I had the honor to be on an academic video meeting centered around the topic of Digital Ecclesiology. The conversation included pastors from around the world, church planters, online pastors, theologians, and digital experts. Not everyone agreed on what was and wasn't possible for the church online, which lead to a healthy conversation. I geeked out a bit because a few of the participants were authors I have read. I enjoyed the meeting and I believe you will too. Thank you to the Aqueduct Project for putting the meeting & transcript together!

God is everywhere. The church is people who follow the God-man Jesus. Wherever a follower of Jesus is so is the church. The Bible supports 1, 2, & 3. You can hold to the best expression argument of #ChurchOnline, but you can't discredit what is possible.

You're trained in seminary and throughout your internship as a pastor never to send people away. A person comes into your doors, and our job is to keep them connected to the church. After that first modem came online, the game changed. People could tune in from anywhere in the world. The online attendee isn't just down the street. Your reachable audience is broader, which means your methodology needs a good old fashion upgrade. Unfortunately, most seminaries are still operating on those AOL CDs.

After a few jokes about my graphics, I went ahead to get my visuals designed by the pros at Creativechurch.co. I love how they turned out! Go ahead and use these visuals to move your #ChurchOnline strategy to the next level. Start downloading and emailing your leadership right now! I even give you freedom to slap your name on it. Praying for your church!

The future isn’t some glamorized place where everything is fixed. The future consists of new things and old things. It’s more like Star Wars than Star Trek. Technology isn't a cure and won't solve your church's problems. You need to have a healthy church to be great online. Focus on understanding what success looks like at your local church. Once you have a grasp of what's happening in the building, expanding online will be easy.

Below is the process of how we move an online watcher on Facebook, YouTube, or our Online Campus page into face to face community and the critical platforms and tools to accomplish our vision.