Being in community is something all of us crave, whether you admit it or not. It’s can be a great source of social connection with others and a sense of belonging. For the longest time community was done in person. But, with the establishment of the internet that began to change.
Then, covid happened. And, when covid happened, everything shut down. In person gatherings stopped for a time and people were online more than ever. And these weren’t just the younger generations being online, these were even the older generations online. They were on FaceTime talking to grandchildren, on Zoom doing Bible studies and even texting friends to stay in touch. Online became the one way to truly connect with others.
However, when in person gatherings came back, online gatherings dwindled. While in-person connection and community is ideal, it is not the only way for people to connect. In fact, online could actually be one of the only ways people connect with others today.
Connecting into Online Community
But how do connect people into that online community? What can you do? Here are a few ways.
Make the ask on stage. How can people connect to online community if we never ask them to. After all, you never truly know who is watching online and they may not be in the chat to see your ask for it. That is why an announcement on stage about the different opportunities may gain some attention.
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dentify who are the regular chatters. Whether it is a Sunday service or an Online Bible Study, there are always people who are regular chatters. They share and are actively engaged in whatever the study or discussion is. Use that as an opportunity to invite them into more than just the chat or the study. Invite them to a study that goes a little deeper and can help them grow in their faith.
Share on social media. There are still opportunities to organically reach people on social media and invite them into a community. You could even do a paid ad on Facebook to reach more people. In addition, you can encourage people who are followers of your Church’s social media account
Church wide emails. As stated earlier, in-person community is always ideal. However, some people may not be able to connect in-person because of scheduling conflicts. That is why by sending out a Church wide email to everyone, they will be aware of the different online communities they can connect with.
Online community is a great way to connect people who are looking for community but cannot connect in person. But how do you do that? See how. Click To TweetConclusion
People crave being in community. It is a great opportunity and tool to connect people into meaningful relationships as they grow closer to God. Take the strategies highlighted above and implement them as you can and see how God uses the online communities you have to help people in their faith.
Before you finish reading this post, write down a quick action plan. What else stands out to you? Share them below or on social media.
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