The second session of Share Rush was held from June 1 to 8, 2024. Share Rush is an online evangelistic program organized by the Japan Adventist Digital Evangelism Center (JADEC). The program involves a series of online videos prepared by JADEC, which participants share with their friends or relatives through emails or social media platforms.
For Japanese participants, sharing online content with non-Adventists can be challenging, as they often worry about offending others with sudden introductions of religious material. Therefore, encouraging and praying for each other in small groups during the evening debriefing sessions is very important.
In the first session held in October 2023, around 50 people registered to participate, but only about half of the participants were actively involved. JADEC aimed to reach 100 participants for the second session but ultimately had 69 people register. However, the number of shares during the second session was significantly higher, which demonstrates the effectiveness of personal sharing.
Unexpected discoveries were made during the two sessions of Share Rush. Initially, the people in charge believed that digital evangelism would be more suitable for the younger generation. However, it was found that younger people were hesitant to share evangelistic content with their friends or relatives. Instead, older participants were more active. Share Rush was well received by older individuals, who appreciated the ability to participate from home as long as they had smartphones. Therefore, JADEC is considering focusing more on older church members in future sessions.
Participants shared positive feedback, such as, “I received good responses and replies from non-Adventist people, and I felt that the Holy Spirit was at work.” Another participant noted, “I thought digital evangelism was difficult, but I found it surprisingly easy when I followed the instructions. I learned a lot from this program.”
The third session will be held in the fall of this year. JADEC hopes for even more participants and is optimistic about the continued success and expansion of Share Rush.