Today, YouTube is the most visited website in the world with more than a billion hours of video watched every day. Any church can stream or publish their services for the whole world to see. God has opened the door for the church to reach the world with the Gospel.
We are experiencing the largest communication shift since the discovery of the printing press 500 years ago. I have heard numerous testimonies from pastors that they have more people watching than they had in attendance before Covid-19 happened. The Church is producing more videos than Hollywood, which is currently shut down. Anyone in the world can watch your churches’ services and sermons at any time during the week. Pastors are preaching to not only the members, but the marginalized. Even some people who would never walk through the doors of the church are tuning in on-line in search of hope.
A few months ago, people said that we could not have a totally on-line church, but the current hardship has led to creativity and the church is still strong. KBA churches have done a tremendous job in adapting to the current pandemic and making their sermons available on-line. We have learned how to celebrate the Lord’s Supper with people over YouTube or Zoom. Some churches have formed closer community by meeting in home groups, and others have stronger evangelism by talking more with their neighbors. Let’s continue this movement. We can find ways to creatively mentor or disciple people in one-on-one connections. Churches can offer self-guided experiences on-line: a Bible course, supplemental resources, music, etc.
Now is the time to find the key to turning watchers into worshipers. We can think beyond temporarily streaming during COVID-19 and plan to continue to reach beyond the church building. Streaming the church service is just the tip of the iceberg. Churches have an opportunity to have both live experiences and an on-line audience. People who worship from home need a different experience that is more interactive and shorter. It’s much like adapting a popular book and making it a movie. A movie only holds the attention of people for a couple of hours and many of the details from the book are left out.
Hosting our services online is not our mission, but it’s a method to get the gospel out of the doors of the church.
The church is being deployed. It is being sent out through the internet.
We are just getting started! Let us envision the future of the church!
Blessings!
Brad
