Using media as a powerful missions resource

Using media as a powerful missions resource

Ahoj! My name is Tyrel Good. My wife Natalie and I serve in the Czech Republic, one of the most atheistic countries in the world.

For the past eight years, I have been serving as a media specialist and filmmaker for a local missions agency here in Europe. Recently, God revealed to me a much broader need within the modern church: To evangelize, disciple, and encourage the next generation of creatives and technicians to bolster the church and reach those outside its traditional reach. I recently partnered with GlobalOne80 to enable me to pursue that vision.

The world is going through a massive paradigm shift, accelerated by the pandemic and emergent technology. As I think about the church and its relationship with technology, I am reminded of a quote from The Lord of the Rings, “those who have no swords can still die upon them.” Understanding and applying technology is not just important for the proliferation of the Gospel but also for the functioning and even survival of the work of the Church globally.

Tools like ChatGPT have the potential to circumvent restrictions on Bible distribution. Virtual Reality enables people to experience the Bible and its stories in new and immersive ways. Bitcoin can get resources to the mission field quickly, bypassing traditional finance rails that can pilfer or stop the funds. The possibilities are vast.

Although my focus is on the Czech Republic, I am working to connect to two other similar global networks with a similar focus: TheChurch.Digital network which focuses on digital or metaverse church and missions initiatives as well as FaithTech, a think tank and network for Christians working on tech problems and applications of all sorts. They are active in North America but still are not as widely connected in Europe.

With my individual interest and skills, I have been working closely with a local seminary to help translate their curriculum to an online eLearning course and will soon be facilitating the Czech translation of a new Biblical times video game called Gate Zero which will be coming out late next year. I am also currently working with my local contacts on launching a Czech-focused church in the Metaverse.

We all have a part to play in the work of God in our church and in our communities but I see God is calling on a previously overlooked group of His followers in the tech and media space to not only help the Church survive the coming turbulence but grow and thrive in ways and places we never imagined.