Web-Based Ministry for the Local Church

A Web ministry should be an extension of that which goes on within church ministry. Many para-church organizations take great advantage of the Web. To name a few, Desiring God, Grace To You, Sovereign Grace, The White Horse Inn, Ligonier, Sharper Iron, 9Marks and many others produce media that is used far and wide in the Christian sphere of the Web. Local churches can make great impacts on their congregation using the same tools as these organizations as well as some that more specifically appeal to the more intimate setting.

Common features on church websites everywhere calendars, statements of faith, Gospel statements and basic staff information. More robust sites often include recorded sermons for download and youth program pages.

Compared to the digital age, churches are often “behind the times” in regards to other institutions. Where all of the above can be found on many information-based websites, much more is put into action that is scarce in the church.

Increasing the opportunity for interaction among members between Sunday services and the rest of the week really seems to be an important mission for any church to consider. Deepening the interaction of members with each other, the leaders and the Word is mandatory for all. What I propose here is a sort of shopping list of useful suggestions that could greatly increase both areas through web-based media.

A rather under-used but easy to implement feature of web-based ministry is basic deepening of the teaching ministry of the pastor or elders. Those who preach in the church do an exorbitant amount of work in preparation for a sermon each week. Study notes, references amount to a mass of material which could be placed in the hands of the congregation for deepening the scope of the message. A sermon outline can be published on the Web as a document or .PDF or even as a weblog post with ease. Providing links to the resources used by the preacher can lead the learner to pursue a deeper study of the message during the week.

In another article I intend to develop the idea amassing of knowledge more fully. It may seem daunting to a small church that I recommend putting more than just a Statement of Faith on the website. In fact, it is easy to start with basics and just as easy to continue on to start a flow of deeper, more intimate communication with the congregation. I’ll limit this article to the fairly common ground of sermons and their territory in the Net.

Recorded messages are great helps but there are limitations. Those who do not have the ability to listen to MP3 content for a number of reasons often can access text content. Downloading a sermon transcript, references and study notes can make for a broader dissemination of the message. As a layman in my church, I look forward to chasing down the nuances of my pastor’s sermons after he’s preached on Sunday. I really enjoy reviewing his material and being able to pick out the details I might have missed while distracted just to get a better understanding of something I didn’t quite get the first time.

This makes the case for readers and those who are inclined to take deeper study. Many take notes during a sermon (most commendable). Many may even put their notes on their computers at home and keep them for future reference. The memory of humans may not be exercised as it once was but the ever increasing recollection of the Web is becoming powerfully integrated with our daily lives. Make your messages available in multiple formats. Make them readable, manipulable and easy to access on your website. Take time to annotate the meat of the church and publish it.

Some pastors and congregations may not be inclined to consider themselves as “public” sources of Bible Truth. The fact is that more and more of the world is becoming “Net-centric” and I would hazard a guess that there are few churches left in the modern world with a majority of members who are not connected. The Web is a fact and taking advantage of its power to reach people is common sense. A church that publishes its teaching on the Internet is not automatically seeking a place in the “blogosphere” or trying to find fame and fortune. A well-planned website should be targeted at the audience desired, which can simply consist of the local congregation. In prayerfully considering the planning and goals of a web-ministry, a church must see that there is a viable path for feeding the local flock, not just reaching the thousands to which the big names of the Web appeal.

Some thoughts regarding audio recordings on the web:

• Make them to download. Some churches put audio files up in a player media such as Flash on their sites. It can be difficult if not impossible to figure out how to download these files for convenient listening. Listening directly from the Web limits other activities on a computer and sometimes isn’t conducive to quality of playback (this can be due to bandwidth or software limitations. Upload audio media as files that can be downloaded directly and you’ll have a happy audience.
• Label the files. Take time to go into the properties of an audio file and fill in the blanks. Note the speaker, the church, the topic (even the series) and the sequence by date or series number. Sometimes Windows can’t handle titles with special characters so keep in mind that simple is great. Those who download will mostly agree that a clearly labeled file (title and date) is much easier to integrate into their own media collection. Take a look at the options in iTunes, for instance, and see what depth of cataloging is available.
• Keep in mind that a sermon can have lasting value. People may listen to it over and over again. Keep track of downloads, if possible, to see what is making an impact. Keep files available in an archive on the church website and make room for feedback concerning your media content on the site. Comments from your listeners should be encouraged and considered.

Rob Hickok serves in the U.S. Navy and has been involved in information management for 15 years. He has worked on private Web publishing, graphics, design, networking technology since 2002. Christ called him to repentance and salvation in August of 2003 and he has been blogging about this event ever since. He lives in Southern California with his Wife and four children. He writes at www.lordandhearth.com.