Has your church yet considered taking the plunge and building a true Web ministry? At the moment, you might still think of using the Web in terms of your church’s website, or communicating with people via e-mail. While these are extremely valuable tools to use for ministry, changing the way your church thinks of and views the Web can make all the difference in using it as an outreach tool to reach more people for Christ.

What do I mean by Web ministry, you ask? Well, the goal is to expand one’s ministry efforts through technology communication tools that harness the power of technology without losing that personal touch; to expand your reach into your congregants’ lives and even go beyond your church family to connect in real ways and share the gospel through fresh delivery methods.

People these days are very busy — you know because you’re one of them. While communication within the Church can take on many different forms (and it’s often good to use multiple means of communication such as phone, e-mail, the church bulletin, and the church website, just to name a few) it’s still easy for people to feel disconnected. While some people are considering editing their lives to have more time for real face-to-face communications, many people are desperately searching for ways to connect with others and develop meaningful relationships amidst the harried state of their current situations.

While a Web ministry is not meant to take the place of in-person connectedness, it can enhance and foster growth in relationships that already exist, as well as develop new relationships and provide unique ways to reach out to other non-believers. New Web technologies can take relationships to new levels and boost your overall ministry efforts, thereby increasing the sense of community that people feel as a part of your church. Technology has become an integral way to do just this.

The momentum is changing; people want connection in a variety of ways, and traditional communication tools such as phone and face-to-face gathering don’t always meet the needs of the entire group. In communicating through a website, e-mail newsletters, and even developing technologies such as secure online communities and more, churches can broaden their reach and encourage a different kind of ministry — one that is more viral, expansive, and inclusive of all.

In thinking specifically about the ways that web ministry can make a difference to your organization, I felt the need to list some of the tools available to integrate into your plans:

• Interactive website with fresh content
• E-mail newsletters
• Online donations
• Online registrations and payments for church events
• Special communities for small groups
• Online volunteer management
• Online access to church management database for staff
• Ability for congregation to update membership data online
• Incorporation of Google Gadgets into website
• Online event calendar
• Online ticketing
• Sermon podcasts
• Secure online communities with forums, chat, and media sharing
• Blogs on church website

These are just a few of the tools that can be combined to create a powerful and meaningful Web ministry.

As you are thinking of how to approach this subject, it’s important to keep your organization’s priorities in mind. Make a list of the ways that your congregation would most value communication via technology. You could send out a poll via e-mail or in your print bulletin asking people if they use their e-mail, if they value articles from their pastor, if they are interested in being able to sign up for volunteer opportunities online, and if they want to develop an online community to foster growth and enhance connectedness.

Find out what your congregation desires. Do they want to reach out to their community? Maybe thinking of creative ways to use the church website for more than just information about the church; using it to offer people a place to explore faith and understand what true spirituality is when based on Christ, not what the world has to say.

There are so many ways that web ministry can have an impact in your environment. I encourage you to take the leap and explore the possibilities to do more with the amazing technology tools that God has provided us with!

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Lauren Hunter is a freelance writer and public relations consultant dedicated to the faith-based technology market. For more information on how web technology can improve your organization, contact her at lauren@laurenhunter.net.

RESOURCES

Below are some resources to help get you started in the Web ministry process:

ACS Technologies provides industry-leading church management and web ministry services to churches, schools and denominational offices. Call 800.736.7425 or e-mail solutions@acstechnologies.com, or visit www.ideastoimpact.com.

ServiceU equips faith-based and nonprofit organizations with the most complete online event management, online ticketing and online donation solutions designed specifically for churches and schools. Call 888.638.7439 or email info@ServiceU.com for more info.

Simon Solutions is the creator of the Oikos Community Console™, a revolutionary online community-building platform with which congregations, ministries, schools and cell groups can connect, share, and communicate online. Call 888.764.0633 or email info@simonsolutions.com for more info.