ONLINE COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTES TO OFFLINE COMMUNITY

This is part 2 of a 10-part blog series on HOW TO GET YOUR MINISTRY ONLINE. You can follow the DIGITAL SKATEPARK tag or go back to the intro post for links out to the rest of the series.

< See the previous post in the series

ONLINE COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTES TO OFFLINE COMMUNITY

Let’s assume that your youth ministry meets two times per week, a larger youth group meeting and smaller bible study groups. Unleashing the Internet and mobile devices will give you an opportunity to have an impact into young lives every day of the week. Some might think that’s too much! But it doesn’t need to be overwhelming for youth or youth leaders.

Online communication is able to assist in reviewing and previewing what’s happening in your youth community.

Reviewing happens as you share photos, bible talks, stories and other memories from your regular gatherings or special events after the fact. This is a good way to remind your young people of what they have recently shared together. This will help to reinforce gospel truths and gospel community.

Previewing happens as you promote upcoming events. It could also help to prepare your group for the Bible passage you will be considering when you next meet or giving specific details of what to pack for camp.

In the 1990s the term “virtual reality” was regularly used to describe computer-simulated environments that mimicked the real world. It then overflowed into the 2000s and continues to be used by many in describing online interaction. However, the term is probably unhelpful when applied to social media. The truth is, young people find reality online: real connection and real community through electronic mediums. It means that there are genuine opportunities to encourage disciples to grow in Christ through these means. The growth is real and not just a virtual reality.

This in no way means that we ought to stop our physical gatherings offline! Jesus physically died and physically rose again, Jesus is physically gathering for himself a people, a people that will be physically with Him in eternity, and so there is still something unique and special about physically being together now. The challenge is to utilise online mediums to complement what you are doing offline.

See the next post in the series >

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This series forms the basis of a chapter I wrote in a forthcoming Youth Ministry book to be published by Anglican Youthworks. The rest of the book is written by Scott Petty (Youth Minister from Christ Church St Ives) and is published here with permission.