Virtual church fellowship ideas offer many ways for your congregation to connect with each other and grow their faith. Whether they’re mingling in the lobby, discussing during an online movie night, or donating through the website, these ways of sharing are effective and simple.
Using YouTube videos to share sermons is an easy way for people to worship from home. You can also add onscreen lyrics to encourage them to sing along.
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1. Live streaming
For those who aren’t able to attend church services due to illness, work schedules or distance, live streaming is a great way to feel connected to the community. However, the typical online service can often feel limited in engagement options.
Using a platform such as Altar Live allows for more interactive elements to be incorporated into your church stream without compromising audio or video quality. Whether that be mingling in the lobby during movie night or discussions on the sermon during service, these events allow for deeper fellowship between attendees.
Other tools such as Switcher Player can also be used to include a link for tithing, further enhancing the experience and making it more immersive. Ultimately, it’s important to remember that the heart of any church is fellowship.
2. Archived sermons
Whether it’s for video or audio, having your sermon available in digital text is the next best thing to extending its life. It puts the authority in Scripture where it belongs and gives people the tools to interpret it for themselves. It teaches people how to navigate through the Bible using key verses and helps to make your message accessible for those who can’t come to church. It also allows a preacher with a revolving church to hit basic theological truths year after year, such as the incarnation around Christmas and crucifixion at Easter, and show consistency in Scripture by tracing a theme throughout several books.
You can archive your sermons by creating a page and putting the files on it, or you could use file folders in a computer system that’s easy to search. Either way, it’s important to back up the files.
3. Online bible study
Online bible study is a great way to bring people together from all over the world. You can use online platforms like Zoom, Google hangouts and Facebook groups.
Consider creating a group dedicated to a specific topic, such as women of the Bible, forgiveness or parenting. This will encourage attendees to participate. It is also an opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion that might not have been possible during a sermon.
Besides bible studies, online church communities can also come together to discuss how they are showing love in their lives. For example, if someone’s special talent is cooking, they can share their favorite recipes with the rest of the group. This will give them a sense of community that they would otherwise miss out on.
4. Social media
For many homebound people, socializing is a challenge. The pandemic has exacerbated this problem, but even before the pandemic many individuals found themselves homebound due to health issues.
Online church gives them the opportunity to connect with a community that can uplift them and encourage them to keep their faith strong.
Online churches can also be used for social media interaction, especially for sharing photos or videos that tell a story. This can help captivate an audience and draw them into your church. Social media savvy churches also use video platforms like Google Duo or Zoom to conduct bible study groups. These are great options if you have a small group of members that are unable to meet in person. However, these platforms are not meant to replace face-to-face meetings.
5. Youth groups
Youth groups are an excellent way to build friendships within the church. In addition to having fun with each other, they can help create more engaging events for the entire congregation. For example, a group of teens could be asked to design the cover and activity pages for your next Church Directory. Most of them have excellent photography skills and will love the opportunity to showcase their work.
Encourage the group to bond through games that promote mingling and break out of pre-set cliques. Play get-to-know-you games, Olympics-esque trials, and more. Be sure to incorporate discussion and debate. This will help teens find the strength and courage to be open with their faith questions. Also, encourage the group to support faith formation in the parents of the youth by providing resources for family-related concerns.