There Is a Lot Being Said About Internet Ministry
The conversation among churches on how to engage in internet ministry appears to be reaching a peak. You don’t have to look hard to find blog articles, social media posts, and other resources aimed at helping churches effectively leverage their online presence. The content covers the breadth of subjects related to internet ministry, from websites to social media, to online church. Here are just a few places where you can engage in the conversation:
#ChSocM – An ongoing Twitter (and other social platforms) conversation surrounding the church’s need for a strategic approach to social media
SocialMediaChurch.net – A new site dedicated to conversations with church leaders about social media.
iMinistry Conference – A conference created by churches, for churches, featuring some of the most innovative leaders in internet ministry.
Adoption and Engagement Among Churches
According to a study conducted this year by Buzzplant, a Christian-based digital advertising agency, online adoption and engagement by churches varies greatly. The resulting infographic, which quickly made the rounds through various blogs and social media channels, shows the diversity of attitudes and implementations among churches. One interesting thing to note: while many of the churches surveyed listed social media as their most effective means of outreach (46%), nearly three-fourths (74%) of the same churches indicated that they do not have a paid staff member that updates their social media pages.
(Click to View InfoGraphic)
Obstacles and Opportunities in Internet Ministry
While some congregations are still cutting their teeth in the social media space, more innovative churches are exploring the leading edges of internet ministry, including full-fledged internet campuses, which is a move far beyond recorded or even live streaming sermons and worship services via the web.
Over the past year, Leadership Network has hosted two InnovationLabs for internet ministries. The first, focused primarily on internet campuses among multisite churches, concluded at a final meeting in Dallas this May. Churches who participated in this InnovationLab included Cedar Creek, Christ Fellowship (McKinney), Faith Promise, Northland, and Westside Family Church. The second group, composed of teams from Lake Pointe, Seacoast Church, Manna Church, and Christ Fellowship (PBG), dealt with the more general topic of internet ministry. Out of these conversations came some common challenges to effective internet ministry, including:
How do you move beyond attendance online to engagement?
How do you use internet church to reach people that are just around the corner?
What does an online discipleship pipeline look like?
How do you filter out the noise?
What is success? Number of followers, friends, or online attendees?
The first group came away with some common initiatives that are being implemented in different ways, such as:
Online memberships
Online life groups
Our second Internet Ministry InnovationLab will conclude in September. We hope to share some of the learnings of that group as well.
What About You?
What are you learning about internet ministry at your church? Where are you having success engaging people online? What challenges are you facing? Leadership Network will also be launching a Social Media and Communication InnovationLab in 2013. We’d love to hear about your experience with ministry through social media.
Author: Tim Nations
Topics: Learnings