Shoulder to Shoulder with Giants.
“On the internet, no-one knows you are a dog” was a favourite saying from a few years ago.
Basically this means that online you can be whoever you want to be. I think this is vital for churches. To often we look at ourselves and say, but we’re just not that big. We can’t possibly make a difference. We look at what all the big guys out there are doing and think that we can’t compete as we don’t have the resources, the people or the finances that they do.
You don’t need to.
Social media is changing the game. You now have access to a platform that levels the ground for you. You can have exactly the same reach as the big guys. You can make a difference. Your story can reach and inspire so many more people. You don’t need to spend a fortune. Just invest some time, and maybe a little bit of money (although you don’t even need to do the latter) and you will be surprised what you can do.
It never ceases to amaze me that so many churches don’t use Facebook (or any of the other social media sites), or if they do it’s for little more than a events diary. Come on. Think Big!
We have the perfect opportunity here to get the Gospel out. To reach people and engage with them. To tell Gods story. Isn’t that what we are called to do? Isn’t that the great commission?
You don’t need to spend a fortune, Just build slowly. Encourage people in your congregation to like and share your posts and your reach will soon start to grow. You only need to post a few times a week. It doesn’t have to be spectacular stuff. Just make it relevant and engaging. You don’t need to be a graphic designer or a media producer to start reaching people. You just need to tell your story.
There are numerous ways of engaging with people online. You can just put out single line quotes, memes or pictures that you find encouraging (Be careful of copyright though!). If you have the capability you can create more visual posts. Get a photo from a stock supplier (we used pixabay.com for the above image, use it, it’s free! ) add some text and away you go. Want to go even further? Video is your friend. Interviews with members of your church who have a good testimony are a great way to engage with people. Even just posting your sermon is a good start. I know a lot of churches record the audio and leave it at that, but to be honest, these days that doesn’t work. People are used to consuming media visually. That means you need to look into video. It doesn’t have to cost much. A small camera and tripod. Then just basic editing skills will get your sermon online fast.
After that? The sky is the limit. The only limits online are your imagination. You can reach far more people than you know. Before you know it, you will be standing with those Giants. Shoulder to shoulder.