In partnership with the Church IT Network, we hosted a series of webinars with sound advice and tested tips and Q&A from churches already "doing church" online! Second in the series is...
Take community outreach and care online in this season of "social distancing" due to COVID from experienced churches in the Church IT Network and MinistryPlatform communities. Support and empower your community by engaging volunteers and connecting, coordinating, tracking, even providing care online.
Special thanks to our panelists:
Jason Lee @ Northwoods Church
Jennifer Miles @ Resi
Jennifer Decker @ Westside Family Church
Stephanie Johnson @ College Park Church
Kerri Taliaferro @ Brentwood Baptist
Find out what people are already doing and join in. You don’t have to be an originator of an idea. Such as:
For group/team meetings and gatherings:
Phonelivestreaming.com - create a phone number that anyone can dial into and listen to a live event; people with no internet are able to participate.
OnlineGiving – texting for prayer
Facebook Page or Group – users can post needs/requests so that others can see and respond (note: Pages are not private)
Watch2Gether – share a video
NextDoor (app) – regularly check in with neighbors and post to see if there is anything you can help with
Need Connect – New MinistryPlatform application that provides a way for people to indicate needs or assist with needs, and can be managed in the platform.
Nabor – "help" management system
SimpleChat – chat bot for your website where people can chat a question and you can respond from your phone
YouVersion Prayers (app) – share prayers with groups you are doing Bible reading plans with
Phone calls – go old school and pick up the phone!
Set up an email address and post it on your website or email it out; people can respond with needs, prayer requests, etc. Ensure it is monitored by a team of folks that can respond in kind.
Church members write their contact information on little slips of paper and distribute among their own neighborhoods, letting neighbors know that if they need anything to just call!
Reach out to a local coffee, donut, or sandwich shop, offer to put signs in their windows that offer medical personnel and emergency responders to have a free coffee if they show their ID/Badge, and pay the tab for the shop.
Try to reuse as many of your current avenues as possible: Post regular updates on website or blog. Send emails.
Free may not always be the right choice.
Be willing to try something! Be ready for it fail, or be ready for it to be bigger than you can imagine. :)
How to work from home in a healthy way (pdf)
How to lead a remote workforce (pdf)
Taking Church Online: Services & Prayer
Thursday, March 19, at 3 pm ET
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AND RESOURCES
Taking Church Online: Classes & Groups
Thursday, March 26, at 3 pm ET
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AND RESOURCES
Taking Church Online: Giving & Financials
Tuesday, March 31, at 3 pm ET
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AND RESOURCES
Taking Church Online: The CARES Act
Tuesday, April 14, at 3 pm ET
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AND RESOURCES