas for each subject. They will have topics - and you are expected to contribute a reply/replies to the question being asked. The whole class can read the forum and so it becomes a place for Christian discussion and debate (in a spirit of mutual edification). Personal attacks ('flames") are not allowed.
The reflective journals are for your personal reflection on the course material. Only you and the lecturer get to see what is written there. You can freely express yourself.

How To Use The Interaction Center

Rules, Disclaimers etc

By enrolling in this AIBI / Cybermissions.Org course you are stating that you are:

The AIBI or Cybermissions.Org cannot be held responsible for the actions of third-parties such as other students or spammers or ISP's or those who post offensive material. If you notice such material on a forum or in a class-related email by all means bring it to our attention and we will check it out, and if necessary, remove it from the website.

If you have read and agree with the material above - fill in the enrollment form

For questions, comments and further information you can always email me

Cybermissions Articles

Week No.	Topic
1	The Nature and Theology of Cybermissions
2	Who Is Online And What Do They Want? Web Demographics, Push & Pull Technologies...
3	Decisions In Cyberspace - Bridge Strategies, Revised Engel Scale etc.
4	Online Communities, Virtual Teams, Relationships In Cyberspace
5	Online Communication - Writing Skills, Chat, Lists, MOOs, Personal Communication Online
6	Reaching Post-Moderns Online