7 Mar 2025, 12:08Blandine Damtse, Jared Nietcho, edited by SM CommunicationsGlasgow, Glasgow City, Scotland, United Kingdom
Youth Empowered with Tools for Digital Evangelism in Scotland
This article covers a digital discipleship workshop hosted by Samuel Matheus at Glasgow, where youth were equipped with skills to use social media for evangelism. The session focused on leveraging platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to share the Gospel and inspire positive change in the digital world.
On Sunday, March 2nd, volunteer Samuel Matheus hosted the first of what is hoped to be a series of training sessions designed to equip youth in the Scottish Mission to grow as missionaries. The sessions focus on utilising accessible social media platforms for evangelism. The seminar, titled "Digital Discipleship: Training Youth for Evangelism in the Digital Age," was held at Glasgow Church and aimed to engage young people from across the West of Scotland interested in learning more about the topic.
Matheus explained to the audience that digital evangelism is important because the internet allows us to connect with a larger audience instantly. Unlike traditional methods, digital platforms enable connection at any time, reaching people when they need a message of hope the most. With the right message, a post can quickly go viral.
Using TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and WhatsApp as case studies, Matheus demonstrated how to tailor content for specific social media platforms to meet the needs of their audiences. For example, long-form content like sermons, devotionals, and live streams works well on Facebook but may not be suitable for Snapchat, where short, impactful messages of hope and biblical quotes, enhanced with filters and stickers, are more effective. On Instagram, Bible verses, inspirational quotes, stories, and reels are ideal for engaging content, while TikTok demands greater creativity and authenticity to create viral content that can reach a wide audience.
Matheus encouraged youth to use their handheld devices to spread the gospel. He emphasised the importance of well-crafted narratives, urging participants to draw inspiration from Jesus' parables as examples of simple yet powerful storytelling. “Testimonies are powerful tools for evangelism. Stories, reels, posts, and memes based on personal experiences evoke emotions, make messages memorable, and engage audiences,” he said.
The training focused on encouraging the youth to view themselves as missionaries. Matheus explained, “As young people, you are perfectly positioned to share the Gospel online, where your thoughts, videos, and posts can inspire and encourage others.” He concluded with a call to action: “Be a voice of hope in a digital world that needs it.”
Participants were given the opportunity to engage in the training and share their thoughts on the topic of digital media. One attendee shared during the session, “These days, the information accessible online can be damaging to our mental and emotional health, with clips and messages promoting violence and indecent content. This is why it’s important for us to understand that social media is a platform where we, as Christians, can make a real difference — becoming a force for good and counteracting the darkness with the light found in the message of love that Jesus has called us to share with the world.”
Matheus agreed, stating that the inspiration for every post or video comes from the Holy Spirit, who guides all followers of Jesus willing to be His messengers through digital evangelism.
Following the training, Precious from Irvine expressed her gratitude, describing the digital discipleship workshop as “very insightful.” She emphasised the opportunity to use social media as a tool to reach those who haven't encountered Christ, despite the negativity often present online. Precious stated, “People desire and need God, and there is a place for His presence in the digital world to provide hope, especially when so many feel hopeless.” She concluded by sharing an important lesson from the training: “Even if we receive just one view, or if our content touches only one heart, that is enough, and God still rejoices.”
Similarly, Tiffany from Glasgow shared her thoughts on the event, saying, “I really enjoyed the social media training conducted by Samuel. I discovered engaging ways to use social media for evangelistic opportunities to reach people worldwide and spread the gospel!” She also expressed hope for future training focused on creating reels and other content.
In a statement following the event, Matheus underscored the importance of social media as a powerful tool for engaging youth in the church. "Social media offers an accessible and interactive platform for creating vibrant communities," he explained. "It allows us to share relevant content, promote upcoming events, foster open dialogue, and use visual elements to connect with young people." Matheus highlighted that social media serves as a powerful tool for encouraging youth to share their faith and remain connected to the church beyond traditional services. He noted that while some young people may feel shy or intimidated expressing themselves in person, social media offers a comfortable space for them to engage with their peers and participate more openly.
Matheus is eager to further support the Scottish Mission's youth and young adults by equipping them with the tools they need to share the message of Jesus through digital platforms. Following a successful workshop last Sunday, he is already planning a follow-up session at the request of the youth. The upcoming workshop will focus on teaching participants practical skills in creating engaging reels and videos using tools like Canva, CapCut, and more.
Samuel Matheus is multilingual and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theology, a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, and a Licentiate Degree in Portuguese Language and Literature.
This article covers a digital discipleship workshop hosted by Samuel Matheus at Glasgow, where youth were equipped with skills to use social media for evangelism. The session focused on leveraging platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to share the Gospel and inspire positive change in the digital world.
On Sunday, March 2nd, volunteer Samuel Matheus hosted the first of what is hoped to be a series of training sessions designed to equip youth in the Scottish Mission to grow as missionaries. The sessions focus on utilising accessible social media platforms for evangelism. The seminar, titled "Digital Discipleship: Training Youth for Evangelism in the Digital Age," was held at Glasgow Church and aimed to engage young people from across the West of Scotland interested in learning more about the topic.
Matheus explained to the audience that digital evangelism is important because the internet allows us to connect with a larger audience instantly. Unlike traditional methods, digital platforms enable connection at any time, reaching people when they need a message of hope the most. With the right message, a post can quickly go viral.
Using TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and WhatsApp as case studies, Matheus demonstrated how to tailor content for specific social media platforms to meet the needs of their audiences. For example, long-form content like sermons, devotionals, and live streams works well on Facebook but may not be suitable for Snapchat, where short, impactful messages of hope and biblical quotes, enhanced with filters and stickers, are more effective. On Instagram, Bible verses, inspirational quotes, stories, and reels are ideal for engaging content, while TikTok demands greater creativity and authenticity to create viral content that can reach a wide audience.
Matheus encouraged youth to use their handheld devices to spread the gospel. He emphasised the importance of well-crafted narratives, urging participants to draw inspiration from Jesus' parables as examples of simple yet powerful storytelling. “Testimonies are powerful tools for evangelism. Stories, reels, posts, and memes based on personal experiences evoke emotions, make messages memorable, and engage audiences,” he said.
The training focused on encouraging the youth to view themselves as missionaries. Matheus explained, “As young people, you are perfectly positioned to share the Gospel online, where your thoughts, videos, and posts can inspire and encourage others.” He concluded with a call to action: “Be a voice of hope in a digital world that needs it.”
Participants were given the opportunity to engage in the training and share their thoughts on the topic of digital media. One attendee shared during the session, “These days, the information accessible online can be damaging to our mental and emotional health, with clips and messages promoting violence and indecent content. This is why it’s important for us to understand that social media is a platform where we, as Christians, can make a real difference — becoming a force for good and counteracting the darkness with the light found in the message of love that Jesus has called us to share with the world.”
Matheus agreed, stating that the inspiration for every post or video comes from the Holy Spirit, who guides all followers of Jesus willing to be His messengers through digital evangelism.
Following the training, Precious from Irvine expressed her gratitude, describing the digital discipleship workshop as “very insightful.” She emphasised the opportunity to use social media as a tool to reach those who haven't encountered Christ, despite the negativity often present online. Precious stated, “People desire and need God, and there is a place for His presence in the digital world to provide hope, especially when so many feel hopeless.” She concluded by sharing an important lesson from the training: “Even if we receive just one view, or if our content touches only one heart, that is enough, and God still rejoices.”
Similarly, Tiffany from Glasgow shared her thoughts on the event, saying, “I really enjoyed the social media training conducted by Samuel. I discovered engaging ways to use social media for evangelistic opportunities to reach people worldwide and spread the gospel!” She also expressed hope for future training focused on creating reels and other content.
In a statement following the event, Matheus underscored the importance of social media as a powerful tool for engaging youth in the church. "Social media offers an accessible and interactive platform for creating vibrant communities," he explained. "It allows us to share relevant content, promote upcoming events, foster open dialogue, and use visual elements to connect with young people." Matheus highlighted that social media serves as a powerful tool for encouraging youth to share their faith and remain connected to the church beyond traditional services. He noted that while some young people may feel shy or intimidated expressing themselves in person, social media offers a comfortable space for them to engage with their peers and participate more openly.
Matheus is eager to further support the Scottish Mission's youth and young adults by equipping them with the tools they need to share the message of Jesus through digital platforms. Following a successful workshop last Sunday, he is already planning a follow-up session at the request of the youth. The upcoming workshop will focus on teaching participants practical skills in creating engaging reels and videos using tools like Canva, CapCut, and more.
Samuel Matheus is multilingual and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theology, a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, and a Licentiate Degree in Portuguese Language and Literature.
