SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Gerald Boyd, 86, goes online each morning in search of new friends. The relationships he builds in chat rooms often lead to opportunities to share the gospel.

"When I first started going online, I didn't want to stop to eat or sleep," said Boyd, a retired Assemblies of God (A/G) minister who lives in Carmel, Calif. "I am a soul winner, and when I saw so many lost souls on the Internet, I wanted to minister to all of them and not miss one of them."

Boyd has his own Web site, where he shares messages and resources he uses online, according to the A/G News Service.

"I can't understand why there are not more people doing what I am doing," Boyd said. "If someone knows the Word and can type, he or she should be online ministering."

Andrew Careaga, who wrote "E-vangelism: Sharing the Gospel in Cyberspace," said Boyd is on the right track. Friendship evangelism is one of the best ways to introduce people to Christ online, Careaga said, but can take a lot of time.

"Things move quickly online, and it's difficult to establish long-term relationships, but there are a lot of people going online to find relationships and a sense of community," Careaga said. "We need to realize that God's timing is different -- even on the Internet. If we are patient and pray that God will give us divine appointments, we can see some interesting results."

Careaga advises cyber-evangelists to connect with others on a non-spiritual level first; be keenly interested in others; avoid Christian jargon and being preachy; memorize key salvation scriptures; be a good listener; and pray for divine appointments.