If we’re choosing not to engage one of these groups, we’re not doing our job as the Church.
These past few weeks, my team and I have been focused on providing you with content that answers the question, “How can I best prepare for what’s next?”
Let me offer a few more thoughts our team has been sharing internally related to engagement since we released Episode 144 of The Unstuck Church Podcast on Clarifying Digital Engagement.
Tiffany touched on this briefly in the episode, but we think this visual might help.
Two Different Types of Engagement
There are TWO different ways you need to be thinking about digital engagement and content strategies, and we’re seeing very few (if any) demonstrate they are thinking about both.
Normally, churches spend almost all their staff dollars on the “insiders” side. And right now, we’re not seeing anything different. It seems like churches are using just about every channel and platform they have to try to engage insiders.
Here’s the rub: You’re doing that in public spaces where you’re actually crossing the paths of tons of outsiders.
Churches need to structure around both strategies in order to have success with both groups of people. #unstuckchurchCLICK TO TWEET
You can’t help outsiders take first steps if you don’t know who you are trying to reach in your mission field. You can’t help insiders take next steps if you don’t have a clearly defined discipleship path or spiritual formation strategy.
Our churches are missing opportunities (which I consider best case scenario), and even alienating people outside the faith (worst case scenario).
Churches that successfully pivot from thinking of ministry primarily as big gatherings and make the shift from analog to more digital will experience more life change as more outsiders come to know Jesus.You can’t help outsiders take first steps if you don’t know who you are trying to reach. You can’t help insiders take next steps if you don’t have a clearly defined discipleship path.CLICK TO TWEET
Learning to use digital content for both evangelism and discipleship is going to look more strategic.
How you communicate with these two audiences is vastly different, but we’ve been afforded the luxury of not having to choose—we can help people grow in their relationship with Jesus AND help introduce new people to Jesus.
If we’re choosing not to engage one of these groups, we’re not doing our job as the Church. If we’re choosing not to engage one of these groups, we’re not doing our job as the Church.CLICK TO TWEET
My team pulled together a simple preview of what this practically looks like. I hope you’ll take advantage of this resource, as well as the opportunity to communicate with the folks that aren’t willing to walk in the doors of your church.
If you’re looking to start building your strategies, I highly recommend starting with the podcast episode I mentioned earlier—Clarifying Digital Engagement.
We need to be giving the most attention to tracking things that help us make decisions that align what we’re doing online with our bigger picture ministry goals, and this conversation will help you do just that.
