Virtual church fellowship is crucial to keeping your congregation connected while unable to meet physically. Using a platform that offers interactive features like chat, polling and community forums without compromising on the livestream is key to your online fellowship experience.
For many, the church is more than just a service on Sundays – it’s a place to socialize and find strength in smaller prayer and study groups. Encourage your members to organize and host virtual activity nights like faith-based trivia, collective movie watching or even virtual board games.
| Have you tried Meetn, the new online meeting platform? It’s turning out to become a decent alternative to Zoom and to the other major platforms. |
Streaming
For many people, church is more than just Sunday services. They find joy and strength in smaller prayer groups or activities like food drives or choirs. During the pandemic, these groups can help members of all ages to reconnect with their community and feel part of something bigger than themselves.
Streaming services such as YouTube and Facebook allow churches to broadcast live sermons or pre-recorded videos. They can also share archived sermons that can be accessed on the church’s website. This is an excellent option for those who cannot make it to a service due to the self-quarantine and allows them to watch a sermon on their own time.
In addition to streaming, online services can offer other resources for church members such as a contact list of supportive church members or online counseling. This gives new attendees an opportunity to connect with church members before or during a service without having to physically visit them.
Social Media
Many church communities are using social media as a means of staying connected to one another. By using a social wall during your livestream services, you can keep your congregation up to date with what’s happening within the church. It’s also a great way to get your community involved during online services as the wall will collect and display any posts that are tagged with your church hashtag (more on that later).
For example, Willow Church uses their social wall during their online services to encourage their viewers to post about their experience with the service. This gives their community a sense of belonging and shows that the church isn’t just about preaching.
For those living in remote areas, attending an in-person church service can be difficult. However, with the right goals and engagement ideas, virtual churches can be a powerful tool for church growth. This is especially true for younger generations who have grown up with technology and are comfortable working remotely.
Interactive Elements
Whether it’s streaming a weekly sermon or providing interactive elements like polls, church leaders can engage their online audience during service. This creates a sense of community among those who attend virtual services.
For example, using an LED video wall during worship allows church members to unite as one congregation and pray for each other while interacting with the message. It’s an easy way to boost engagement and connect people with their church family.
For instance, church elders could record a video with words of encouragement for the congregation. They can then upload it to the church’s website and broadcast it during the service. In addition, a virtual coffee hour can help those who cannot attend in person connect with their fellow churchgoers. Churches can use a platform like Altar Live to create this. It’s a fun and creative way to keep those in the church body connected. This is especially important for teens who often struggle to maintain strong social connections outside of the church.
Storytelling
Virtual church is a great option for people who are unable to attend services but still want to be part of the community. It is also an excellent choice for young people who may have a hard time relating to regular conversations and church events. One way to help young people feel more connected is by hosting online activities like mother/daughter nights or craft hours.
Most churches promote events by blasting information on social media or making announcements during service. While this is effective, it can get boring quickly. A better approach is to tell stories about the event. For example, a video interview with a family who attended the event and how it improved their lives would be an effective promotional tool.
Live video chat is another great tool for virtual church. It is easy to use and works on almost any device. It can be used for small groups, Bible studies, and board meetings.