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IS THE DIGITAL OR INTERNET CHURCH REALLY THE CHURCH? Thom Rainer
Some call it the digital church. Others call it the Internet church.
PHOTO CREDIT/GOOGLE PHOTOS
In either case, it refers to people joining worship services, and even groups, virtually or digitally. They are not physically present. I am watching this trend closely via hundreds of churches, and I am seeing more and more chatter and a lot more disagreements about the nature of the digital church. Let me share with you some of the major shifts taking place. Any church can have digital worship services with technology today. There are many options for churches today, most of them free. Facebook Live is the most common option, and it is free for the churches that use it. Just a few years ago, only the large churches with greater resources could live stream their services. Now any church with an Internet connection can do so. More church leaders are asking if the virtual or Internet attendance should be counted. The question they are really asking is: Is a virtual attender the same as a physically present attender? The theological debates about the digital church are increasing. There are some really strong opinions being articulated. And since we Christians tend to love a good theological debate (fight?), I anticipate the discussion will grow more heated.
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Some churches are reporting a decline in physical attendance as they provide virtual attendance venues. There are church members who are beginning to view attending church virtually as just another option, much like they can choose among multiple worship services where they would be physically present. Churches are reporting mixed results about giving among virtual attenders. Though the information is anecdotal for now, church leaders report some pretty decent offerings among the virtual attenders if they give them the opportunity to give. But they are also reporting a decline in per capita giving when a member shifts from physical attendance to virtual. This issue will be generational to some degree. Millennials and, even more so, Gen Z, see virtual communities as real communities. Some of them can’t understand why churches can’t have vibrant virtual communities in lieu of being physically present. Though this issue is not new, it seems to be approaching a tipping point. I will continue to keep you updated on developments regarding the virtual church. In the meantime, let me hear from you. I suspect some of you have a strong opinion or two. 4
GENERIS.COM
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Digital Church Signs Are an Effective Communication Strategy A few years ago, developing a website for your church was a necessity. Now that most churches have done that, integrating electronic signage as a communication strategy is becoming essential in order to effectively connect with your church community. A church is a house of worship and here, LED church signs can be used as a website or an interactive bulletin. Digital church signs are a collection of LED screens that are managed centrally with an aim to provide targeted information, advertising, entertainment and merchandising. The expanded technology is showing that more and more worship markets are embracing the benefits of digital signage.
Here are some distinct advantages of using digital church signs as a way of communication for churches: •Promotion of multiple events LED Church signs make event promotion much easier, particularly for when it comes to multiple events. For example, a church may need to inform the community about fundraisers, service timings, bible study times or emergency alerts. Church LED signs allow them to do so in a very convenient and flexible manner. With just a few clicks, the7 content on the sign can be completely changed.
Digital Church Signs Are an Effective Communication Strategy continued… •Ability to update information on real-time basis With LED church signs, certain information that needs to be communicated on a real time basis can easily be done. For example, weather details and church related news feeds, can be shared with the congregation by way of digital church signs. •Community togetherness Sharing information regarding priests of the church, recognizing hard working members and accomplishments of people in the congregation allows visitors and community members to know more about the church in their area and may encourage outsiders to join the congregation. •Promoting opportunities for volunteers Inform potential church volunteers regarding opportunities of when and where they can volunteer. •Customized messages for visitors With personalized messages catered particularly to visitors, a church can make them feel like they belong to the church community. •Emergency alerts Members of the congregation can be alerted regarding emergencies instantly. •Fundraiser awareness and promotion Neighboring community and the church community can be informed regarding fundraisers. A brief description regarding why the fundraiser is taking place can also be shown on the 8 digital church sign.
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The Realness of Digital Church Sarah Prickett
Earlier this month, I gathered with Unitarian Universalist leaders of congregations across my state for a cluster meeting to lead a workshop on digital ministry. It was exciting to work with these brickand-mortar church leaders on using technology and online platforms such as Facebook to build an online community. Being a learning fellow at the CLF, this is something I had a lot of experience doing! Very often, brick and mortar churches see things like websites and social media as a chance to communicate about their offerings, or as a resource for the same people who attend in person, but that’s not what digital ministry is. Now, don’t get me wrong—technology is a wonderful tool for communication and organizing, but it’s also a tool for something greater. It is a tool for addressing the larger social changes in our world, and changes in how we gather and meet people. The impact and demands of social media and online life on our culture are undeniable. Check out these statistics: • 90% of Millennials use social media • 1 in 5 couples meet online • Every minute, 72 hours of video is uploaded to 10
• If Wikipedia were a book it would be 2.25 million pages long • Most active on social media is mothers with children under 5 • The fastest growing user base on social media is 65+ Simply put, social media isn’t a fad, it’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate and it’s here to stay.
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THE CHURCH DIGITAL.COM “We Help Churches Do Ministry Online”
WHAT WE DO The year is 2018. While we never got the "hoverboards" that Back to the Future 2 promised us, technology has undoubtedly come a long way. Truthfully, we have yet to realize the capacity of this digital landscape ahead of us. Here at thechurch.digital, we want to help you utilize technology better, whether through online church, mobile apps, communication channels or even big data!
CHANGING LIVES THROUGH YOUR ONLINE CHURCH Maybe you're new to the Online Church scene, or don't know where to start, or you've been doing the Online Church for a while and you're not sure how to take that next step. Let's talk about some vital steps you can do to see life change online. EFFECTIVE DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL PRESENCE Website. Mobile App. Email. Social Media. Local Maps and Directories. Online Reviews. There's so many ways to communicate digitally, and chances are your church is trying them all. Are they effective? Let us analyze your church's digital footprint and help you create an effective communications strategy. ONLINE DISCIPLESHIP AND CHURCH PLANTING Learn how today's technology can help create systems of Discipleship that can help people grow deeper in their faith, regardless of where they live!
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How Recent Digital Banking Trends Affect Your Church Tobin Perry Banks are closing physical branches everywhere. And the reasoning is the same in nearly every case. People no longer feel the need to go into a physical branch when they can do just about all banking tasks from their mobile devices. Banking has become just one example of the scores of industries disrupted by technology. (Toys “R” Us this year and Sears last year have been two large and recent examples of iconic 20th-century brands crashing because, at least in part, the digital and mobile shopping explosion). The data shows mobile givers in particular and digital givers in general give more. These givers who are turned off by your church’s digital giving experience are choosing not to give or to give less than planned. That’s a problem.
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How Recent Digital Banking Trends Affect Your Church continued…
God is leading people to give, and they’re being stymied by a poor giving experience. Unless your church has all the funds it needs to do everything you’re called to do, it’s a problem you should do something about. There are a lot of apps and giving options. Explore and select one that will work for your church.
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www.ministryvoice.com 18
Digital Location-based marketing Stretch internet
Digital marketing to people based on their location or proximity to a location is being used by businesses everywhere, and is becoming more popular with churches as well. If a congregant or member of the community has either downloaded your church’s mobile app or provided you with their email or mobile number, beacon technology can pick up their location and send them a timely message about a church service or a church-sponsored event taking place nearby. Churches are likely to find lots of creative ways to use location-based marketing in the year ahead. Having a sale in your church bookstore? Send congregants a reminder if they happen to be passing by. Or, if some congregants are traveling where your church has a nearby branch, let them know you’re around the corner so they can attend service if 19 they like. The possibilities are endless.
The Use Of Church Management Software And Online Tools
Church leaders and administrators want to be organized and efficient, but this is often easier said than done. Church management software is invaluable in assisting with those goals, and its popularity is predicted to rise. Part of the reason for that is simply because there are so many software options available, but it’s mostly because you can do so many things with it—from donor tracking to event registration to digital reporting and more. Free, open-source software (if you don’t count the support costs involved) is also becoming more prevalent, as it allows churches to customize the tool to meet their management needs. Even churches that don’t commit to a complete church management software package are starting to take advantage of online resources like Trello to organize volunteers and collaborate with other leaders and administrators. 20
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Streaming Your Church Technology spot Technology With a robust controls and a sleek user interface, the Church Online Platform packs the most powerful church online controls into one free tool.
Community spot Community It's more than a video player. It's an agreeing-in-prayer, real-life, aroundthe-world community builder. With Chat, Live Prayer, and synced video streaming, Church Online Platform is all about doing church together. Simplicity spot Simplicity By drawing the components together into one easy-to-manage tool, the Church Online Platform makes it possible for churches of every size to reach the world for Christ.
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