The theology of digital missions – and why it matters more than ever

More than 60 per cent of the world is now connected online, according to the 2024 State of the Great Commission Report by the Lausanne Movement. And the numbers are only rising.

The Bible Society’s Digital Nations 2025 report estimates that some 5.5 billion people spend more than six hours a day online. In Singapore alone, DataReportal’s Digital 2025 study found 5.6 million internet users – almost 96 per cent of the population.

These statistics prove that digital spaces have become one of the world’s largest mission fields.

In fact, an October 2025 Global Voices survey by the Lausanne Movement found that 95 per cent of global leaders see the digital realm as vital to the Great Commission, with an equal number calling for greater investment.

Yet far fewer believe the Church is representing Jesus online in ways that feel real and relevant.

“Missions is facing its own Copernican revolution today. New emerging frontiers for missions now abound – be they digital, diaspora (with global migration), entrepreneurial, medical or creation care,” said Rev Manik Corea, National Director of the Singapore Centre for Global Missions (SCGM).

“Instead of being stuck with missional approaches from a by-gone era or decades old, we need to build a mission workforce fit for the new contexts of missions around us, as well as to call the whole Church to adopt a missional posture and to be involved in God’s mission where we are.”

SCGM is part of the Digital Collective, a network of churches and parachurches in Singapore working together to create awareness on digital missions and to mobilise digital missionaries in Singapore.

On February 7, it held a talk on the Theology of Digital Missions, which is part of its 2026 Mover Series: Missions in a Digital Age. On its panel were:

• Simon Seow, co-founder of Indigitous and Senior Digital Strategist for the global Campus Crusade for Christ International/Cru movement and
• Dr Calvin Chong, Professor of Practical Theology at the Singapore Bible College. He is also the author of The Digital Music World: A Lesser Explored Pastoral and Missional Frontier and The Digital Turn for Missions in the Post-Pandemic Era.

Here is an excerpt, which has been edited for clarity and length, of what they shared.

What is digital missions?

Simon: This is my definition: Digital missions is the Spirit-led use of digital tools, platforms and information, to help people discover Jesus and take their next step towards Him, wherever they are.

It’s about using every opportunity technology offers to meet people with the love and the message of Jesus. That doesn’t mean they come to Christ right away, but they discover their next best step, moving closer to God in their spiritual journey.

If you’re using your talents, your story, your life in our connected and digital world to help someone take one step closer to Jesus, you’re a digital missionary.

Digital missions is about using every opportunity technology offers to meet people with the love and the message of Jesus, said Simon (centre). Photo courtesy of SCGM.

Dr Calvin: When we say “missions in a digital age”, or when we talk about “engaging missionally in a digital age”, it doesn’t only mean that you have to be a 3D gamer in that space to do your Christian thing.

It can be expressed in that way. For some of you, it’s going to be in the 3D virtual reality space. Missions is going to be through participation, engagement and Christian witness in those spaces and those communities.

Other times it is expressed through participation, engagement and Christian witness in 2D virtual spaces and communities – Instagram, TikTok, etc.

But it can also be expressed through participation, engagement and Christian witness in professional, research and special interest communities that are built around digital technologies.

In your profession you could be designing some surgical robotics, some AI-assisted surgical arms to save lives of war victims. Or you could be looking into exoskeletons for stroke recovery.

If you’re a drone videography user or even a music producer, interestingly, you’re an insider. And if you’re an insider in any of these digital tech groups, you’re going to be in a very good place to witness for Jesus.

At the end of the day, missions in the digital age isn’t just about missions in the virtual world. You don’t need to be in virtual spaces only. You can also be very engaged in digital-aged missions in very, very geographic spaces.

Is there a biblical basis for digital missions?

Simon: Absolutely, the answer is “yes”. It’s anchored on the Great Commission. At the heart of missions, the principle has always been to go. There is a mandate to go – specifically to go where people are.

God showed us how. He stepped into our world, He took on flesh, He spoke our language, He sat at our tables, He literally walked among us. And the mandate given to the Church is to simply go into all the world (Mark 16:15).

In the past, it meant maybe crossing huge oceans, going into foreign lands, learning the language. But today, we are supposed to go into the digital world as well.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 are some of my favourite verses. Paul says: “I’ve become all things to all people, so that by all possible means, I might save some.”

It’s not compromise. It’s compassion. Paul didn’t expect people to come to find him. He went to them, he adapted to their world, he built bridges so that they could meet Jesus without unnecessary hurdles, barriers or obstacles in the way.

Dr Calvin: Paul’s outreach strategy was through a physical in-person witness. But the interesting thing is that the bulk of his discipleship strategy, his most enduring legacy to the Church, was through letter-writing.

Nine letters to six churches. Four letters to three individuals. And then he also expanded his letters to be circulated among different congregations in the area.

You could say that Paul was a first-generation Christian content creator. The question is: Was it impactful?

You better believe it. Of course! It went way beyond just being present with his original first-century audience. He did discipleship without real-time physical presence.

All that to say that faithful Christian content can have powerful ongoing pastoral, missional and theological impact, even if it’s not done live or in real-time.

What would you say to those who are wary of the digital world, its tools and platforms?

Simon: First of all, acknowledging that there is fear is good. We’re human. Anything that is unfamiliar, sometimes we feel like we’d rather not go there. People prefer not to have changes.

I really love how Calvin has reminded us that there are some things that are natural to us, that we enjoy. We all have a nature to discover things. And so sometimes even if it’s foreign to us, we can take a bold step to say: “Hey, let’s just step in.”

Whatever work we do in this digital space is priestly work. 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us that we are a royal priesthood. And the priest’s job is to represent God to the people, and the people to God.

So when we encourage our members, our churches and the body of Christ to enter these spaces, we are asking them to create sacred spaces – safe spaces where people can encounter God.

Dr Calvin: Pay attention to Acts 1:8. It’s about being “my witnesses to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth”.

Don’t pay so much attention to the geographic scope part of it. Instead, focus on the word “witness” or “to be my witness”.

I would suggest to us that we should enter into those spaces enlightened by this concept of the three Christian transcendentals, which are beauty, goodness and truth. Without these qualities, I find that the brand identity that you try to carry on behalf of the Church, on behalf of the Lord, is lost.

When you’re inside, people can smell your Christian-ness, or your lack of. I think that’s so important. Don’t have a double identity.

You should be, in your real physical life, shaped by these values, so that when you go inside, those values shape everything you do and everything that you are.

This talk was part of the 2026 Mover Series: Missions in a Digital Age, organised by the Singapore Centre for Global Missions (SCGM). The series aims to bring together both theology and practice, to equip believers navigate today’s online mission field.

Upcoming talks in the series:

• March 7: Crossing Sub-Cultures: The Digital Communities
• April 4: The Church in Digital Spaces – Is it Missions? Is it Rogue?
• May 9: Mobilising the Digital Mission Workforce

Tap here to register.

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