Anyone with 5 minutes and access to the Internet can do ministry online. You don’t need to be a programmer or designer or know anything other than the good news of Jesus Christ. This is part II of a series on ways to get you started doing 5 minute online ministry:

Volunteer to answer questions from seekers and new believers

Global Ministry Outreach is an exciting ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ International that has 41 outreach websites. I was talking to Walt Wilson who heads up GMO the other day and I was very encouraged to hear about the Internet Ministry going on there. They follow the Campus Crusade model of “WIN. BUILD. SEND” and to this point the focus has been on evangelism (win) with the next large focus being discipleship (build).

Every 35 seconds they receive a decision for Christ from these websites and expect 1 million decisions this year. And this isn’t just about reading the 4 spiritual laws and clicking a button – the whole ministry is based on connecting each seekers or new believer with one of hundreds of trained, online volunteers worldwide to answer questions, follow up or connect them to a local church. Sign up here and you could soon be taking 5 minutes here and there to change lives over the Internet.

Make an online loan that matters

My wife and I are completely enthralled by the world of microfinance/microcredit and the transfer of wealth to developing countries. If you want to know more I recommend picking up a copy of Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty. Kiva.org is using the web to one-by-one connect entrepreneurs in developing countries with those of us who have $25 or more to lend interest-free to help them grow their business and lift them and their families out of poverty. It is working. I have seen our first loan repaid and Margaret from Tororo, Uganda used her $500 to buy essential commodities in large quantity—sugar, salt, bread, cooking oil, washing soap, toilet soap, rice, baking powder, baking flour, matches etc. Not only has the loan helped her better provide for her and her nine children, but it has helped her village because people do not have to travel to surrounding villages to get items not before available.

This summer we have quite a few weddings to attend and the plan is to give Kiva gift certificates as wedding presents to each couple. The only thing better than extending a helping hand to someone in need is to get friends and family involved, raise awareness and multiply the work that God is doing through websites and organizations like Kiva.

Take 5 minutes and make a loan that matters.