Online communication tools, part 2
God stories from online platforms and LINE’s little-known features
As a follow-up to my previous article on a survey about how JEMA members use communication platforms (Japan Harvest, Summer 2021, 36), this article celebrates stories of God working through these technologies during COVID.
Church or team fellowship
During the pandemic, LINE and other communication platforms have helped maintain the dynamics of church life and enabled missionary teams to continue interacting. One aspect of Christian life that grew noticeably was prayer. God used the limitations of in-person meetings to increase the frequency and intimacy of corporate prayer among JEMA members, their churches, and their sending organizations.
Another aspect of church life that the platforms enabled was the livestreaming of weekly church services. One respondent noted that their church members displayed love for each other through younger people joining services online so that elderly members could safely attend in person. For many churches, livestreaming has engaged people all over Japan and the world who might not normally go to church. Some people actively sought out churches online, whereas others stumbled upon them.
Continuing Bible study
Online platforms have also been a tremendous help for Bible study. Increased familiarity with online socializing has made virtual Bible studies more achievable. Some JEMA members have been able to maintain Bible study commitments in Japan while out of the country as the digital platforms know no geographical bounds (though time differences and bandwidth can cause difficulties).
Outreach
After Christians came to grips with the “new normal” of virtual ministry, they started to see how these virtual platforms were being used by God. One participant reported that “a non-Christian family member began to sit in with his wife and children on Zoom worship services and came to Christ and was baptized. Another young man, a son of a believer, came forward to profess faith as well.”
Another participant reported that “a husband of a recently converted woman in our church became a Christian during lockdown because the women’s Bible study group decided to invite their husbands as they continued the Alpha course online!”
Another respondent said that LINE had allowed them to renew connections with students they were ministering to after periods of being out of touch. The Lord used this connection point and this person to reengage when these students were going through challenging times.
The survey produced too many stories for me to share them all here. Praise God for his faithfulness in our limitations!
Little-known LINE features
Beacon: Approved Bluetooth transmitters send messages to LINE users near the location of an event. This feature can allow you to engage passersby in Sunday morning services and other public events.1
Translation accounts: These accounts can be added to any chat, and they automatically translate anything that is typed.
Money transfer: Using LINE Pay and LINE Cash, you can send and request money from others and even split a bill. This could be very useful for sharing ministry costs, collecting event payments, or simply repaying someone.2
Polls: You can make multiple-choice, anonymous, and time-locked poll questions that chat members can answer. This is a great way to get group consensus. It is also an easy way to engage a group with fun or thought-provoking discussion questions.3
Event scheduling: This allows you to create a calendar in your chat for events. You can set times, see RSVP lists, and get notified when an event is about to begin. Like other platforms, this is a good way to know numbers of attendees, communicate event details, and invite others.4
OpenChat: Groups OpenChat can contain up to 5,000 people. This allows people to jump into free discussions based on common topics. You can use common topics that bridge to spiritual conversations.5
1. “LINE Beacon,” LINE, https://help.line.me/line/android/pc?lang=en&contentId=50001492 (accessed June 13, 2021).
2. Sending/Requesting Money and Splitting Bills”, LINE, https://help.line.me/line/?contentId=20000700&country=JP (accessed June 13, 2021).
3. “Poll”, LINE, https://help.line.me/line/android/pc?lang=en&contentId=20003458 (accessed June 13, 2021).
4. “Schedule Those Important Moments with Friends Quickly and Easily with Events!” LINE Official Blog, http://official-blog.line.me/en/archives/1067370213.html (August 18, 2017).
5. “OpenChat Broadens LINE User Experience,” LINE, https://linecorp.com/en/pr/news/en/2019/2883 (August 27, 2019).