In just a few years, India and China have become the center of world trade and economics. In addition to macroeconomic changes, there are significant changes occurring in the Indian society, especially among the younger generation. Anyone traveling in India is greatly impressed by the overwhelming changes in the social habits of the youth caused by the consuming power of the media in general, and the Internet in particular. Within a couple of years, the skylines of all urban areas in India have changed drastically with hundreds of billboards displaying dotcom advertisements at every major intersection. Magazines and newspapers are filled with advertisements of online shops, resources, communities, etc. Most of these advertisements are targeted to youth between the ages of fifteen and thirty.
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The Internet is fast becoming an integral part of the lives of young people in countries like India where technology has jumped several cycles of growth and advancement has suddenly bridged the gap of access to information between Western societies and those in developing countries. Because of its advances in science and technology, India is at the forefront of nations where urban youth are embracing the Internet as a medium of communication, information, entertainment and social interaction, often times with greater enthusiasm and speed than their counterparts in Western countries.
Unlike other media, the Internet allows people of all ages, races, creeds and countries to freely share ideas, opinions, stories and experiences. According to one estimate, over 1.5 million web pages are added each day. Like motion pictures in the early 1900s, and like television in the mid 1900s, the Internet at the dawn of the new millennium has incredible power to influence the lives of the emerging generation, especially the educated and urban youth in India.
Mahalife is an online ministry that suits the tastes of Indian audiences in its expression of content and flavor while being world-class in terms of presentation.
Mahalife.com is a rapidly growing ministry that is attracting young people who are especially seeking online and telephone counseling. We are truly amazed and blessed to see what God is doing through this website. Many young people are reading the gospel, seeking counseling and responding to its message from the safety and convenience of their homes. The content, various sections and presentation style make it user friendly, relevant and attractive to Indian youth. By working in collaboration with several youth ministries in India we are able to quickly connect seekers with a person in their city or town who can build a one-on-one relationship with them.
What makes Mahalife.com unique, in comparison to other evangelistic ministries targeting the emerging generation, is the fact that it leverages a medium which is especially well-suited for personal counseling. The Internet provides a platform which can be both personal and at the same time anonymous. It is one-on-one and at the same time one-to-many. It is a form of communicating one-way, while it is also interactive. It is low cost but perceived as high-tech, trendy and exclusive. It is no wonder that personal relationship-building websites such as those that provide a platform for pen pals and dating are so popular.
The key to the success of Mahalife.com as a website that draws young people to Christ is the strength of its counseling team. A major portion of our time and financial resources are spent on increasing the quality and quantity of our counselors. It is impossible to do this task through paid counselors. The costs would be astronomical and such a program would not involve the whole Church in this exciting work of reaching the next generation with the gospel. We believe there are many in the body of Christ who are already called to a ministry of counseling but lack the necessary training and appropriate platform to exercise their gifts. Mahalife.com identifies those individuals and trains them in Christian counseling and Internet tools. Once equipped, these individuals are recruited as volunteer counselors through their local churches/fellowships. The goal is to involve the whole Church to reach the whole world around them with the whole gospel.
Mahalife.com reaches isolated seekers with the message of the gospel of Christ in a context that is familiar to them and relevant to their situation. Those who respond to the gospel by surrendering their lives to Christ are connected with believers and are encouraged to become a part of the local church. With eighty thousand hits per month, (resulting in over one million hits per year), Mahalife will reach many young people in India with the good news. Over one thousand people are expected to seriously seek Christian counseling and connection with believers directly through Mahalife over a period of one year.
