The virtual church used to be something that most churches did not even consider. Isn’t the whole point of going to church to join hands with others around you to worship together?
Before 2020 hit, the answer to that question would probably have been a very solid, yes, but now we are months into a global pandemic, suddenly the idea of taking your church online is not so crazy after all.
Connecting While Apart
Thankfully now with vaccines and better care, the pandemic is finally showing signs of waning and we are getting back into our churches and worshipping together, but there are lessons to be learned from those that went virtual last year. It can be a great way to grow your wider congregation and spread the good news to more people. Using social media and online platforms is no longer something that your church can ignore. Here are three ways you can engage your virtual congregation with your physician congregation.
Have Them Create Content
That’s right. Have your audience create content for you and use it in your marketing efforts! This is as easy as it sounds, especially if you are using platforms like www.greenfly.com to help you collaborate and communicate with ambassadors who have signed up for your content-creating programs. The bonus of having them create the content is that their content will make your virtual congregation feel like they are there, and hopefully encourage those who can to come and join you.
Be on the Right Platforms
What is the right platform for your church? That question is not quite as easy to answer. The answer depends on what members you want to attract. Of course, you are thinking “I would like my church to appeal to everyone”, but if you have no specific offerings for specific groups, like youth groups or soup kitchens for the elderly, how can you promote these on the platforms they use? To give you a quick breakdown, Facebook is best for reaching the over 35s, Instagram the under 35s, and TikTok, the under 25s.
Reply and Get Involved
Getting involved with your congregation is the best way to guide them along the right path and help them to follow Christ in their everyday lives. You can do this by getting involved on social media and replying to them when they speak with you. If they send your page a message, get back to them as soon as possible. If they like an image or comment on it, make sure you reply.
Being on social media as a Christian outlet is about more than just sharing service times with people who may not attend. It is about using social media in the right way to build rapport with your audience and your congregation and to share the good news with as many new followers as possible. This should not be something that is difficult. You should be doing this naturally and taking it to social media is just taking it to the next level.
