Gone are the days when mission workers could assume that our technology is more developed than that of the population we serve. Often, we are stronger on missiology than technology. Unlike those to whom we reach out, we may not be “digital natives” who navigate the world of ISPs, apps, and digital readers with fluency. Our great challenge is to understand communications technology and how to leverage it for the kingdom in every corner of the globe.

The familiar verses of Matthew 28:19-20 don’t leave anyone, no matter how isolated, outside of God’s plan for evangelism: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (emphasis mine). Earlier in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus underscores this inclusiveness: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14; emphasis mine).

In a similar passage in Mark 16:15, Jesus commanded his followers to take the gospel “into all the world.” Intriguingly, the Greek root word κόσμος [cosmos] encompasses more than the physical globe—it also means a world system or order. In sending his disciples into “all the world [system],” Jesus sent them into an unparalleled, orderly network of Roman roads built originally for conquest but ultimately used to spread the good news of salvation.

The Roman road system has a twenty-first century equivalent: the complex web of computer servers, programming, cell towers, and satellites that form the global telecommunications and Internet superhighway system. Increasingly, the distinction between computers and phones is blurring as cell phones take the roles formerly played by computers. This phenomenon is especially vigorous in the developing world, where many will never own a desktop or laptop computer but consider a mobile phone indispensable.

Too often, when we consider incorporating technology into our mission work, we make the decision based on our own frame of reference. For instance, Americans tend to view cell phones as luxuries, but in other parts of the world, cell phones are priced affordably and people make sacrifices to stay connected. Some seventy-one countries have greater cell phone market penetration than the U.S., and dozens are far ahead in sheer innovation in using cell phones.

In many countries that Americans might consider “third world,” cell owners use their devices to send and receive money, look for work via SMS text messages, and even record and transmit sermons.

By the end of 2010, mobile subscriptions are expected to surpass five billion—more than the number of people with access to decent toilets. Countries without adequate access to telecommunications will not have long to wait. Various initiatives such as Other 3 Billion and Connect the Unconnected have been launched to provide them with broadband and cell phone networks by the end of 2015.

The pace and saturation of technological advances pose unprecedented challenges to the mission community. How can we stay relevant and effective in a digital world, especially one characterized by high levels of poverty and reliance upon oral communication styles?