Casting a net over the Net: Principles to help you make effective use of the Internet.

Surfing the Internet is like driving a car: once you learn how, you won't be able to live without it. But it's more profound than that. The Internet has been compared in importance to the invention of the printing press in that it will forever alter the way we communicate and access information.

Consider this: a six-year-old has access to as much information on the Internet today as his grandfather had in his entire life. That child can access virtually everything anyone ever wanted to know about anything. That is both frightening and incredibly challenging.

The challenge for Presbyterians is to determine an effective way to use Internet technology "Christianly" -- and that means more than simply staying away from pornographic Web sites. We need to adopt a few principles or guidelines for the proper use of the Internet.

You access the Internet for a variety of reasons. For instance, you can go to www.presbyterian.ca to access all kinds of information about The Presbyterian Church in Canada. You will find past issues of the Acts and Proceedings there, along with a host of documents and reports. A significant part of this Web site, as with most Web sites, is a virtual library of information.

You can also click on the PCCTalk button on that Web site to enter the discussion forum. You will find many discussion topics. Once you register (and you need to register only once to gain future access), you can either respond to existing topics or start new topics. You can talk about worship styles, engage in theological discussions, or deal with practical questions of faith and life. This is a discussion forum, as opposed to a chat room where one engages in live, real-time conversation. A discussion forum may evoke an immediate response (within minutes), it may take several days, or it may be completely ignored.

The Presbyterian Record also has a site at www.presbyterian.ca/record. It provides a variety of information about the Record, a selection of current articles, plus material to supplement the children's page.

The Internet is a global network connecting millions of computers and billions of documents, pictures and songs -- a global library of resources. But that shouldn't overwhelm the user. There is a wonderful feature called "Search" that allows you to search for any conceivable topic simply by typing in a few appropriate words. I once typed in "sermons" and came up with 1.2 million references. Then I narrowed it down to "Reformed sermons" and, then, to "Reformed Easter sermons" to become even more specific. Today's minister has access to tens of thousands of sermons, complete with Scripture references, hymn selections from that denomination's hymn-book, litanies, lectionary references, etc. A minister never needs to write a sermon again although that would rob both the minister and the congregation of the richness of a local application. There are entire Web sites dealing with sermon illustrations and with comparative versions of the same text.

The Internet is both a good and a dangerous friend of the medical profession. It is a good place to find "a second opinion" when one is diagnosed with an illness. In fact, it is also a good place to go for a first opinion. But nothing takes the place of a personal visit to a doctor. Many patients now walk into the doctor's office with a print-out about their illness, more informed to ask questions and to discuss it.

One of the blessings of Internet technology is electronic mail, commonly known as e-mail. You can type and send a message, along with documents, pictures and video clips. Once an e-mail is sent, it normally arrives at its destination seconds later. The problem is, however, that the e-mail sits in someone's computer until it is opened. Some people make a point of checking their e-mails only once a month.

The instantaneous nature of e-mail also breeds a culture where people expect an immediate response. I once received an e-mail followed an hour later by a telephone call from someone saying: "Didn't you get my e-mail? I've been waiting for a response." In the olden days -- a decade ago -- we would mail a letter, it would arrive a week later, then take another week for a response. We have become a society in a hurry.

As we come to grips with the Internet and its role in our lives, we need to consider a few principles.

Principle 1

The Internet supplements community: it cannot replace it

There has been considerable theological discussion about whether or not we can "be church" on the Internet. Scripture insists that "where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them" (Matthew 18:20). Does a "virtual" meeting constitute a gathering?

Until now, gathering has always been viewed as a physical gathering in a physical place. Certainly it is possible to develop intense relationships through e-mail or in Internet chat rooms. And it is also possible to share the gospel and to grow in the faith while on the Internet. But individuals experience true community when they physically gather together. In short, the Internet is not a replacement for a worshipping community.

Principle 2

E-mail is an excellent discussion tool

The development of e-mail has drastically reduced the need for meetings within most corporate and church settings. Information can be sent back and forth, reports forwarded, reactions received, thoughts shared. It truly makes for an efficient use of time. There is a risk, however, that this becomes the sole form of interaction among session or committee members, for instance, and that simply won't do. There is still a need for regular, face-to-face interaction.

One session decided to hold a meeting via e-mail rather than face-to-face. The elders were intrigued by the potential of e-mail so they decided to send out the agenda beforehand and, then, began debating each issue by e-mail, sending out copies, of every thought to all participants. It was chaotic. No, it was a disaster because they chose the wrong electronic forum. If they had used a secure chat room, they could have had a live discussion with immediate interaction. As it was, they were talking through each other and the discussion became bogged down in frustration. The point is, never use e-mail to carry on a meeting.

E-mail has merit when setting the agenda and sending out appropriate reports.

Some churches have every member of the congregation connected by e-mail. They send out the weekly bulletin and newsletter on Fridays and e-mail the sermon on Mondays. Throughout the week, they use e-mail to send out prayer requests or other items of special interest. This is an effective use of Internet technology

Principle 3

The World Wide Web won't bite

The Internet contains a wealth of information, more than anyone will ever need. Click on the Search button and look up a few items of personal interest: perhaps gardening, sports, your own family tree, hobbies, the weather or the news. You can also scan the pages of your favourite larger daily newspaper to keep on top of headlines.

Discover what you can find on the Internet -- and how easy it is. That includes being aware of both the good and the bad.

If you have a family with younger children, develop some guidelines. Software programs exist that will block out offensive sites. It is also important to develop guidelines around the amount of time you spend on the Internet. Time passes by quickly. Learn to limit yourself and others within the family.

Develop family habits around the Internet. Spend time together searching for material on new and interesting topics. Develop weekly or monthly themes so that, as a family, you learn together.

Principle 4

Check for truth

This will undoubtedly become the biggest challenge of the Internet within our generation. There are tens of thousands of Web sites, from official ones such as The Presbyterian Church in Canada to the most obscure such as the Chuch of the Barking Dog. There is no mechanism to differentiate between those that speak with authority and those that can best be described as quacks. A pronouncement from the American Medical Association presumably carries more weight than one person's study while visiting a remote African clinic. In short, look at the source and learn to discern.

Principle 5

Use chat rooms carefully but frequently

There are hundreds of. chat rooms -- places where you can go to engage in discussions with people of similar interests. One needs to discern the kind of chat room and the level of discussion. Young people are especially proficient in chatting online with their friends through such forums as MSN. Many head home from school and make a bee-line for the computer to continue discussions held moments ago with friends.

There are hundreds of chat rooms that attract people from around the globe -- remember, this is the World Wide Web -- to idle chat or to more profound discussions. This is often an opportunity to develop interesting relationships with others and also a place where you can talk about the importance of faith and your relationship with God.

Principle 6

The Internet has an integral role to play in evangelism 

The Internet's audience is both global and local. As Christians and as a church, we have an obligation to consider ways to spread the gospel by means of Internet technology. As individuals, that means speaking out when we have an opportunity to do so in one of many public forums. Most newspapers and television networks, for instance, have Web sites that include forums for public discussion.

As local churches develop their own Web sites, there needs to be a component that allows for a public response such as a "Contact Us" button. We need to create the opportunity for others to ask us about the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, as a church, we have an obligation to provide the people who can respond to those enquiries.

These principles form but a foundation for a meaningful response to Internet technology. We need to embrace this technology with evangelical zeal as one new way in which we can respond to God.

Keith Knight is associate secretary for Resource Production and Communication of The Presbyterian Church in Canada.