Digital ministry has evolved a great deal in the last fifteen years. I remember when the Church Online Platform launched, and that was the coolest and simplest way to add “Online Church” to your existing church's strategy.
Today, you must manage a website, social media posts on five different platforms, CRM integrations, giving tools, digital ads, online Zoom groups, integrate ChatGPT somehow, and so much more.
I recently did a tier list of all online church resources, and it was fun to think about what is most important now compared to where things were so many years ago. It's confusing to keep up with it all.
One thing I know for sure is the world of digital is a multiverse of opportunity. What is essential is to pick an area of importance for your church and set one goal for the year. You don't and can't fix all your digital problems in one year, but you can bring clarity to one specific area.
My challenge for your church in 2024 is to collectively pick one currently messy area of digital and decide what the win would be by the end of December.
Determine who will own this goal and backtrack on what needs to happen in the next 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, six months, and ten months.
You might pick your Instagram or YouTube strategy or maybe figuring out how to get your sermons as a podcast on Spotify.
Pick what is important for your community and church, but pick one thing.
We overestimate what we can do in a few months and underestimate what is possible in 12 months. I've been an online pastor for over ten years, and what is fun is when you start to stack these yearly goals and look back and see all the ground you've gained.
Focusing on the short term is sometimes paralyzing, but as you clarify one area slowly, it gets easier to figure out other areas of confusion.
Go now, pick one digital goal, write up the 12-month plan, and check in on it monthly as a team.
I bet a few years from now, your church's strategy will be less confusing if you do this.
Need some extra help? I'm hosting a digital cohort that is starting in February. Learn more!
