It’s nothing new, churches have been extending their worship services on the web for years. Many of these churches are just starting to realize that thousands of people are watching their online experience on a weekly basis. In fact, many people financially contribute to these ministries and call them their church home.
Technology presents a huge opportunity to share the gospel, build connection and help people take next steps in their walk with Christ. I wrote about this last year, Using the Web to Help People Grow Spiritually. As technology continues advancing, a growing trend has been hiring Internet Campus Pastors. I think this is a good idea. Obviously, I’m a huge fan of the local church but I realize that some people want to worship from home. An Internet Campus Pastor could:
- Serve as the main leader of the online campus. In many cases, an IT staff member is currently serving in this particular role. Because Internet Campuses are becoming such a big deal, churches need a strong leader in this position who can connect with the online church, volunteers and the senior leadership team. We already know that finding the right campus pastor is the top priority of multisite churches, this is also vital to the success of Internet Campuses. Everything rises and falls on leadership.
- Build volunteer online ministry teams. Online campuses eventually need digital small group leaders, assimilation volunteers and prayer teams to encourage and pray for people at the end of each online experience.
- Create a welcoming environment. I’ve noticed that many live stream experiences jump right into the service. Your church probably invests a great deal of time training greeters, ushers and other volunteers to make Sunday a welcoming environment for first-time guests. An Internet Campus Pastor could chat with new people about their lives. Social media can also be used for this purpose. Elevation Church regularly thanks first-time guests on Twitter for attending but I have yet to see social media used to welcome first-time guests of online campuses.
- Follow-up with people who are attending for the first time. Lifechurch.tv does an excellent job of collecting information from people participating in their live worship experiences. There is an opportunity to check-in and new guests can provide their contact information.
- Develop resources to help people take their next steps. Churches that think strategically about Internet Campuses provide downloadable handouts, small group resources and even blog posts about the message. This doesn’t just magically happen. An Internet Campus Pastor is constantly intentional about helping people take next steps. Again, Lifechurch.tv has excelled in this area. I have been very impressed with their new digital resources for kids.
- Provide insight on future multisite expansion opportunities. An Internet Campus Pastor should be able to determine who is watching and where they are watching from. Online Campuses can be great launchpads for multisite churches.
Does your church currently have an internet campus pastor? If so, we would love to hear from you.
