The Internet: best & worst- internet safety for the family, Christian businesses and Christian ministries

What the internet can do- the good:

It allows convenient purchasing of Christian books, Christian clothing, and Christian ministry materials, plus online donations to ministries.

It allows families to generate income: to help in their ministry, to work from home, or to support one parent staying home with the children, as desired.

Internet email provides a way to send and receive mail almost instantly, and IM (instant messages) allows instant correspondence on the web

You may pay all your bills online, in a secure environment, from your checking account, at any time of day, and even receive due date email reminders (a wise steward of your finances).  Some churches even allow tithe contributions to be made online.

You can expand/grow your business online to reach unlimited numbers of clients.

Minister to potentially millions of visitors every month virtually free with a website that costs next to nothing (smart use of donated funds)

Look up your favorite ministers and even watch their latest preachings (not just tv preachers, but many local churches post online too!)

Get missionary updates from around the world, instantly- know who to pray for and what are their needs

Get your local church bulletin, weekly schedule, or research churches and denominations when looking for a local church

Meet other Christians online (including Christian singles)

Research answers to tough questions about God (such as ChristianAnswers.net, Christianity Today)

Allow your teens and young adults to get to know their dates apart from physical temptations, by what is equivalent to writing hundreds of letters back and forth

Get help and encouragement (focus on the family, for example), read devotions, and even get counseling in privacy

What the internet can do- the bad:

Allow your children to meet predators online and be lured in to a physical meeting (unless you guard against this)

Break up marriages (do nothing in secret, do not allow the internet to come between you)

Grow your debt (just like the tv shopping channel, internet scams and impulse buys are rampant- be careful)

Expose you even accidentally to offensive material (don't assume your software will protect you, inevitably some material will get through, and be warned: your children can get through almost any filter you set, if they really want to, so communication is important)

Balance is the secret to everything, and you need to safeguard yourselves against each of these negatives as best as you can.  The internet can be an addictive entity, providing social settings for anyone to feel loved an accepted.  There are some good and bad aspects to forums/message boards, Christian online dating, chatrooms, blogs, and other social resources, and you as a parent (and husband/wife) need to understand both the positive resources available and the dangerous pitfalls to avoid.  We will update this website with articles regularly, so add The Christian Billboard to your favorites to find us again and check back often.