What was ministry like at your church before COVID-19?

Whether you lead a multi-site church in a large city, a small church in a rural area, or something in between, we know that it’s possible online ministry wasn’t an area of focus before the coronavirus epidemic began.

This was the case for Rock City Church in Columbus, Ohio. Lead Pastor, Chad Fisher, said that before COVID-19, their multi-site church had never posted worship online, a full service, or even offered a live online experience.

He also said he cannot fathom why this wasn’t something they did. One thing he knows for sure is that when they return to their physical location again, ministry will absolutely not go back to the way it was before.

“Our online experience is here to stay!”

Pastor Chad

The way we’re doing ministry has shifted in so many ways in this season. Adding an additional online component to what we were already doing in our ministries can prove to have unique advantages.

3 Reasons To Consider Online Ministry

1. Gospel-centered content can be available throughout the week, not just on Sunday.

What if an encounter with God doesn’t just happen through worship or a message on a Sunday morning, but what if it could happen in living rooms, morning commutes, or lunch breaks? It can be difficult for people to experience the Holy Spirit active in their lives at all times, not just when they attend church. When we offer ministry online, we are showing them how to have a living and active relationship with God. We’re teaching people how to live out their faith every day of the week, not just on the day they walk into our buildings.

2. Online ministry is accessible to everyone, everywhere.

As pastors and ministry leaders, we’ve stepped into the calling that God has placed on our lives to reach people in our cities. Our passion to serve our communities is what makes our heart beat. But with online ministry, the heart of our message can reach far beyond our physical location. We can’t forget that God “is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). Online ministry is a tool that God is using to take the Gospel far beyond any of our physical limitations, in ways beyond our imagination!

3. We can reach more people than we ever have before through online ministry.

We often measure our success as a church by the number of people who sit in our seats, but online ministry can completely change the way we operate as we continue to move forward. It doesn’t have to compete with ministry inside our buildings. We’re able to reach more people than ever before when the Gospel becomes more accessible online. We’ll be able to reach people who walk through our doors, but can also take the Gospel to those who aren’t physically able to do so.

So the question is, why would we ever go back to life before online ministry?

Nothing can or will replace the physical worship experience, but it’s okay if ministry doesn’t look the same going forward. We get the opportunity to continue to innovate and blaze new trails as we follow the Holy Spirit’s lead. Our methods may evolve, but our message will always be the same!

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Do you want to hear more from Pastor Chad about how you can go beyond Sunday morning with church online?