The Church Digital Podcast

<p>The Church Digital is mobilizing a new wave of digital missionaries. In this stream, Jeff shares why our upcoming Digital Missionary Conferences matter—from Digital Neighborhoods to Christ-Centered Recovery, European Summit, and Gaming. You’ll hear how platforms function like unique “neighborhoods,” why culture-aware evangelization matters, and how global partners are rallying to equip the Church online.This isn’t a passive webinar. It’s an interactive experience designed for engagement—keynotes, breakouts, live tables, prayer, and real conversations. Jeff previews the flow, the reception hub, scheduling tools, and how attendees can connect with peers and sponsors to discover tools for discipleship, outreach, and church planting in digital and virtual spaces.You’ll learn practical ways to invite and multiply: bring a “Timothy,” find a mentor, enlist prayer and financial support, and let the conference help explain digital mission to those who don’t yet “get it.” Expect insights on cross-cultural communication online, audience mapping, micro-church networks, AI for discipleship, and more—plus a clear path to get involved right away.If you’re ready to move from consuming content to living on a mission, watch this video. Then register for the conferences and invite two or three people to join you. Let’s engage the digital neighborhoods together and see how God moves when the Church shows up online with clarity, courage, and community.Visit our website: https://www.thechurch.digital/Connect with us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigitalLearn more from us at https://www.thechurch.digital/the-movement#DigitalNeighborhoods #ChurchOnline #DigitalMissionaryConference</p>

<p>In this stream, Jeff shares what’s coming up with the Digital Missionary Conference and why it matters for anyone trying to reach people with the Gospel online. He further talks about the upcoming Digital Neighborhoods Summit and how digital spaces are more than just screens—they’re real mission fields.You’ll also hear a powerful story of a church in Miami that went from 50 people to over 700 on launch Sunday. Jeff uses that as a reminder that sometimes we have to let go of the old “skeletons in the closet” and be open to what God is doing now—both in physical churches and in digital ministry.From this video, you’ll take away a fresh vision for digital evangelism, encouragement to keep going when it’s hard, and practical ideas for how to multiply your impact online. Jeff also highlights some of the speakers and breakouts you can look forward to at the conference.If you want to see how God is moving in digital spaces and be inspired to step into your own calling, this video is for you. Watch now and get ready for the Digital Missionary Conference at missionary.digital.Visit our website: https://www.thechurch.digital/Connect with us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigitalLearn more from us at https://www.thechurch.digital/the-movement#DigitalMissionaries #ChurchOnline #DigitalEvangelism</p>

In this stream, Jeff gives a lively behind-the-scenes look at the Digital Missionary Gaming Summit. He recaps a global run of four summits with nearly a thousand registrations and representation from over 80 countries, then spotlights why this final event focuses on gamers. The heart of it is simple and strong. Every game is a gathering, every chat is a chance, and God can use our screens for the Gospel.Jeff walks through the core ideas of the summit. Be intentional, not random. Identify your one person to reach. Turn gameplay, chat, and streams into spaces where discipleship happens. Learn how community forms in-game, on stream, and asynchronously in Discord. Hear from speakers who will help you set the table for real relationships and steady spiritual growth.You will leave with more than inspiration. Expect practical exercises, step-by-step mapping, and clear next moves for your context. See how sponsors and partners can equip you with tools and resources so you can act on what you learn this week, not someday.If you care about reaching people where they actually are, this is for you. Watch the video, invite your team, and get ready to put ideas into action for Jesus in the gaming world. Visit our website: https://www.thechurch.digital/Connect with us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigitalLearn more from us at https://www.thechurch.digital/the-movement#DigitalNeighborhoodSummit #GamingMinistry #DigitalDiscipleship

What if your gameplay isn’t just escape—it’s assignment? Today, I streamed live with Chinomage and Flatcap to celebrate what went down yesterday at the Digital Missionary Gaming Summit (DMCon). This wasn’t a recap. It was a moment to reflect, celebrate, and invite others into what’s stirring in the movement. Gaming isn’t a side hustle for the church—it’s a mission field. And we’re finally treating it like one. (Get context at http://missionary.digital/gamingWe kicked things off by unpacking the top highlights from DMCon: from breakout moments in chat to major paradigm shifts for longtime leaders. Chinomage shared the behind-the-scenes moments that lit him up. Flatcap brought insight from conversations that happened off mic but hit just as deep. I shared the moments that moved me from “this could work” to “this is working.”The summit wasn’t the end—it was the beginning of something new. We teased what’s coming: new cohorts, community pathways for gamers stepping into mission, and training tracks that equip people not just to stream, but to disciple. What happens when we treat platforms as places and streamers as shepherds? That’s the future we’re building.To close the stream, we played Flatcap’s keynote in full: “Before we get started discovering your one, who are you?” It’s disruptive, reflective and rooted in the kind of calling that digital missionaries in gaming need to own. If you’re lost in the noise or waiting for permission, this might be the moment that calls you out and sends you in.So if you missed the summit—or if you just need to hear again that your digital impulse might be divine—this replay is your runway. Watch it. Let it stir you. The mission is live.

<p>Jeff opens with a candid update from The Church Digital: after 300+ episodes, the podcast will transition in 2026 into a streaming network that elevates new voices. He teases a powerful lineup with Ann Bosarge and Dr. John Harris and shares why this shift matters for digital ministry and the church’s future online.You’ll also get a first-look walkthrough of the event platform for the Digital Missionary Summit Series—complete with profiles, main sessions, 16+ breakouts, sponsor hubs, and live “table” conversations. Jeff previews the four conferences: Digital Neighborhoods, Control•Alt•Recover, the European Digital Missionary Summit (short TED-style talks), and a Gaming &amp; VR focus—plus how partners and sponsors are rallying behind digital evangelization.What you’ll learn: how to engage (not just consume) in online events, why building your profile and showing up matters, and how soul care and recovery intersect with ministry in digital spaces. Expect practical ideas on AI, VR, microchurch networks, APEST, Google Ads, and audience mapping—along with a global view of what’s working in Europe so we can prepare wisely here.Watch this stream to see the platform in action, grab shareable media kits, and invite a friend or leader who needs vision for digital discipleship. If you care about reaching people online for Jesus and strengthening the church’s witness, this is your on-ramp—join us and be part of what God is doing.Visit our website: https://www.thechurch.digital/Connect with us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigitalLearn more from us at https://www.thechurch.digital/the-movement#DigitalNeighborhoods #ChurchOnline #DigitalEvangelism</p>

<p>This special Thursday stream previews The Church Digital’s upcoming Digital Missionary Conference—with the first event, Digital Neighborhoods, focused on what the gospel looks like in digital and virtual space. Jeff shares the core philosophy of “platforms as places”—treating TikTok, VRChat, YouTube, and other platforms as real communities with distinct digital cultures, where online evangelism and digital discipleship can thrive. You’ll hear why culture often trumps geography, and why learning the language of each platform matters for church online and digital missions.Jeff also spotlights the keynote lineup: Jason Morris on rethinking the digital map (“platforms as places”), Jeff Vanderstelt on Gospel Fluency in everyday digital life, Cheryl Boyd (Cru) on audience mapping and spiritual thresholds online, and Bekele Shanko (Global Church Movements) on apprenticing in the wild—multiplying leaders for disciple-making movements. Plus, there’s a rich slate of breakout sessions on cross-cultural communication, microchurch networks, AI-powered discipleship, digital Bible tools, soul care for digital missionaries, and more.You’ll learn how to: recognize platform culture and speak the gospel fluently in it; map your audience’s next best step toward Jesus; move beyond growth to multiplication by apprenticing digital leaders; and leave each talk with an actionable lab/first step you can apply immediately in your online ministry or digital church planting efforts. Expect practical tools, real use cases, and strategies you can deploy this week.If you care about sharing Jesus online, this conference is for you. Register for free and invite a friend or your pastor to join you: https://missionary.digitalDetails for Digital Neighborhoods: https://missionary.digital/neighborhoodsWant ready-to-share posts and graphics? Grab the media kits at https://share.missionary.digitalWatch this stream to get the vision—and join us to turn vision into action for the sake of the gospel in digital spaces.Visit our website: https://www.thechurch.digital/Connect with us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigitalLearn more from us at https://www.thechurch.digital/the-movement#DigitalMissionaryConference #ChurchOnline #DigitalNeighborhoodsConference</p>

<p>In this episode, Jeff Reed reflects on the CTRL+ALT+Recover Digital Missionary Summit and the powerful moments that unfolded. From unexpected tech challenges to raw, honest testimonies, the event highlighted the importance of vulnerability and recovery in ministry. Stories like Sepi’s reminded us that brokenness is never the end of the story—God rebuilds us in new ways to be used for His greater purpose.</p><p>Alongside Jeff, voices like Stacy and Conrad Cooper shared deep insights about Christ-centered recovery, the challenges pastors face, and the urgent need for the church to address hidden struggles like pornography, burnout, and addiction. The conversation revealed how the church has often silenced these realities, leaving many leaders isolated and weary. It also pointed to a hopeful way forward: cultivating a culture of recovery rooted in grace, honesty, and community.</p><p>From this video, you’ll walk away with a fresh understanding of how digital missionaries can embrace vulnerability to connect with people online, how recovery is not just for individuals but for the entire church, and why admitting our struggles is the first step toward healing. You’ll also discover how ministries like Project Exodus are equipping churches worldwide to create sustainable recovery programs that bring lasting transformation.</p><p>If you care about building an authentic church, supporting healthy leaders, and stepping into God’s vision for digital evangelism, this video is for you. Watch now and be challenged to let God use your story of brokenness and restoration to reach others for Christ.Visit our website: https://www.thechurch.digital/Connect with us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigitalLearn more from us at https://www.thechurch.digital/the-movement#DigitalNeighborhoodSummit #CTRL+ALT+Recover #MinistryBurnout</p>

The Church Digital wraps 2025 with a candid look at what is next. Jeff shares why the podcast is shifting to seasons, how decentralization will elevate new voices, and why “fail fast, fail forward” matters for ministry. He also talks about the heart behind platforming leaders in diverse contexts, from urban ministry to gaming, and dreams of multilingual shows that point people to Jesus.You will hear updates on partnerships and operations that fuel the mission, including a move to Go High Level for better community tools and a creative partnership for content. Jeff highlights the Digital Missionary Conferences returning on May 12–13, new training like Sharing Jesus Online, digital church planting, and fundraising courses, plus the launch of a TCD streaming network with leaders like DeMarcus Battle and Leighton.Watch to learn how decentralization can multiply discipleship, how to experiment with purpose, and how digital missionaries can serve the global Church wisely. Discover practical takeaways for community building, platform stewardship, and sustainable systems that help you make more impact with fewer resources.If you care about digital evangelization, this episode is for you. Join the conversation, meet the community on Discord or WhatsApp via thechurch.digital/fam, and see how a 2x budget can lead to 10x Kingdom impact. Watch now and catch the vision for 2026.Visit our website: https://www.thechurch.digital/Connect with us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigitalLearn more from us at https://www.thechurch.digital/the-movement#FailForward #GivingTuesday #DigitalChurch

<p>In this episode, Jeff gives us a raw, behind-the-scenes look at what’s coming up, why Europe’s post-Christian culture makes digital ministry so important, and what you can expect from this global gathering. Cathedrals might be museums today, but the Gospel is alive online. And digital missionaries are stepping in where traditional methods no longer reach.Jeff also shares some real talk about the recently concluded Control+Alt+Recover Summit. This is a Christ-centered recovery event packed with powerful testimonies, hard conversations, and yes, some major tech glitches that kept people locked out. But instead of hiding it, we’re leaning in. The plan? Rebroadcast the whole thing so everyone can see what God was doing. Honest, vulnerable stories like these matter, especially for leaders and churches learning how to embrace transparency and build a true culture of recovery.So what’s in it for you? You’ll get a sneak peek at the European Summit topics: AI in missions, Gen Z creators, gaming ministry, and hip-hop communities. You’ll also hear how this conference is different: it’s interactive, with open tables, Q&amp;A with speakers, and even live translation in 10 languages. The takeaway is simple: don’t just watch… ENGAGE! This is about finding your tribe, learning what works, and taking real steps in digital evangelism and discipleship.If you’ve been wondering how to reach people in a post-Christian world, or how to lead well as a digital missionary, this video is for you. Watch now, invite a friend, and discover how God is using digital strategies to spread the Gospel across Europe and beyond.Visit our website: https://www.thechurch.digital/Connect with us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigitalLearn more from us at https://www.thechurch.digital/the-movement#DigitalNeighborhoodSummit #GlobalMissionsOnline #EuropeanDigitalMissionarySummit</p>

What happens when a ministry built on innovation decides to let go of control and trust God with the future? In this stream, Jeff from The Church Digital opens up about moving from a centralized model of leadership to a decentralized, Spirit-led movement. He shares how God has been shifting his heart from running everything himself to empowering others across the world to lead, create, and multiply.Jeff talks about the new season ahead for The Church Digital, including collaborations with missionaries in Nigeria, India, and Europe, and the launch of tools like Lex, a digital ministry AI assistant. He reflects on lessons learned from years of digital ministry, the tension between innovation and tradition, and how the Church can embrace new methods while holding firm to the unchanging message of Jesus.Through this stream, you will discover why decentralization can be a powerful way God expands His Kingdom online. You will learn how collaboration, humility, and empowerment can create more impact than one large platform. It is a reminder that the Church grows strongest when every part of the body works together, digitally and globally, for the sake of the Gospel.Watch this video if you care about digital ministry, leadership, and the future of the Church. Jeff’s transparency, wisdom, and vision will inspire you to rethink what success in ministry looks like and challenge you to ask, “Am I building my platform, or am I building God’s Kingdom?”Visit our website: https://www.thechurch.digital/Connect with us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigitalLearn more from us at https://www.thechurch.digital/the-movement#FaithAndTechnology #DecentralizedMinistry #DigitalChurch

<p>The Church Digital Podcast marks its 365th episode with an inside look at the European Digital Missionary Conference. Jeff Reed and Simon Dirks share how Europe is being reframed from post-Christian to pre-revival. From church planting networks to diaspora communities and growing digital ministries, God is writing a new story of faith, unity, and mission.Jeff and Simon highlight voices like Jim Memory of Lausanne Europe who invites us to see hope where many expect decline. Other leaders explore AI for missions, Gen Z discipleship, and practical digital evangelism. We hear about hip-hop ministries in Finland, gaming communities in Germany, and creative outreach across languages and cultures.You will be encouraged to see how digital innovation can serve spiritual formation. Prayer fuels creativity, and the Holy Spirit is leading digital missionaries in fresh and unexpected ways. This episode offers tools, frameworks, and real examples you can adapt in your own context.Watch the full episode to discover what God is doing across Europe and how you can join this digital awakening. Whether you are a church leader, a creator, or an everyday believer, this conversation will expand your vision for mission in a connected world and help you take your next faithful step.Visit our website: https://www.thechurch.digital/Connect with us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigitalLearn more from us at https://www.thechurch.digital/the-movement#DigitalNeighborhoodSummit #EuropeanRevival #EuropeanDigitalMissionarySummit</p>

<p>In this episode, Jeff welcomes Marion Camacho from CV Global (Christian Vision) to talk about the heart of their mission—evangelism in the digital age. Together, they explore how churches can utilize technology, such as AI, chatbots, and even virtual reality, to share the Gospel with people who may never step foot in a church building.They reflect on how COVID pushed churches to innovate, and why many struggled when they couldn’t keep up. Marion shares how CV Global equips everyday Christians and churches with resources, training, and testimony videos to help spread the message of Jesus worldwide.You’ll walk away with practical insight on how to approach new technology with wisdom, keep Jesus at the center, and see digital spaces as real mission fields.Join the conversation, be encouraged, and discover how you can be part of the movement to share Jesus online. Don’t miss this one!Visit our website: https://www.thechurch.digital/Connect with us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigitalLearn more from us at https://www.thechurch.digital/the-movement#DigitalEvangelism #ChurchOnline #DigitalMissionarySummit</p>

<p>Jeff Reed recaps a full week: consulting with a small Presbyterian church, highlights from the Digital Neighborhoods conference, and the heart behind CTRL+ALT+Recover. He shares a wild moment—a real phone conversation with an AI agent—and how tools like live translation and platform chat will serve upcoming events. You’ll also hear quick updates on the European Digital Missionary Summit (Oct 1) and the Gaming Summit (Oct 8).The core message: digital ministry happens on addictive platforms among people (and leaders) prone to burnout. Jeff gets honest about being physically broken, emotionally fried, and spiritually empty in 2023—and how God met him there. From the Beatitudes to vulnerability online, he shows why transparency attracts and how shining God’s light on our own lives is the starting point for real digital evangelism and discipleship.What you’ll learn: why recovery matters for digital ministers, how to practice honesty online without oversharing, and ways your team can use conferences, sponsors’ tools, and community tables to grow. You’ll take away practical steps to fight burnout, lead with gospel-centered transparency, and engage people across digital neighborhoods, the metaverse, and gaming spaces.If you’re interested in digital evangelism, church online, or healthy leaders who last, watch this. Get a sneak peek at speakers, tools, and how to connect. Then register for the conferences and invite your team—because God is opening doors for recovery, discipleship, and mission in digital spaces like never before.Visit our website: https://www.thechurch.digital/Connect with us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigitalLearn more from us at https://www.thechurch.digital/the-movement#DigitalNeighborhoodSummit #CTRL+ALT+Recover #RecoveryInMinistry</p>

<p>The Digital Missionary Conference was more than just an event—it was a movement. Jeff Reed unpacks how God orchestrated the Digital Neighborhood Summit, weaving together voices from around the world to reveal a unified vision for digital missions. From keynotes to breakouts, every piece connected in ways that no one planned except by the Spirit of Jesus Himself.In this episode, Jeff reflects on how the church is entering a catalytic moment. Leaders across nations are waking up to the reality that digital evangelism, digital discipleship, and digital church planting are not side projects but vital tools for the Kingdom. The stories shared from Africa, Europe, and beyond reveal a powerful truth: God is using digital missionaries to multiply His church in fresh, unexpected ways.As you watch, you’ll discover practical insights about gospel conversations, digital neighborhoods, collaboration, and the role of technology in global evangelism. You’ll also be challenged to rethink what it means to be a good neighbor online and how to bring the Good News of Jesus into digital spaces where people are already gathering daily.If you’ve ever wondered how God can use you in the digital age, this is a conversation you can’t miss. Join us as we explore gospel fluency, evangelism, and the future of church online. Watch now and see how you can be part of this Kingdom movement.Visit our website: https://www.thechurch.digital/Connect with us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigitalLearn more from us at https://www.thechurch.digital/the-movement#DigitalNeighborhoodSummit #DigitalEvangelism #DigitalMissionaryConference</p>

<p>What if AI could help the Church digitally saturate the globe with the gospel? That’s the big question behind today’s livestream. Jeff Reed from theChurch.digital sits down with Jake Carlson from Apologist.ai, an artificial intelligence platform designed to share Jesus—digitally and globally. They’re diving deep into the role of AI in missions, discipleship, and reaching people beyond the physical church walls.This isn’t just a tech demo or theological sparring match. This is a frontline conversation between pioneers: two digital missionaries wrestling with the future of faith, evangelism, and the church. Expect raw insights, bold ideas, and disruptive clarity on what it means to do ministry in a world driven by data and algorithms.Whether you’re skeptical or searching, curious or convinced, this livestream will stretch your imagination. It’s happening today at 2pm Eastern on theChurch.digital’s YouTube. Come with questions. Leave with vision.</p>

<p>Is digital discipleship working? Are we actually making a difference online or just creating noise? Digital missionaries around the world shared what ministry actually looks like right now, where it’s thriving, where it’s stuck, and what still needs to be figured out. Many are discipling 11 or more at a time while navigating loneliness, legitimacy and limited support. The survey results exposed both spiritual momentum and the gap between vision and outcomes like salvation and baptism.</p>

<p>What’s next for digital discipleship and online evangelism? On Tuesday, August 19 at 1pm Eastern, head over to youtube.com/thechurchdigital for a bold and forward-looking livestream conversation hosted by Jeff Reed, founder of theChurch.digital. Jeff will be joined by Aaron Thomson from Jesus Film Project to unpack what’s ahead for NextSteps, one of the most innovative tools available right now for guiding people into deeper relationship with Jesus—right from their phones, laptops, or social feeds.</p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►<a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>Today we’re going live with Pastor D, lead pastor of House of His Glory, visionary developer of The Church Coach App, and a Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. Pastor D has dedicated her life to equipping leaders with practical tools and Spirit-led strategies that help churches thrive both in person and in digital spaces. She doesn’t just talk ministry theory — she lives it, building bridges between technology, discipleship, and real-life transformation.</p><p><br></p><p>This livestream is more than a conversation — it’s a strategy session for the future of the Church. </p>

<p>What truly drives your ministry? On Tuesday, August 5 at 1pm Eastern, Jeff Reed will sit down with Dr. Tim Yee to explore this question through the lens of TruCenter— http://trucenter.co - a faith-based, narrative-driven assessment that uncovers the motivations God wired into each of us.Dr. Tim Yee, a seasoned pastor and leadership coach, has a wealth of experience helping individuals and teams discover their unique callings. His work with TruCenter focuses on helping people understand their core motivations, enabling them to serve more effectively in their personal and professional lives.</p>

<p>What if the future of digital missions isn’t about going viral but about going deep? What if ministry could thrive on less money, more risk and bi-vocational calling? Jeff Reed, founder of theChurch.digital, is living that tension.While livestreaming from his Tesla, Jeff shares the raw realities of leading a global digital ministry while stepping back into physical church work. It’s about decentralizing. Moving from being the guy to building the framework. From going solo to inviting a movement.</p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►<a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>What if your church’s website could talk back? Not with static forms or outdated contact pages, but with real-time, intelligent conversations. That’s the future Eric Kidwell is building. As the founder of LiveAI.co, Eric is pioneering conversational AI tools that transform how churches engage online. His mission: to replace passive digital experiences with dynamic, responsive interactions that meet people where they are.</p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>Could deconstruction be more than trendy rebellion and actually mirror Jesus flipping tables in the temple to clear the way for something true free and life-giving? If your questions ever made you feel like a heretic or left you feeling spiritually homeless this conversation is for you.What if questioning your church model brought you back to the biblical standard and invited you into genuine digital discipleship?</p>

<p>What if your smartphone could become your most powerful evangelism tool? On Tuesday, July 1 at 1pm Eastern, Jeff Reed from theChurch.digital sits down with What if sharing the gospel happened with a tap on your screen? Imagine your next disciple-making conversation happened over a screen share.GodTools equips everyday believers with bite-sized evangelism tools and micro-learning lessons. We’re leaning into the frontiers of digital ministry. </p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►<a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>What if the next revival didn’t come through a pulpit but a podcast, a livestream or a VR headset? What if digital spaces weren’t support tools but used for Kingdom purposes? missionary.digital is launching four summits that will equip and activate. We’re leaning into the wild frontiers of ministry. Where recovery isn’t just healing, it’s leadership formation. Where gaming isn’t escape, it’s mission. Where livestream isn’t broadcast, it’s church. You’ll hear from leaders building gospel-fluent cultures. Recovering addicts turning disciple-makers. Missionaries discipling across continents and platforms. This is where the global Church meets digital scale.Each summit drills into one essential thread: gospel fluency, global multiplication, gaming and discipleship, and recovery as a pathway to mission. Four waves crashing into the same digital sea.</p>

<p>Join Jeff Reed (theChurch.Digital), Jesse Carbo (Digital Missions Project), and missiologist Alan Hirsch (5Q/5G) for a groundbreaking live stream conversation that reimagines incarnational ministry for the digital age. In a world where people grieve on Facebook, wrestle with doubt in Reddit threads, and seek prayer in Instagram DMs, this trio unpacks what it means to “move into the neighborhood” online. They challenge the Church to stop treating platforms like pulpits and start treating them like porches—spaces where relational ministry, not just content, becomes the heartbeat of mission.</p>

<p>What if your data didn’t just measure ministry but multiplied it? What if your app wasn’t a feature for convenience but a map for mission?It’s time to stop reading reports like accountants. Start interpreting them like missionaries. When we treat platforms like places and data like discipleship trails, we stop counting people and start commissioning them.</p>

<p>What if 4,000 GenZ and GenA students encountered Jesus—every single day?That’s not a dream. That’s the digital reality EveryStudent is living into.This isn’t just a website. It’s a multilingual, global movement. 40+ languages. 4,000 Gospel encounters daily. Powered by a bold vision inside the CRU family and spearheaded by Marilyn Adamson, EveryStudent is proof that the digital mission field is active and ripe.And now it’s your turn.</p>

<p>What if your reporting system wasn’t just tracking numbers, but unleashing missionaries? What if the key to multiplying disciples wasn’t more budget, but more clarity?Tampa Underground didn’t mimic megachurch models. They built their own path. A network of sister churches linked by shared mission, supported by a custom-built, no-code tool tracking disciple-makers, leaders and networks across cities and continents. For free.</p><p><br></p><p>Lucas Pulley unpacks how their grassroots system turns raw data into real fuel for movement. No bloated CRM. No dev team. Just spiritual conviction translated into tech that multiplies.</p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►<a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>What if digital missionaries could learn from monks? What if the quiet revolution for online discipleship was already happening in places you least expect, like the Vatican?Catholic digital missionaries aren’t just posting content. They’re building discipleship ecosystems. They’re forming community at scale, embedding ancient rhythms into digital habits and showing up online with spiritual consistency most Protestant creators never touch.</p>

<p>Digital missionaries from across the world showed up. Pakistan. Germany. New Zealand. Nigeria. Even someone claiming Antarctica. Not a metaphor. What surfaced was fire: calls for deeper equipping, more contextualization, faster training and support for missionaries burning out while carrying too much, too alone.Here’s what we rolled out at the town hall:- Four digital missionary conferences this fall.- A shortened Equipping Digital Missionaries (EDM) course.- A growing equipping library- Translated and localized training content- Recovery groups</p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>Can digital discipleship actually work in every culture? Or are we turning digital missions into digital colonization, leading missions with our methods instead of their cultural realities?When local leaders reshape the delivery, the message finally lands. That’s not failure. That’s the future.</p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>Is content enough to reach people in digital missions? Or does digital ministry demand more than just clicks and views? Content may connect, but without community, it doesn’t disciple. And that disconnect is the silent killer of digital ministry.This isn’t about scaling sermons or mastering reels. It’s about building trust at the speed of relationships. </p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>Is the digital mission field breaking digital missionaries? What if soul care was the key to sustaining digital ministry, not a side note? Digital missionaries are pioneering in isolated spaces, often without support, facing grief, burnout and trauma no one sees.</p><p><br /></p><p>It’s not about sermons or strategy. It’s about presence. From Discord prayer threads to trauma healing groups in the metaverse, this is about showing up in the mess, not fixing it. Listening over preaching. Connection over content.</p>

<p>The digital mission field is exploding, and The Church Digital is leading the way. In this episode, Jeff Reed shares a personal update before diving into new community breakthroughs on Discord, Twitch, and more. Virtual ministry is not just growing, it is transforming, and you are invited to be part of the movement.Get ready for big news: multiple focused fall conferences, a European digital missions partnership, and the launch of the Digital Missions Ambassador initiative. Fifty leaders rising up through prayer, fasting, and generosity to fuel the future. This is not church as usual. This is a digital revolution. Stick around for a preview of next week’s episode and check the show notes to jump in!</p>

<p>What happens when an 84-year-old hijacks your digital missionary conference and it turns out to be one of the best moments of the week? In episode 334 of theChurch.digital podcast, Jeff Reed unpacks the Digital Missionary Conference chaos. Bootlegged streams. VR prayer circles. Unexpected partnerships. And a surprise metaverse legend named Mr. Pete.</p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►<a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>What happens when 1,400 digital missionaries from 85 countries collide? This episode of The Church Digital podcast goes deep behind the scenes of the Digital Missionary Conference. Jeff Reed breaks down the highlights, from VR gatherings and unexpected connections to the raw stories that are pushing digital ministry into new territory. If you’ve ever questioned whether digital discipleship is real, this one’s going to wreck your doubts.</p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>Is the metaverse dead? Not even close. In episode 332 of The Church Digital Podcast, Jeff Reed sits down with DJ Soto, Pastor Alina and Pastor Coco to break the mold of traditional ministry. This isn’t about streaming your Sunday service. It’s about global disciple-making movements happening in the heart of virtual spaces like Final Fantasy, Rec Room and VR Chat. These aren’t gimmicks. They’re churches. They’re communities. They’re mission fields. You’ll hear how VRMMO Church is doing what buildings can’t, reaching the unreached and restoring those who’ve been burned by church. This episode isn’t just a conversation. It’s a spark for digital missionaries and pioneers who know the Gospel can’t be confined to physical walls. If you’re called to something different, this is your fuel. </p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►<a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>Why do digital ministry spaces still struggle with gender equity?</p><p>Episode 331 of theChurch.digital Podcast pulls no punches. Jeff Reed sits down with digital ministry leaders Amanda Souza, Nicole Howard, and Anne Bosarge to tackle the hard truth: women are still underrepresented in digital ministry leadership. They get raw about their experiences navigating male-dominated platforms and church ecosystems, both online and off. This isn&#39;t just talk. It&#39;s a challenge to the status quo and a rallying cry to anyone who&#39;s felt overlooked in their digital calling.</p><p><br></p><p>This episode breaks down barriers. From the need for mentorship to the power of global platforms that elevate women&#39;s voices, Amanda, Nicole, and Anne lay out practical steps to build a more inclusive future in digital ministry. Whether you&#39;re pioneering a new path or trying to find your voice in digital missions, this conversation is a wake-up call. Women belong in this space, not just as participants, but as leaders. Let&#39;s stop sidelining and start amplifying.</p><p><br></p><p>Be part of the conversation at <a href="https://www.missionary.digital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">www.missionary.digital</a></p>

<p>What if digital isn&#39;t replacing the physical but expanding the mission field?For years, incarnational ministry has emphasized moving into neighborhoods, building relationships and living out the gospel in the community. But digital pioneers are proving that relationships and discipleship can grow deeper in online spaces. From Whatsapp discipleship in closed countries to virtual reality churches where real communities are forming, digital is more than a tool. It’s a mission field, ripe for harvest.</p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>How do digital missionaries get funded? Can full-time digital ministry be sustainable, or is it something on the side? Many digital missionaries are called to reach people in gaming, VR, Discord and social platforms, but the biggest challenge isn’t just the mission. It’s financial support.</p><p><br></p><p>The question isn’t whether digital missions can be funded. It’s whether we’re willing to step out in faith and invite others to be part of the mission.</p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>Can you truly be emotionally present for someone in a digital space? Some say deep connections can only happen face-to-face but digital missionaries are proving otherwise. The online world isn’t just a content platform. It’s a mission field where people are seeking real relationships, support and hope.</p><p><br></p><p>Digital ministry isn’t just about engagement. It’s about presence. Too often, people hide behind content, missing the deeper connections that transform lives. But what if we could listen better? What if we could be emotionally available in digital spaces, creating environments where trust is built, healing happens and faith grows?</p><p><br></p><p>Mental health matters in digital ministry. Whether you&#39;re leading in VR, gaming, Discord or social platforms, emotional presence is key. Being there for someone digitally doesn’t mean just responding. It means listening, validating and walking alongside them. Because real discipleship requires real relationships no matter the platform.</p><p><br></p><p>The question isn’t whether deep relationships can happen digitally. They already are. The real question is, are we willing to step into those spaces and truly be present?</p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►<a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>The challenge isn’t whether digital church can work. It’s whether leaders are willing to step out of familiar models and go where people already are. The buildings will reach those who walk through the doors, but who is reaching the ones who never will? </p><p><br /></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>What if digital missionaries had the strategy, support and community they need to be mobilized for the digital mission field? Church leaders and digital pioneers are stepping beyond traditional models that often dismiss digital ministry as secondary. Digital missionaries face real challenges, skepticism from legacy structures, lack of resources and the isolation of pioneering in an unfamiliar mission field.</p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>Connection without community is powerless, and discipleship without mobilization is reckless. If we’re not moving people from consuming content to engaging in real relationships and then stepping into mission, we’re missing the point. The goal isn’t just more content—it’s digital missionaries actively discipling others that disciple others.</p><p><br></p><p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p><p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Discord⁠</a> |<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> |<a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> |<a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> |<a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>What if the future of discipleship meant empowering ordinary people to become digital missionaries? The church isn’t confined to buildings anymore—it’s happening in DMs, voice chats, and virtual worlds where trust is built and the gospel is shared. </p>

<p>Connection is vital to digital missionary work, but if all we do is connect with people, our ministry remains shallow and superficial. COMMUNITY is where trust is established, relationships are deepened, and digital evangelism and discipleship come alive!</p> <p><br></p> <p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p> <p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>Stop treating digital ministry like broadcasting. Platforms like Discord, Youtube, and VR aren’t just tools—they’re mission fields where deep relationships lead to gospel movements. theChurch.digital is equipping digital missionaries to go beyond the surface, building ministries that multiply and sustain impact in digital spaces. Connection without community is powerless. Community without equipping is pointless. Equipping without mobilization is reckless. Come rethink and reshape your digital mission at theChurch.digital.</p> <p><br></p> <p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p> <p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>What if the future of discipleship means rethinking everything we know about church? This year is shaping up to be a game-changer for digital missionaries. With theChurch.digital’s vision of taking the Great Commission into the heart of digital platforms, the next wave of innovation is here. </p> <p><br /></p> <p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p> <p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>What if the future of church looks radically different? This is a call to arms for digital missionaries to step out and take the gospel into online spaces where traditional church outreach hasn’t gone. This means meeting people on platforms like Discord, Youtube, and even WhatsApp to create authentic discipleship communities right where people already are. As the vision unfolds, theChurch.digital is not just providing resources; it’s creating a support system. Digital missionaries are no longer operating alone—they’re part of a growing community with the support, structure, and accountability they need to run. This is a bold invitation for the church to reimagine ministry beyond the physical building, focusing instead on a digital-first approach that meets people at the heart of their online lives.</p> <p><br /></p> <p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p> <p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>What happens when discipleship steps away from the methods of past generations and meets people where they are—in digital spaces? Today’s digital missionaries are operating beyond physical walls, beyond "church-as-usual," finding new ways to connect and disciple where people actually spend time—platforms like Youtube, Discord, and Twitch. They are pioneering in spaces many have overlooked, not merely replicating past methods but creating approaches fit for today’s digital landscape. Instead of waiting for affirmation, they are driven by the confirmation found in life-giving digital community and discipleship. Yet, this digital mission field comes with unique challenges. Many of these pioneers feel isolated, under-resourced, or questioned by previous models that don’t recognize digital ministry as valid. These missionaries are pushing forward despite funding barriers and a lack of a clear support system. The goal? A church that breaks through legacy structures to embrace the digital spaces where millions are searching for meaning. This is a call to churches: let’s recognize the shift taking place and invest in equipping digital missionaries to disciple and reach in ways that go beyond the brick-and-mortar approach. If we want to engage the world of today, it’s time to rethink ministry itself and view digital communities as legitimate spaces for transformative discipleship.</p> <p><br /></p> <p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p> <p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>We confront a challenging question: what happens when people leave the physical church but still seek purpose, connection, and healing? We dive into the reality that millions are stepping away from traditional churches, not from faith but in search of authentic mission and mental health support outside of church walls. Through digital mental health initiatives, churches can break new ground by addressing addiction and equipping leaders to reach people in spaces they’re already engaging with every day. We attempt to help define the church's role—from merely an in-person gathering to a mission that addresses people’s real mental health and discipleship needs online. We challenge church leaders to go beyond ministry-as-usual and view digital communities as critical spaces for mental health advocacy and support. This is a call for churches to support those who feel isolated from traditional models and equip covocational leaders to thrive digitally. For churches ready to confront the unique needs of today’s believers, this conversation is about a digital discipleship approach that addresses our understanding of ministry. </p> <p><br /></p> <p>►► Join The Fam! ►►<a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠</a></p> <p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>Can digital relationships be as meaningful and authentic as physical ones? Jumping into the heart of digital ministry, this conversation explores the powerful shift toward digital calling and how it's transforming the future of church. Forhis is all about digital missionaries who are breaking new ground on platforms like Discord, Twitch, and Facebook, reaching people where they already are. We dive into the concept of relational calling, where leaders are tasked not just with planting physical churches but with equipping and sending digital missionaries. The church can’t just sit back and rely on traditional spaces—it’s time to embrace digital platforms as vital mission fields. This talk challenges leaders to rethink their strategies, encouraging them to recognize the vast potential for multiplying ministry in the digital realm. We dig into the rise of co-vocational church planting—how bi-vocational leaders are thriving in today’s economy, and why it’s the future of the church. This is a wake-up call for churches to step up and get serious about digital discipleship, empowering leaders to engage in this mission field that has endless possibilities to reshape faith communities worldwide.</p> <p><br /></p> <p>►► Join The Fam! ►►</p> <p><a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Discord⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Youtube⁠</a> | <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjsQtLa3GTl7NW2giMm6e2" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Whatsapp⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Web⁠</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Instagram⁠</a></p>

<p>Exploring what it means to broadcast live in the digital world. We discuss how an international congress hosts transformative talks on digital missionaries, as 5,000 attendees buzz with energy exploring new tech-driven ministry possibilities.These discussions uncover stories of success, like digital-only churches in Argentina that draw large, active congregations. Participants from various regions, including India and Africa, show a keen interest in embracing digital discipleship to extend their reach.Throughout the congress, the mission is to empower leaders globally, providing them with digital tools to enhance their ministries. Whether through workshops or informal exchanges, the emphasis is on building a network of digitally equipped leaders ready to transform lives.Despite the intensity of the congress, personal challenges, such as dealing with health issues, are met with the unwavering support of the community. The encouragement and prayers from supporters help maintain focus and energy.Reflecting on the experience, there is gratitude for the connections made and the future opportunities on the horizon. This congress is not the conclusion but the launchpad for a new chapter in digital church ministry, with exciting potential to reshape how communities worldwide engage in faith.</p> <p><br /></p> <p>Join the movement and hit subscribe for more content that validates churches in digital spaces:</p> <p>►► Join The Fam! ► <a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct</a></p> <p>Podcast: <a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thechurchdigital</a></p> <p>WEB: <a href="https://www.thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.thechurch.digital/</a></p> <p>IG: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en</a></p> <p>FB: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigital" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigital</a></p>

<p>We're exploring how platforms like TikTok are cultivating real relationships and bridging gaps. It’s about seeing digital platforms as allies in mentoring and disciple-making, opening doors to rethink church and connection in the digital age. We look at how a path from youth ministry and a transformative faith moment in college leads to a voice of influence for sorority women nationwide and how a background in marketing and yoga played a role. The conversation digs into the impact of consistent, positive messaging on platforms like TikTok and how everyone needs to be showing up online. It shows how Gen Z's quest for realness and depth calls for a fresh take, and how even personal quirks and interests can turn into opportunities for ministry. Digital disciple-making isn't just about preaching—it's about scriptural truths shared in everyday chats, reaching far and wide. It's all about utilizing digital tools wisely, making impactful content stand out while steering clear of flashy shows and sticking to what's real.</p>

<p>While Jeff is in Korea representing theChurch.digital at Lausanne, Andy and Ashley take over the episode, diving into the intricate relationship between digital and physical discipleship within the church. The discussion begins by emphasizing the importance of bridging the digital and physical aspects of disciple-making, recognizing that while digital spaces offer significant opportunities for broadening reach and influence, physical face-to-face interactions remain crucial for deeper, incarnational relationships. This theme is embodied in their conversation with guest Ian Simpkins, who shares insights from his experience as a pastor and digital content creator. Ian explains how his social media presence, particularly on Instagram, aims to provide concise, impactful messages that foster authentic connections and spiritual growth in a digital age.Throughout the episode, Mage, Lagos, and Simpkins address some pressing questions and challenges faced by churches navigating the digital mission field. They explore the potential of digital platforms not only for broadcasting sermons but also for creating meaningful, community-building interactions that can extend even to the most unexpected places, such as prisons. This dialogue highlights the evolving nature of church ministry, calling for a balance between innovative digital strategies and traditional practices to ensure a holistic approach to discipleship that resonates with diverse audiences. The episode underscores the necessity for churches to adapt and embrace technology thoughtfully while maintaining the core values and relational depth central to the Christian faith.</p>

<p>Have you considered mental health within digital spaces, especially in the context of depression, suicide, and crisis support? In this discussion we will be offering real, practical insights grounded in empathy and community. Our conversation includes personal stories of suicidal thoughts and highlights the vital role of professional counseling and close-knit support systems. We look at how digital ministry can be a lifeline, focusing on compassionate communication, prayer, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We also confront myths around suicide, like the dangerous belief that asking about it plants the idea, emphasizing that honest conversations can save lives. Throughout the discussion, we identify clear signs of depression and suicidal risk—like withdrawal, emotional numbness, and reckless behavior. We provide practical tips for having hard conversations, like using "I" statements and truly listening, without rushing to offer advice or encouragement too soon. We also acknowledge the weight of supporting someone in crisis, addressing the impact of secondhand trauma and the need for self-care. We explore how the church must engage in digital spaces to break the silence around mental health. By leveraging platforms like social media and online communities, the church can move beyond traditional walls, combat stigma, and provide critical resources to those in need.</p>

<p>The opposite of addiction is belonging. We all have addictions, or something we turn to to find comfort when life gets challenging. Let’s explore the issue of addiction, we&#39;ll examine everything from caffeine dependence to the different stages of addiction and their dangers. The layman’s definition of addiction: difficulty stopping a substance or behavior despite repeated disruptive consequences. And a biblical definition: Pursuing something other than God repetitively, habitually, or in a patterned way to meet needs. We’ll break down how psychological and spiritual challenges fuel addictive behaviors. For example, widespread caffeine consumption creates a cycle of stress and anxiety, causing people to neglect healthy habits like sleep and exercise. The conversation also exposes how we can condemn certain addictions while subtly endorsing others—like the reliance on energy drinks—sending mixed signals, especially to the younger generation. One of the key takeaways is the need for transparency, we all need help unbinding, and a sense of belonging to overcome addiction. Shallow interactions, often push individuals to hide their struggles. </p>

<p>Productivity becomes an idol. Explore the need for rest, not fake rest, in a world obsessed with productivity. Leaders face huge challenges during transitions, often getting stuck because of egos, fears, and past investments. Rest isn&#39;t just a luxury; it&#39;s crucial for making good decisions and leading effectively. When we&#39;re tired, we look for hits to feel better. Leadership wins and public acclaim become addictive. Be aware of excuses not to rest and becoming resentful, because there’s always another project. Find practical ways to rest: 24-hour floating Sabbaths, spending time outdoors, reading, or hanging out without an agenda.</p>

<p>You&#39;ll never know if you can be fully loved until you allow yourself to be fully known. Tackle the reality of isolation versus solitude in the context of mental health. Learn from others as they share their journey of living authentically with God. Address the practice of writing letters to God each morning, a practice that has profoundly stirred affections for Him. Explore the constant distractions challenging our intimacy with God and the ongoing call to draw closer, despite our busy, technology-driven lives. Hear perspectives on balancing introverted and extroverted tendencies, discovering ways to connect more deeply with God. They tackle the role of technology in shaping mental and spiritual well-being, emphasizing authentic connections to overcome emotional and mental challenges. Delve into practical aspects like setting aside intentional times for solitude, the benefits of a Sabbath rest, and understanding personal preferences when connecting with God. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Join the movement and hit subscribe for more content that validates churches in digital spaces: ►► Join The Fam! ► https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thechurchdigital WEB: https://www.thechurch.digital/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en FB: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigital</p>

<p>Understand the difference between shame and guilt and see how these emotions can impact our identity. What is toxic shame? Use brain science and theology to walk through negative emotions and support emotional health. Discuss how emotions, often seen as negative, can serve as warning lights or dashboard indicators, signaling areas needing attention and growth. Here are practical strategies for ministry leaders to help individuals dealing with shame without experiencing secondhand trauma. How does the role of digital spaces and social media function in emotional health? Talk about how building healthy relationships and empathetic listening can turn online interactions into opportunities for healing. Highlight the need for self-care, validation, and safety in creating emotionally strong communities.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Join the movement and hit subscribe for more content that validates churches in digital spaces: ►► Join The Fam! ► https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thechurchdigital WEB: https://www.thechurch.digital/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/bethechurchdigital/?hl=en FB: https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchdigital <br></p>

<p>Let’s look at the critical issue of digital mental health, focusing on understanding and managing the inner critic. Listen to personal experiences of anxiety and depression and insights into the silent battles many face, especially in the high-pressure world of ministry. A particularly powerful story reveals how song lyrics triggered a life-altering moment, illustrating the profound impact of external influences on mental health. From the balance between humility and self-appreciation to the biblical perspective on pride, we highlight the importance of gratitude and contentment. We talk about naming the inner critic and disentangling it from our true identity in Christ. Vulnerability shines through stories about dealing with self-doubt, medication, and seeking help during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the urgent need to address mental health openly.</p> <p><br></p> <p>►► Join The Fam! ► <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0tQNjVWNE1FRmtOaE12Tk9xd3B4bWh5aGEzUXxBQ3Jtc0tsYks0TXU5YUlRLUFleU1EYUE4T2pWQU9DT1pqdnpfUk5VajRBQ3VScXkycnhvZUlFVkR0RUI0d24yUmpodUwwS3dyQ1NqZVBYRjNwN0tJSEwxTTlGa1E0QW1HT2FKQ0FTWkR1aHpJTnkyWWZBV3Vsaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fdiscord.gg%2FxXZtTcct&v=X45olFUc4SQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">  / discord  </a> Podcast: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVY5T0w2ZmJFVS13bGdTaHFUZ0Q5VS0zSXdLUXxBQ3Jtc0tueUdNUUl3R2RzQUVKYlZUR0I0N01FanVReDJmdGxJbEtMV2RocU1KalM0QVlQY3J6NmNKRERwQnFkam5WRHZpR2pDako3cW0yN1JKN0dxRC1seVM2UGRDWEJubjZyQ0ViQ0NGS0Y2NkhJVnNXOEhqNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasters.spotify.com%2Fpod%2Fshow%2Fthechurchdigital&v=X45olFUc4SQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh...</a> WEB: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbk1IQmt2Ukhxd1JHc0N2QzBJZ0xyZllYRkdhd3xBQ3Jtc0tudUVqQU9uWU4yWkd4em5NNHZkWWtUSVhVSDNJVVE4STVNT0t2V3V0NXByVFJfb0draHBXRmQxYkxMcG5DSExKSk42RzloZGM4M0JfNVdDWlVudnVRQ202ckhkanl1YnRUay1va2xqWE9rY2VScUF1SQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thechurch.digital%2F&v=X45olFUc4SQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.thechurch.digital/</a> IG: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWxnb3l5cjQ1SlF5VEpreVV4cWpscU9haUlfQXxBQ3Jtc0tsZmFTMzhtRW1yblRlZmxyNmtQLVFCYjRwTTNJNldDTTZ3d0NfT0MzUTdDRktzdmdpQXZSZ2k1MDdyLUo4X0VXWXYxNzc4QTY4ci1TQ1FreWpNVWZQZjBkR1p2bUxKeFBEcDN4Nm9iSUFfUDNWaVpCaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fbethechurchdigital%2F%3Fhl%3Den&v=X45olFUc4SQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/bethechurch...</a> FB: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDluSktSbVM1TG9acTRwQUE2WkxaTGRHVGx5Z3xBQ3Jtc0traDlEZEpXdVV3OUc0MlpPVENQaFNZd0pEelV2VVBNcldWaDFMWHh2UUh5aHJMNzhIWEJuUmJUVWdTQTRWQlVyME5KV3ZHeVNxVHpYLS1KV3NYekRyY0VDMFRBVHlpMkpyMUZYSEh3NjdlTmxLUm1rRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbethechurchdigital&v=X45olFUc4SQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">  / bethechurchdigital  </a></p>

<p>Balancing pastoral duties with personal well-being can be challenging. Procrastination and disengagement are often warning signs we have to pay attention to if we want our ministries to thrive.</p> <p>So how about talking on the use of technology in ministry, the importance of mental health, and methods for maintaining peace and balance, especially for digital pastors during Covid? Experience of compassion fatigue and its impact on mental and physical health?</p> <p>Join this conversation and explore the integration of physical and spiritual health, boundary-setting, and self-care practices to maintain balance in ministry work and combating fatigue!</p>

<p>Hear stories of mental health battles and highlight the urgent need for supportive spaces, especially online opportunities. Realize how online communities, like Facebook groups and Zoom meetings, can become support hubs, demonstrating their transformative power through success stories. Realize how to break down mental health stigmas in church and communities and push for real, supportive action. Explore fresh approaches to mental health ministry, tapping into the power of personal storytelling and innovative frameworks centered on sermons, stories, seminars, support groups, and Sabbath. Advocate for shifting from just pastoral care to congregational care, empowering laypeople to support each other and lighten pastors&#39; loads. Consider resources to foster mental and emotional well-being. Highlight the unique needs of different demographic groups, like the Asian American community. Explore how mental health isn’t just a chemical issue; it reflects our relational disconnection in this digital age.</p>

<p>Turn tattoo parlors, dog parks, Tesla supercharger stations, and rehab centers into sacred spaces. See those on the outside encounter Jesus and become followers with undeniable impact. Amid initial resistance from traditional church leaders, gain their support by demonstrating the profound impact of these fresh, unconventional expressions of church. Witness the power of over 300 baptisms in non-traditional settings, fueling a growing network of gatherings. Imagine the transformative journey from margins to ministry, turning personal experiences of being marginalized into a passion for meeting people where they are and offering a community centered around Jesus. Tackle the tough stuff: blend entrepreneurial flair with seminary education, juggle the realities of bivocational ministry, and connect in the digital mission field. Reflect deeply on sustainability, disciple-making, and building communal life around everyday activities. Unveil invaluable insights for anyone interested in reimagining the church&#39;s role in today&#39;s modern world. Embrace transformative encounters and spark new church expressions. Lean on teamwork, moving from solo leadership to a radical &quot;priesthood of all believers,&quot; deeply rooted in biblical teachings.</p>

<p>Feeling like Zoom and Google Meets just aren&#39;t cutting it anymore? Discord is the game-changer. Discover how Discord fosters diverse interactions—from peer groups to private gatherings, with or without a host. Learn about the need for meaningful digital communities that go beyond superficial social media interactions. Explore compelling parallels between the educational challenges in the church and the need for fresh, strategic ministry approaches for different generations online. Reimagine church engagements in sync with their digital timelines and highlighting the seamless integration of Discord into church platforms for a holistic digital experience. We&#39;re not just about theory; we&#39;re about actionable insights. Dive into nuances between digital communities and social media, the power of synchronous engagement, and how micro-church philosophy enhances relational and disciple-making aspects with practical tips. Gain insights into live integration with tools like Pushpay and Resi. Understand the journey from Mighty Networks to Discord, covering the technical side and community-building benefits. </p>

<p>Explore the limitless potential of digital platforms through this podcast&#39;s discussions on leader multiplication and pioneering worship music, all while challenging traditional church boundaries and sparking insightful reactions.Discover a transformative approach to bypassing personality-driven leadership by actively recruiting and developing community leaders. This strategy diversifies leadership and embeds varied perspectives, deeply resonating with a diverse congregation. Dive into the critical importance of adhering to biblically grounded teachings, ensuring they remain practical in our digital-centric world. Hear strategies for leader multiplication, and unpack the complexities of training groups versus individual leaders.Delve into the differences between centralized and decentralized church models. Break down the shift from a growth mindset to one focused on multiplication, accompanied by real-life anecdotes and hard-earned lessons. </p>

<p>Imagine having the freedom to redefine church in ways you’ve never thought possible. There&#39;s even talk of trademarking this unique format while staying true to the mission of following God&#39;s lead into fresh arenas. Listen to real stories from leading a church in a bar. Traditional kids&#39; ministries take a backseat here—instead, children join the main conversation, making gatherings more inclusive. Keep families connected through prayer and personal visits, proving that authentic community transcends any setting. Experience profound God moments in bars, driven by the Holy Spirit rather than manufactured emotions. Navigate open conversations about alcohol policies, managing its presence responsibly. Support those struggling, offering prayer and guidance to staff and customers alike, creating a spiritual care network. Get a sneak peek of what’s next as we explore more non-traditional worship spaces and forms. Rethink the church’s mission and purpose, breaking free from traditional constraints to connect with people where they are.</p>

<p>Explore how balancing bar management with unpaid ministry flips traditional church models upside down. Enter a unique ministry that thrives on a zero financial overhead model, freeing itself from financial constraints and ensuring all resources go straight into ministry efforts. This fearless approach cultivates vibrant, engaged communities without financial challenges.Discover the concept of &quot;Church at the Bar,&quot; which redefines conventional church settings by offering spiritual gatherings in a bar. This bold move reaches those fed up with traditional environments, providing a comfy spot for deep, genuine conversations about faith and life.Challenge the obsession with size and budgets, advocating for the power of digital and micro church spaces to make disciples more effectively. Tackle minimal ecclesiology head-on, reaffirming that both mega churches and small gatherings hold biblical merit. Examine whether traditional churches can learn from models like &quot;Church at the Bar&quot; for more authentic engagement.Feel fired up about redefining church to meet people where they are—online, in person, or over a drink.</p>

<p>Discover how apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers can team up to ignite innovation and build vibrant communities, both online and offline. Activate all five ministry roles in the body of Christ—not just for leaders, but for everyone. Get actionable steps to develop APEST profiles, creating adaptable and powerful ministry teams.Uncover the journey of recognizing how to identify your strengths and conquer challenges. Grab practical tools like the “thinking hats” game to serve with the right mindsetFollow the journey of a Nigerian church planter seeking to slowly implement APEST in a new ministry. Discover how the fivefold functions integrate with the emerging digital church scene.Expect laughs, quirky nicknames, and even a “hat trick” prize. </p>

<p>Discover how the mission to multiply disciples and churches remains vibrant today, drawing lessons from the early church&#39;s experiences and the role of the Holy Spirit. Our discussion will bring to light the cyclical nature of ministry, illustrated with examples from both the Bible and real life today.Expect to learn about the rise of digital micro-churches and how technology is being innovatively used to spread the gospel. We’ll also touch on grassroots initiatives that are bringing renewed energy to Western churches.We’ll talk about the often tricky subject of funding movements, aiming to strike a balance between financial stewardship and passionate disciple-making. You’ll hear about fascinating case studies from various parts of the world where simple tools like basic phones and SD cards are transforming how discipleship is done remotely.Listen to stories like a VR pastor performing virtual baptisms, showing how these new practices spark both excitement and curiosity. The conversation will emphasize the importance of faith, obedience, and following Jesus, while also addressing the necessity to trust God for growth and funding. This discussion aims to encourage believers to step out in faith, make disciples, and foster movements, both in physical spaces and online.</p>

<p>Welcome to episode 298 of The Church Digital. Join Tom Pounder and Jeff Reed as they explore the changing dynamics of church digital media post-Covid in this riveting YouTube episode. Delving into his journey of expanding a church&#39;s YouTube channel from 300 to nearly 1900 subscribers, Tom sheds light on his content strategies, including leveraging daily devotionals and engaging shorts. Forget about massive budgets or high-quality videos for effective communication of the word of God. There is power in authenticity and genuine connections over production quality. Additionally, Jeff brings to the table insightful analytics on the role of YouTube shorts in bolstering viewer and subscriber counts. This episode is packed with insightful discussions, from AI innovations to digital ministry tips. It&#39;s a treasure trove for any content creator in the digital ministry sphere. Tune in to gain actionable insights and be inspired to elevate your own digital efforts. ============================= TABLE OF CONTENTS: ============================= <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=0s" rel="nofollow">00:00</a> AI Voice Intricacy: Impressive yet scary capabilities of voice recreation technology. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=360s" rel="nofollow">06:00</a> Church Content Analysis: Strategizing church content for YouTube. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=507s" rel="nofollow">08:27</a> Podcast Evolution Revealed: Origins and live recording processes of the TCD podcast. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=693s" rel="nofollow">11:33</a> Musical Recollections: Fond memories of Sandy Patty. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=925s" rel="nofollow">15:25</a> Community Interaction: Engage with Tom Pounder on the TCD Discord <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=1135s" rel="nofollow">18:55</a> YouTube’s Role: Intentional YouTube content creation during COVID increased engagement. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=1175s" rel="nofollow">19:35</a> Daily Digital Devotionals: Bridge the gap between worship and community. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=1445s" rel="nofollow">24:05</a> Unlocking Digital Success: Catalyzing growth for church digital platforms with shorts. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=1683s" rel="nofollow">28:03</a> Simplification: Rethinking video production approaches to enhance connections. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=1976s" rel="nofollow">32:56</a> Tailored Content: Devotional content that resonates with YouTube communities. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=2017s" rel="nofollow">33:37</a> Varied Formats: Integrating devotionals, sermons, and humorous shorts. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=2446s" rel="nofollow">40:46</a> Strategic Growth on YouTube: Contrasting with minimal emphasis on other platforms like TikTok and Instagram. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=2749s" rel="nofollow">45:49</a> Revolutionizing: Harnessing the power of Riverside’s AI for podcast recordings. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=2982s" rel="nofollow">49:42</a> The Journey of Imperfection: Encouraging content creators to embrace imperfections. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kcp22TDC3Y&t=3372s" rel="nofollow">56:12</a> Celebrating: Tom’s pivotal role and contributions to the digital transformation of church ministry. ============================= VIDEO LINKS: ============================= Join the movement and hit subscribe for more content that validates churches in digital spaces: ►► Join The Fam! 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<p>Welcome to episode 297 of The Church Digital, where Jeff unpacks how digital strategies can mesh with church leaders’ objectives, the potential of digital communities on social platforms, and how an emerging &quot;introvert economy&quot; could reshape interactions within the church. We&#39;ll delve into the importance of crafting social spaces that foster real conversations and how cutting-edge church formats, like microsites and watch parties, can cater to a broad audience.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Join us and learn how to fully engage your calling, impacting lives profoundly wherever you are.</p> <p><br></p> <p>►► <a href="https://discord.gg/xXZtTcct" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Join The Fam!</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqay05LUk5WXdZOVRxMWthZG9WUjB5emZxbzAxd3xBQ3Jtc0tsTGVMVmNLSlBFaTRxUklIcG9hMXVzVTB6aXZ1ZnE0eWN2WDQxVjJGUjZZcmpYZ3czRlpoc1RNUFdtenhGOU1QZVdGSUp4QkFXTDA5NnBNbXc4LWZ4T1ljU3g1UzR1Wmk3WkFuUXJmSjVZQVI1NGJHUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thechurch.digital%2F&v=LlxFB-WitGE" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.thechurch.digital/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethechurch...⁠" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bethechurchd...⁠" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Facebook</a></p>

<p>Welcome to The Church Digital Podcast—your frontline guide as we decode the complex intersection of faith, technology, and ministry in today&#39;s digital era. In this captivating episode, host Jeff Reed is joined by insightful and passionate Megan Carter to dive deep into the essential subject of Mental Health Ministry within the church community. Together, they set out on a path laden with personal insights, shared stories, and audacious solutions for churches tackling the urgent matter of mental health with empathy and insight.Venturing through the intricate web of mental health advocacy in a ministry setting, Jeff and Megan challenge the conventional, presenting a layered perspective that marries the spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical facets of wellness. Their open dialogues and combined wisdom reveal the groundbreaking potential of merging scriptural insights with a comprehension of the neural and physiological connections, laying out a comprehensive framework for aiding individuals on their mental health paths.Join us as we navigate the unfolding terrain of Mental Health Ministry, emphasizing the need to dismantle stigmas, mobilize resources, and cultivate a nurturing community of support within church walls. Engage with this episode of TCD as it beckons you to delve into the rich layers of faith, technology, and mental health advocacy, urging you to expand your knowledge and build impactful relationships in the quest for a well-rounded life.</p>

<p>In the Church Digital Podcast, Jeff Reed guides us through the evolving intersection of faith and technology, tackling crucial questions like the feasibility of digital disciple-making and the implications of the metaverse and artificial intelligence in church operations. With a focus on making biblically grounded churches thrive both online and offline, this episode aims to empower churches of all sizes to embrace technological innovations for ministry growth. </p>

<p>In this conversation, Jeff Reed and Barbara Carneiro discuss their personal experiences and challenges related to church communications. They talk about the importance of defining and understanding your audience, and how to humanize the concept of an audience by thinking about who is sitting at your table. They also discuss the tension between who you want your church to be and who you are actually reaching, and the need to focus on the connections you have rather than trying to change and recruit new ones. The conversation explores the tension between who we want to become and who we are currently reaching. It discusses the importance of being intentional in our connections and focusing on a specific audience. The concept of being viral within a small setting is highlighted, emphasizing the power of being clear in our messaging and targeting a specific group. The cost of letting go and the faith required to trust that God will bring the right people to us is also discussed. In this conversation, Jeff Reed and Barbara Carneiro discuss the importance of clarity and language in ministry and digital communication. They emphasize the need for individuals and organizations to have a clear vision and message that can be easily understood and shared. They also discuss the challenges and opportunities of fundraising in ministry and the importance of storytelling in casting vision. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the Church Digital&#39;s upcoming learning community on church communications. QUOTES &quot;Who&#39;s sitting at your table?&quot; &quot;There has to be a table somewhere for that person because God is that good.&quot; &quot;The more I can humanize that vision, the easier it will be for me to speak to them.&quot; &quot;We can connect with people from different places than just our age&quot; &quot;Accelerating the path towards somebody&quot; &quot;We&#39;re trying to find them and they&#39;re praying to find us&quot; &quot;I want to be the person that reveals the heartbeat of the people around me.&quot; &quot;It&#39;s interesting because you&#39;re recognizing that different platforms have different target audiences.&quot; &quot;If you&#39;re not the best at what you do, then you need to find what you&#39;re the best at and go do that.&quot; TAKEAWAYS Define and understand your audience by thinking about who is sitting at your table Humanize the concept of an audience by focusing on the people you are actually reaching Recognize the tension between who you want your church to be and who you are currently reaching Focus on the connections you have and build relationships with them Be intentional in our connections and focus on a specific audience Being viral within a small setting can be more effective than trying to reach everyone The cost of letting go is worth the payoff of narrowing our focus Trust that God will bring the right people to us when we are clear in our messaging and targeting Control where we show up, how we show up, and how frequently we show up Clarity and language are essential in ministry and digital communication. Having a clear vision and message that is easily understood and shared is crucial. Fundraising in ministry requires casting vision and attaching a story to it. Creating a portable movement allows for growth and expansion beyond oneself. Niche focus and targeted communications are key to success in the digital space. The Church Digital is hosting a learning community on church communications.</p>

<p>In this episode, Jeff Reed and Andy Mage discuss the concept of asynchronous community and its potential for churches. They define an asynchronous community as communication that does not happen in real time, such as through text messages, social media, or online forums. They emphasize that asynchronous community goes beyond simple conversation and engagement, fostering deeper relationships, support networks, spiritual growth, and involvement in service. They share personal experiences, forming meaningful relationships through online gaming and message boards. They also address whether these relationships are real and argue they can lead to discipleship and authentic community. In this conversation, Andy and Jeff discuss the importance of building real relationships in the digital space and the role of asynchronous communication in creating community. They highlight the need for churches to embrace hybrid models that combine physical and digital interactions. They also emphasize the value of personality and humor in building community and the importance of listening and engaging with people in digital spaces. The conversation concludes with previewing upcoming events and initiatives in The Church Digital Discord server. QUOTES Paul was doing asynchronous community 2,000 years ago.&quot; &quot;Asynchronous community is that thing that we try to derive from in all of our church engagements.&quot; &quot;I had some of the most deep conversations that I&#39;ve ever had in my entire life over a headset on my Xbox controller.&quot; &quot;There is no barrier between digital and physical. What they see on their phone, what they grew up with, that&#39;s what they know.&quot; &quot;The connections that we have should be led into community, and within that community is where we see discipleship happen.&quot; TIMELINE 00:00 Introduction and Overview 12:53 Defining Asynchronous Community 26:25 Are Online Relationships Real? 33:01 The Potential of Asynchronous Community for Discipleship 36:59 Building Real Relationships in the Digital Space 43:28 The Importance of Community and Discipleship 48:03 Finding Community Before Finding Christ 52:27 Taking the First Step in Building Community 01:03:56 Setting the Example for Asynchronous Communication 01:09:19 The Vision for The Church Digital Discord</p>

<p>Navigating the Digital Landscape: The African American Church&#39;s Path Forward</p> <p>How the Digital Church is Reshaping Worship, Community, and Engagement in the African American Context</p> <p>The African American church has long been a cornerstone of community, spirituality, and resistance. However, as the world shifts towards a more digital-centric approach, these churches face unique challenges and opportunities. In episode 292 of the TCD podcast, hosted by Jeff Reed, guest DK Hammonds sheds light on the state of the African American digital church, emphasizing the potential for growth and the need for a nuanced approach to technology.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The Digital Divide and Community Engagement</p> <p>One of the pivotal points discussed by DK Hammonds is the &quot;digital divide&quot;—the gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology, and those that don&#39;t. African American churches, often at the heart of communities with limited technological resources, find themselves on the challenging side of this divide. Hammonds underscores the importance of acknowledging this gap and taking proactive steps to bridge it, not only through investment in technology but also through tailored digital discipleship programs that meet community members where they are.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Hybrid Models: Integrating Digital and Physical Spaces</p> <p>Hammonds advocates for the adoption of hybrid models, which blend online and offline interactions to enhance the worship experience. This approach not only helps in reaching a broader audience but also supports church members who may prefer the convenience and accessibility of digital services. A notable example is the &quot;Barbecue Church&quot; led by Clarence Stowers and Andre Anderson, which successfully integrates physical and digital elements to create a vibrant community space.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Quality of Digital Worship</p> <p>The conversation also delves into the quality of digital worship experiences, where Hammonds stresses the need for high-quality video and sound. The effectiveness of a digital sermon, he notes, depends significantly on how well pastors can engage with their audience through these mediums. Not all pastors may naturally excel in this space, suggesting a need for training and development to help clergy adapt to these new forms of engagement.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Moving Forward: Embracing Change</p> <p>In concluding, Hammonds calls for senior church leadership to embrace technological change actively. He emphasizes faith, calling, and the global outreach of ministry as core aspects that can guide African American churches as they navigate this digital transition.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Conclusion:</p> <p>As African American churches map their digital pathways, the road ahead involves more than just adopting technology. It requires a clear vision for how digital tools can enhance spiritual practices, community engagement, and worship quality. The insights shared by DK Hammonds during his discussion with Jeff Reed on the TCD podcast highlight not only the challenges but also the profound opportunities for growth and outreach. Through a thoughtful and inclusive approach, the African American digital church can continue to be a powerful beacon of hope and connectivity in an increasingly digital world.</p> <p><br></p> <p>TIMECODE</p> <p>0:00 Introduction, Live Recording</p> <p>13:15 African Americans prefer diverse or specific worship.</p> <p>16:06 Inclusion of diverse African diaspora in America.</p> <p>23:42 Prioritize helping those less financially fortunate.</p> <p>28:20 Many African American churches use live streams.</p> <p>36:10 Promoting local church, fostering community, digital integration.</p> <p>41:47 Creating digital church with real community challenge.</p> <p>42:34 Hybrid model for church embraces digital services.</p> <p>52:45 Have faith, be called, find passionate partners.</p> <p>58:33 Understanding, empathy, truth, risky, allyship, internal work.</p> <p>01:03:07 Explore podcasts, ask for guidance, do the work.</p> <p>01:04:57 Sharing resources, wrapping up podcast recording. Goodbye.</p>

<p>The Evolution of Digital Ministry: Celebrating Milestones and Embracing the Future</p> <p><em>The Church Digital Podcast is brought to you by Riverside. </em><br><em>Check out how Riverside can help your church&#39;s content-creation process - ⁠</em><a href="http://thechurch.digital/riverside" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://thechurch.digital/riverside</a></p> <p>As we mark the five-year anniversary of The Church Digital Podcast and the 24-year anniversary of Jeff Reed&#39;s first digital ministry venture with ebeliever.com, it&#39;s a time of reflection on the leaps and strides made in integrating technology with faith practice.</p> <p>In January 2000, Jeff Reed embarked on an ambitious project to create ebeliever.com, a pre-social media online Christian community that offered connection through discussion boards, music, and sermons – all at the frontier of digital technology. They were the trailblazers in using technology to foster spiritual community, encoding sermons and conducting online Bible studies long before channels like YouTube became the norm.</p> <p>The podcast announces the Resilient Church webinar series, focusing on melding connection and community through digital means, an essential conversation in our increasingly online world. Digital ministry is forward-thinking, and these webinars will highlight vibrant discourses from April to September, paving the way for more inclusive and technologically adapted church practices.</p> <p>Jeff Reed shares his vision of a distributed podcast network, which eschews the expansion of a single podcast for a collaborative, wealth-distributing model. This revolutionary idea emphasizes leadership that seeds and nurtures multiple platforms, resonating with the biblical principle of growth through multiplication.</p> <p>Reflecting on a harrowing server crash in 2003 that brought down ebeliever.com, Reed highlights the importance of partnership. The path of innovation can be isolating, so finding colleagues like Ray, who supported him through tough times, underscores the importance of community—not just in building a digital church but in the personal lives of those leading the way.</p> <p>The podcast looks forward to divergent conversations with thought leaders like Peyton Jones on virtual reality church planting, offering listeners a glance into how conventional church planting paradigms are transforming in the modern age.</p> <p>As we surmise from the narrative of The Church Digital Podcast and ebeliever.com, the intersection of technology and spirituality has indeed seen a paradigm shift. From mere supplemental tools for ministry, digital platforms have burgeoned into central pillars supporting the spread of the Gospel and the cultivation of community. Still, challenges such as technological hiccups, resistance, and the critical need for strategic partnerships remind us that the journey is a continuous learning process.<br>And so, as we tune in to upcoming interviews, discussions, and webinars, we do so with recognition of the past, appreciation for the present, and eager anticipation for what lies on the horizon for digital faith communities. Cheers to 291 episodes, and here&#39;s to the countless more that will continue to inform, inspire, and connect believers across the digital universe.</p> <p>05:42 Resilient Church webinar for physical church utilization.<br>13:59 Embracing distributed leadership for Metaverse church director.<br>16:08 Choosing digital church was a unique move.<br>23:06 Ed Stetzer success story: started pre-COVID, soared.<br>27:19 Major tech issues during worst presentation ever.<br>34:45 Celebrating podcast anniversary and 24-year business milestone.<br>38:44 eBeliever.com created youth group websites, online Bible studies.<br>46:49 Smuggling Bibles in various countries, exciting stories.<br>50:24 Jim Tomberlin, a multi-site movement pioneer.<br>57:06 Supportive wife, family judgment, seeking empathy.<br>01:00:13 The eBeliever.com Story</p>

<p>Navigating Digital Transformation: TCD Unveils a New Online Era</p> <p>The Church Digital Podcast is brought to you by Riverside. <br>Check out how Riverside can help your church&#39;s content-creation process - http://thechurch.digital/riverside</p> <p>In an age where digital presence has become integral to every organization, TCD is no exception. </p> <p>Ep290 of TCD podcast reveals a transformative period for our digital church. Helmed by host Jeff Reed and his leadership team including Andy Mage, Barbara Carnero, JMO, Jason Morris, and flat cap Layton, TCD is marching into a new era of online engagement and spiritual outreach. The unveiling of our new website, the move to Discord, and an invigorating branding overhaul highlight our renewed commitment to fostering community and faith in the digital realm.</p> <p>Recognizing the importance of an updated online home, TCD has launched a new website designed to streamline our digital presence. Since 2018, the website had not seen significant updates—until now. Barbara Carnero was pivotal in understanding and crafting a web design that reflects TCD’s vision. By incorporating people-focused elements and reducing clutter from multiple calls-to-action, we aim to create a simplified, direct path to community building. This is a space where technology doesn&#39;t overshadow human touch, where images of life within our digital community take center stage over excessive digital effects.</p> <p>In a strategic move to enhance interaction and fellowship, TCD transitions from Mighty Networks to Discord. This new platform choice reflects a keen understanding of demographic preferences, particularly the adeptness of Discord users with technology. With the launch of our Discord server, we invite our community to engage more deeply and dynamically. This innovative approach is a testament to our adaptability and commitment to leveraging modern tools for spiritual connection.</p> <p>In this episode, Jeff Reed shares a personal, poignant narrative of health struggles and the mental battle with theodicy. His transparency shines a light on the all-too-human aspect of leadership and underscores the need for a distributed, supportive community within TCD. The commitment to power through challenges and the surprise announcement regarding leadership hint at exciting developments, reinforcing that our mission is not mere branding, but service unto God.</p> <p>Jeff Reed elaborates on the importance of allowing technology to further the mission of the church. This episode celebrates the collaboration with Riverside for superior recording quality, a move that represents TCD’s investment in high-caliber content delivery. With the livestreaming capabilities on Discord, the podcast aims to transcend cultural and environmental barriers, bringing the message of TCD to new digital frontiers.</p> <p>As TCD aligns its leadership and community strategies with the digital church framework, we are setting the stage for a new chapter characterized by connection, discipleship, and multiplication. The podcast concludes with Jeff encouraging patience as we engage with the beta phase of new digital endeavors and draws parallels to Gmail&#39;s humble beginnings. His call for equipment and experimentation within our digital model signifies a bold willingness to redefine what church looks like in the 21st century.</p> <ul> <li>05:26 Streamed on Tuesday, celebrating community changes. Check it out.</li> <li>12:32 Busy morning with unexpected online interactions.</li> <li>20:03 Welcoming new team member creates strong connection.</li> <li>24:08 Mixed feelings about switching to Discord from Facebook.</li> <li>31:46 Reaching new people digitally, time for change.</li> <li>32:51 Paused streaming to find Luke 647 in Bible.</li> <li>38:36 Requesting login. Digging unsuccessful. Found imposter on TikTok.</li> <li>48:05 Struggling with health, fatigue, and uncertainty about diagnosis.</li> <li>54:29 Expressing gratitude and excitement for future prospects.</li> <li>01:00:01 Contemplating symbolism, purpose, and the team&#39;s direction.</li> </ul> <p>Host: Jeff Reed <br>Founder, The Church Digital</p>

<p>Navigating Digital Multiplication and Fostering Global Church Leadership</p> <p>The Church Digital Podcast is brought to you by Riverside. Check out how Riverside can help your church&#39;s content-creation process - <a href="https://riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_1&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=tcd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HTTP://THECHURCH.DIGITAL/RIVERSIDE</a></p> <p>### Rethinking Ministry in the Digital Age</p> <p>Jeff Reed invites us to deeply reflect on the transformation of church dynamics in the digital context. He shares his experiences and the economic challenges he faced managing a Christian store, emphasizing how those situations served as a catalyst for his digital ministry journey. Jeff advocates for a paradigm shift in how we perceive and operate church functions online, closely aligning with the fundamental Biblical principles and embracing the distinctive opportunities provided by the digital world.</p> <p>### The Essence of Multiplication</p> <p>The episode delves into the vital role of multiplication in church growth. Jeff passionately argues for the significance of mentoring and empowering the upcoming generation of church leaders. His dedication is rooted in the philosophy that true growth comes from nurturing selfless, God-centered leadership rather than pursuing personal or organizational gain.</p> <p>### Deepening Digital Discipleship and Community</p> <p>Jeff emphasizes that the digital sphere is not merely a platform for sermon distribution, but a fertile ground for cultivating genuine community and engaging in meaningful discipleship. He references &#39;The Other Half of Church&#39; to corroborate the science-backed notion that the strength of discipleship is exponentially magnified within communal bonds, even when facilitated online.</p> <p>### Vision for the Metaverse’s Role in Church Planting</p> <p>Looking forward, Jeff touches on the burgeoning potential of the metaverse in revolutionizing church planting strategies. He envisions a future where the digital landscape hosts a plethora of small, relational churches that prioritize discipleship and are designed to proliferate and make a global impact.</p> <p>### Conclusion: A Clarion Call for a Paradigm Shift</p> <p>In conclusion, Jeff calls for church leaders and digital missionaries to embrace the inherent complexities of church expansion in digital spaces. He urges a collective mindset shift from building monolithic entities towards fostering a network of smaller, interconnected churches. This approach champions relationships and discipleship at its core, inviting an iterative process of ongoing community building and leadership development that transcends traditional boundaries and paves the way for substantial kingdom work in the digital age.</p> <p><br></p> <p>TIMELINE</p> <ul> <li>00:00 Jeff talks to church digital family weekly.</li> <li>08:21 Horror story of Easter work leads change.</li> <li>14:08 Ybor City &amp; Whitebeard&#39;s Unconventional Ministry.</li> <li>19:54 Join our community at http://discord.thechurch.digital</li> <li>24:55 Fashion company redefines marketing for Gen Z.</li> <li>27:06 Early church dispersed, spreading ideas, digital space.</li> <li>34:28 Seeking next generation leaders for church digital.</li> <li>38:11 Mark prioritizes Nerd Culture Ministry over personal gain.</li> <li>47:00 Lost money in business, but led to 100 conversions.</li> <li>50:27 Supporting grief through community and faith resources.</li> <li>57:31 Reaching people in South Africa requires local understanding.</li> <li>01:05:40 Upcoming podcast plans, lots of exciting content.</li> </ul> <p>Host: Jeff Reed <br>Founder, The Church Digital</p> <p>QUESTIONS/RESOURCES</p> <p>1. How does Jeff Reed’s philosophy on The Church Digital align with traditional views on church growth, and where does it diverge?</p> <p>2. What unique challenges did Jeff face when integrating physical evangelism efforts at the c28 store with his digital ministry ambitions?</p> <p>4. Considering Jeff&#39;s 106-hour Easter 2011 horror story, how can church leaders ensure that their passion for ministry does not lead to burnout?</p> <p>5. Jeff speaks about the importance of being less so God can become more, as per John 3:30. How can church leaders practice this selflessness in the context of growing digital congregations?</p>

<p>Connecting Faith and Technology: The Kingstide Journey and Its Digital Aspirations</p> <p> THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY RIVERSIDE. CHECK OUT HOW RIVERSIDE CAN HELP YOUR CHURCH&#39;S CONTENT-CREATION PROCESS - http://thechurch.digital/riverside</p> <p> Embracing Community in the Digital Era With our generation steeping further into the digital realm, Kingstide has pioneered an ingenious approach to fostering Christian community online. Their mission, which resounded throughout the latest episode of the podcast TCD, is as audacious as it is praiseworthy: to weave a network of believers online, and gradually guide them towards local churches, nourishing a robust digital and physical bond within the community. Kingstide&#39;s Innovative Asynchronous Community By leveraging platforms like Discord, Kingstide has curated an asynchronous community, enabling them to tailor experiences to various demographic needs. From introduction channels and gaming discussions to Bible talk and daily verses, the community embodies a spectrum of interactions that resonate with their audience&#39;s diversity. The transition to a dedicated mobile app seeks to enhance this experience, with groups, events, topics, podcasts, and nuanced account settings at the user&#39;s fingertips. Volunteer Vigor and Global Impact The operation, fueled by 90 volunteers managing a 9,000-strong fellowship, aims to scale by maintaining a ratio of 10 volunteers per 1,000 participants. This structure is instrumental in nurturing the community and maintaining an impactful presence both inside and beyond the United States, reaching individuals who lack the privilege of a nearby physical church. In Conclusion As TCD&#39;s latest episode drew to a close, the themes discussed painted an inspiring picture—of a community unbound by geography, united in faith, leveraging the digital landscape to forge a legacy of connection and discipleship. Kingstide stands as a sterling example of how the confluence of technology and determination can revolutionize the way we perceive and practice community and evangelism in an increasingly digital world. TIMECODE 00:00 Excited about tech discoveries, upcoming online events 04:20 Gabe DeWalt leads church digital community 07:10 Gabe&#39;s transition from Seacost to digital church. 13:47 Growing discord server, leveraging influencers for success. 18:49 Exploring async usage for church community growth. 25:25 Established legal foundation, self-reliance, created on Discord. 29:45 Planned funnel structure: influencers, podcast hosts, Jesus City. 30:41 &quot;Jesus City campaign targets unreached people in Charleston.&quot; 35:15 Growing steadily, reaching community through podcast, prayer. 41:57 Active involvement in community, prevent complete automation. 45:06 &quot;Discord connects ministry leaders to volunteer opportunities.&quot; 49:58 Discord server reaches people for Christ online. 56:52 Christian influencers on social media are thriving. ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed Founder, The Church Digital Guest: Gabe DeWalk Kingstide Church, Seacoast Church QUESTIONS &amp; RESOURCES Info on Kingstide Discord &amp; Mobile App - https://kingstide.org How does Kingstide manage to maintain a strong sense of Christian community in an online setting, and how does it compare with traditional church communities? In what ways has Kingstide tailored its Discord server to cater to the various demographic needs within the Christian community, and what lessons have been learned from this approach? What strategies does Kingstide employ to reach and disciple individuals who may be disconnected from traditional church settings? In light of the global reach of Kingstide, with 50% of its users being outside the United States, how does the platform accommodate the cultural and regional diversity of its members? As Kingstide looks towards the future, what scalability plans are in place to manage community growth, and how does it intend to evolve its technological infrastructure to match its expanding user base?</p>

<p>Exploring Tradition and Innovation in Church Movements: TCD&#39;s Vision of Digital DiscipleshipThe Church Digital </p> <p>Podcast is brought to you by Riverside. Check out how Riverside can help your church&#39;s content-creation process - <a href="https://riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_1&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=tcd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HTTP://THECHURCH.DIGITAL/RIVERSIDE</a></p> <p>Digital Innovation: Reshaping Church Movements</p> <p>Jeff Reed&#39;s recent commentary on the evolving face of church movements underscores the delicate balance between traditional church values and the cutting-edge approaches needed in today&#39;s digital era. As Jeff eloquently puts it, the early churches found strength and momentum not in physical buildings, but in the power of being sent out like seeds—spreading their message far and wide.</p> <p>Jeff urges us to shift our success metrics from the desire for legacy to the impactful work of disciple multiplication. Taking a cue from historical figures like William Carey, he emphasizes the potency of small, invested groups in generating significant religious reformation without reliance on established institutions or substantial funding.</p> <p>By embracing the pioneering spirit, digital church movements can thrive amidst the shifting landscapes of hybrid faith communities.</p> <p>The podcast episode highlights the growing need to evangelize and disciple through digital means. As physical churches recognize the value of hybrid models, there remains a crucial need to bridge the gap to comprehensive digital discipleship.</p> <p>TCD&#39;s upcoming relaunch, slated for April 5, reflects an organization-wide embrace of a digital church model based on connection, community, discipleship, and multiplication. Jeff&#39;s vision for TCD involves more collaborative leadership, promising future revelations that could significantly reshape the organization&#39;s structure and strategy.</p> <p>In conclusion, TCD&#39;s take on church movements is a clarion call to both digital and physical churches to innovate, embrace digital platforms, and persist in disciple-making despite obstacles. Jeff articulates a transformative path in which the ethos of the first Jerusalem church—planting seeds for future growth rather than building static monuments—can inspire a new era of digital-enabled ministry.</p> <p>TIMECODE</p> <ul> <li>00:00 Digital acceptance in ministry has improved significantly.</li> <li>05:00 Digital discipleship controversy continues, shifting perspectives.</li> <li>07:30 Church streaming, emotional, seeking opinions, impactful digital space.</li> <li>13:47 Ignored advice, got fired, learned from it.</li> <li>18:49 Church digital connections, building relationships, social media.</li> <li>21:01 Utilize engagement to build trust and community.</li> <li>27:37 Empower the kingdom with available opportunities, movements’ impact.</li> <li>32:13 Consider impact, legacy, and mentorship in digital church.</li> <li>35:09 William Carey&#39;s controversial discipleship approach in 1750.</li> <li>37:06 William Carey revitalized evangelism by investing in 20 men.</li> <li>41:49 Encourage pressing on, reach people digitally.</li> <li>44:42 Church digital relaunches, leads to organizational shifts.</li> </ul> <p>ON THE SHOW</p> <p>Host: Jeff Reed <br>Founder, The Church Digital</p> <p><br></p> <ul> <li>Steve Addison&#39;s <em>Acts &amp; The Movement of God - </em><a href="https://amzn.to/3vm5lu8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://amzn.to/3vm5lu8</a></li> <li>How do the principles of the early Church of Jerusalem apply to the modern digital church movement, and how can we implement a similar mentality of discipleship and mentorship in the digital age?</li> <li>Considering the story of William Carey, how can today&#39;s church leaders engage in a disciple-making approach that prioritizes individual investment over building a traditional legacy?</li> <li>After discussing the proposed framework for digital churches (connection, community, discipleship, and multiplication), which aspect do you believe is the most challenging to implement in a digital context, and why?</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Jeff Reed&#39;s meeting with Steve Addison highlighted insights into historical church movements. How do these movements inform the strategies and approaches of the modern church, particularly in the digital realm?</li> </ul>

<p>Dive into Unfiltered Chats on Disappointment, Integrity, and Keeping It Real in a Hyper-connected World</p> <p>The Church Digital Podcast is brought to you by Riverside. Check out how Riverside can help your church&#39;s content-creation process - <a href="http://thechurch.digital/riverside" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">http://thechurch.digital/riverside</a></p> <p>Dealing with the &#39;Not Yet&#39; Moments</p> <p>Jeff Reed kicks things off by getting real about those moments when life doesn&#39;t play by the script - yeah, we&#39;re talking dashed hopes and divine delays. Jon Pyle jumps in, dropping some wisdom about how our journey can get messy when things don&#39;t happen on our timeline, kind of like how ancient dude David felt waiting to be king and all.</p> <p>With our lives splashed across Instagram and TikTok, Jon&#39;s keeping it 100 about how easy it is to slip into a fake-it-till-you-make-it mode. They chew over how the urge to look perfect online can mess with your head and heart. It&#39;s a no-holds-barred talk on the danger of losing yourself in the quest for likes and retweets.</p> <p>Ever wondered if the digital church vibe could get super specific, like talking to just one part of the huge global crowd? That&#39;s what&#39;s up when Jeff shouts out Jon&#39;s convo with Kyle Berkholder. They hash out how digital can hit the spot with peeps in specific situations, even though it&#39;s kinda tough to zero in when you&#39;re casting a wide net every Sunday.</p> <p>Winding down, Jeff shares his health journey, but it&#39;s not all heavy - Jon cracks us up pretending to be a Russian spambot. It&#39;s a classic TCD finish, where real talk meets real laughs, and just like that, you&#39;re reminded why these two have one of the coolest digital bromances around.</p> <ul> <li>00:00 Introduction</li> <li>05:44 Exploring fear and improving performance in life.</li> <li>10:32 Discussing soul care and integrating it digitally.</li> <li>20:42 Pastoral care involves helping people in pain.</li> <li>25:45 Struggling with faith amid disappointment and pain.</li> <li>30:03 Struggle with dependency and patience in faith.</li> <li>35:44 Comparing success and temptation to hide.</li> <li>44:54 Agree on need for qualitative digital connections.</li> <li>49:39 Jeff goes deep with Jon.</li> <li>56:35 Themes of mental health, generational talk highlighted.</li> <li>58:59 Realizing God&#39;s bigger plans amid disappointment.</li> </ul> <p>Host: Jeff Reed <br>Founder, The Church Digital <br>Guest: Jon Pyle<br>Rumored Russian Spambot</p> <ul> <li>Jeff Reed speaks about the challenges of physical limitations and patience. Can you share a time when you similarly had to adjust your expectations and find reliance on divine timing?<br></li> <li>Jon Pyle speaks to the value of the &quot;messy, painful middle&quot; of our life experiences. How do you navigate this phase, and what theological perspectives help you endure it?<br></li> <li>In what ways can digital platforms impact our ability to live authentically, and how might we guard against presenting a false image of ourselves online?<br></li> <li>Drawing from Jon Pyle’s remarks on church leaders&#39; moral failings, what can everyday believers do to maintain their integrity in both digital and non-digital spheres?<br></li> <li>Jeff and Jon discuss the difficulty of creating a generational digital church. How do you think different generations can effectively connect within digital church communities?<br></li> <li>Considering the conversation about soul care and mental health, how can we as individuals prioritize both in our lives, particularly in the fast-paced digital age?<br></li> <li>Jon Pyle likens pastoral care to being a battlefield medic. How do you see the role of pastors evolving to meet the needs of congregants&#39; mental health and soul care?<br></li> <li>Share a personal experience where technology played a key role in creating a connection or a deeper relationship. What made it meaningful?<br></li> <li>Reflecting on Jon Pyle’s insights regarding doing what God called us to do, how do you deal with the timing of your life goals and divine calling? </li> </ul>

<p>In this conversation, Jeff Reed and Quintin McGrath discuss the ethical implications of OpenAI&#39;s Sora, a text-to-video technology. They explore the capabilities of Sora and its potential for creative expression. However, they also delve into the negative aspects, such as the potential for bias and the creation of deep fakes. They emphasize the importance of setting ethical boundaries and being transparent about intentions. The conversation raises concerns about trust in organizations that draw the lines and the need for permissions to prevent personal violations. The conversation explores the embedding of AI in video, ethical considerations in AI-generated education, using AI with critical thinking, practical applications of Sora in the church, other aspects of AI to consider, and driving AI towards positive outcomes. Takeaways</p> <ul> <li>Sora, OpenAI&#39;s text-to-video technology, has the potential for creative expression and problem-solving.</li> <li>Ethical concerns arise with Sora, including the potential for bias, creating deep fakes, and manipulating visual images to influence people.</li> <li>Setting ethical boundaries and being transparent about intentions when using Sora or similar technologies is important.</li> <li>Trust in organizations that draw the lines and the need for permissions to prevent personal violations are crucial considerations. AI can be embedded in video to provide additional information and metadata.</li> <li>Using AI with critical thinking can help validate and test the information generated.</li> <li>Practical applications of Sora in the church include creating a peaceful environment and enriching biblical stories.</li> <li>Other aspects of AI to consider include digital twinning, adaptive AI, and AI embedded in various environments.</li> </ul> <p>Timecode</p> <ul> <li>00:00 AI integrated Riverside platform revolutionizes podcasting.</li> <li>05:03 Focused on AI, ethics, risk management, mentoring.</li> <li>08:52 High quality AI-generated videos with no sounds.</li> <li>13:39 Creating favorable environment for understanding real-world interaction.</li> <li>16:00 Worries about bias, deep fakes, reality perception.</li> <li>19:16 Ethical framework for AI and personal boundaries.</li> <li>21:41 Careful scrutiny of beauty and gospel&#39;s role.</li> <li>25:30 Large language models can be intentionally manipulated.</li> <li>30:32 Transparency and acceptance of AI in technology.</li> <li>32:15 Content creator discusses use of AI in work.</li> <li>35:33 Using AI to facilitate critical, conversational interactions.</li> <li>41:11 Caution in AI use and potential misuse.</li> <li>45:26 Creating beautiful, peaceful, and accepting environment for God.</li> <li>47:16 Understanding and enriching the context of Biblical stories.</li> <li>52:19 Generative AI&#39;s potential expands with more data.</li> <li>54:22 AI learns to make coffee without step-by-step training.</li> <li>58:19 Focus on ethics, drive towards positive change.</li> </ul> <p>ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed Founder, The Church Digital Guest: Quintin McGrath AI Ethics Expert QUESTIONS &amp; RESOURCES</p> <ul> <li>OpenAI, Sora&#39;s Website - https://openai.com/sora</li> <li>What measures can be put in place to fact-check and validate AI-generated content, particularly in educational settings?</li> <li>How can the use of AI align with religious values and the ethical principles taught by the church?</li> <li>How can church leaders prepare for the ethical dilemmas that come with the rapid expansion and capabilities of AI, like digital twinning and adaptive learning models?</li> <li>Considering the ethical concerns, what guidelines should organizations like OpenAI and Google establish to govern the ethical use of AI?</li> <li>What role does personal responsibility play in using AI technology, and how can individuals ensure they are using it ethically?</li> <li>How should society approach the trust and verification of AI-generated content, and what role do transparency and control play in this process?</li> <li>How can content creators and the general public distinguish between authentic and AI-generated content, and why is this distinction important for trust and ethics in the digital age?</li> </ul>

<p>Digital Frontiers - A Conversation with Simon Diercks on German Digital Church Planting</p> <p> THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY RIVERSIDE. CHECK OUT HOW RIVERSIDE CAN HELP YOUR CHURCH&#39;S CONTENT-CREATION PROCESS - http://thechurch.digital/riverside The Path of Digital Discipleship In the latest episode of The Church Digital (TCD) podcast, host Jeff Reed delves into the burgeoning world of digital church planting in Germany with his guest, Simon Diercks. Diercks, a pastor, programmer, and avid ultra-hiker, brings a unique perspective on spreading God&#39;s kingdom through the digital landscape. Digital Church Planting in Germany Simon Diercks offers insights into the establishment of digital church networks in Germany, acknowledging the support of Jeff and the Church Digital podcast in this pioneering endeavor. The Hesitation and Hope for Digital Ecclesiology The episode explores the dynamics of digital church and the varying degrees of hesitance among different denominations to embrace digital forms of church and discipleship. Jeff and Simon underscore the untapped potential in digital and virtual spaces for church engagement. Beta Church - A New Model for Community Beta Church,&#39; a digital church plant, emerges as a focal point designed to create a sense of community for those seeking Christian fellowship, including digital nomads and those disenchanted with traditional church models. The Future of Faith in a Digital World Simon illustrates the changing landscape of faith in Germany, with traditional church membership declining and the rise of non-Christian affiliations. He speaks of rediscovering and communicating Christianity in the country, learning from one another, and collaborating in kingdom-minded endeavors. Lessons for Global Digital Missions As TCD explores the intersection of technology and spirituality, Simon Diercks&#39;s experience in Germany offers valuable lessons for others considering digital church planting. His work demonstrates the potential for churches to extend their reach well beyond their physical capacity by embracing digital opportunities and cultivating innovative approaches to ministry in the 21st century. Timecode 00:00 Introduction 05:31 Exciting digital church movement expanding internationally. 13:03 Digital church plants emerging in Germany, AI impacting evangelization. 15:34 Western Europe post Christianity, new ways for church. 18:38 Charismatic pentecostal movements and digital church. 24:59 Digital church faces challenges but is innovative. 29:49 Digital church offers continuity for migrating members. 33:48 Person deconstructs faith, finds connection in church. 39:11 Digital church can connect through analog points. 44:55 Meeting people online feels like real church. 48:06 Silently recruiting people for digital church launch. 49:42 Digital church connects, encourages, and facilitates learning. 53:11 Focus on reaching new audiences globally through podcasts. 56:44 Church in 24 embracing digital and virtual </p> <p>ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed Founder, The Church Digital Guest: Simon Diercks Pastor, Beta Church QUESTIONS &amp; RESOURCES In what ways has Simon&#39;s tech background shaped his methods and outlook on digital evangelism? What challenges does digital church planting face in Germany, and what solutions are being proposed by thinkers like Simon Diercks? How can artificial intelligence play a role in evangelization strategies, according to Simon&#39;s vision? Why might some denominations be hesitant to adopt digital church models, and what can be done to address their concerns? Can you explain the &quot;Beta church&quot; model and its approach to connecting disparate believers in digital spaces? How are digital platforms managing sacraments such as baptism and communion, and what are the theological implications? How does the sense of community in digital churches compare to that in traditional churches, based on Jeff Reed&#39;s experiences?</p>

<p>The Surging Intersection of Tech and Church: A Journey into Hybrid Worship and AI Ethics THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY RIVERSIDE. CHECK OUT HOW RIVERSIDE CAN HELP YOUR CHURCH&#39;S CONTENT-CREATION PROCESS - http://thechurch.digital/riverside Download Pushpay&#39;s State of the Church Tech Report - https://hub.pushpay.com/state-of-church-technology/ As the world embraces a more digitalized ethos, the church is no exception. In The Church Digital (TCD) Podcast, host Jeff Reed and guest Aaron Senneff discussed the undulating relationship between technology and faith-based organizations. Tech Integration in Modern Worship The conversation kicked off with a nod towards the increasingly pivotal role of technology in outreach and ministry. The integrating AI into church fabric isn&#39;t just about trendiness but about enhancing ministerial outreach, as Senneff noted. Ethical AI and the Role of Constraints Ethical concerns surfaced as Reed and Senneff navigated the complexities of AI—especially its potential to erode copyright integrity and compromise data accuracy. Senneff highlighted the significance of training AI with clear constraints and vigilance, indicative of personal and organizational responsibility in innovating ethically. Immersive Experiences and the Metaverse The future is immersive, as Senneff illustrated, with spatial computing leaping ahead. While the metaverse offers friction-laden experiences today, its potential to weave seamless digital-religious communities is immense.</p> <p> Decoding the State of the Church Tech Report Impressively, Pushpay’s State of the Church Tech Report served as a data beacon, outlining the technological adoption in thousands of churches. Key findings indicated a steadfast move towards hybrid worship models, a shift unlikely to revert. Senneff pointed out the survey&#39;s reflection of anxiety amidst church staff when contemplating tech ventures; yet, there&#39;s a daring will to experiment. Timecode 00:00 Introduction 04:04 Annual survey helps Pushpay respond to churches. 10:03 Survey covered various church types across US. 19:09 Organic channels in Slack reflect common interests. 24:30 AI disrupted content creation, impacting human roles. 30:03 Building AI with clear data boundaries is essential. 33:13 Metaverse talked about, Apple&#39;s immersive gaming experience. 37:56 Church staff and volunteers feel uncertain and anxious. 40:49 Churches learn from technology choices through network. 44:07 Navigating business challenges, allocating capital strategically. Resi praised. 47:31 Churches benefit from CHMS for finances. 51:48 Epidemic of loneliness despite digital connectivity concerns. 52:46 Surgeon general warns of digital loneliness epidemic. 56:29 Digital integration crucial for ministry&#39;s future scalability. ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed Founder, The Church Digital Guest: Aaron Senneff Chief Technical Officer, Pushpay QUESTIONS &amp; RESOURCES Download Pushpay&#39;s State of the Church Tech Report - https://hub.pushpay.com/state-of-church-technology/ Resi - http://resi.io Lux Digital Church on Discord - http://discord.gg/luxdigitalchurch Surgeon General&#39;s 2023 Report on the Epidemic of Lonliness - https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf Considering the rise of immersive experiences, how might congregations navigate the line between creating engaging worship services in the metaverse and ensuring they maintain a sense of community and connection amongst attendees? Aaron Senneff mentions that 91% of churches are considering a hybrid future. How can churches prepare their congregations for this shift, and what could be some potential downsides to this kind of model? Reflecting on the surgeon general&#39;s report on loneliness discussed in the episode, how can churches leverage digital community tools to combat loneliness while fostering meaningful connections and discipleship?</p>

<p>The Future of Tech and Church: Augmented Dreams and Community Realities THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY RIVERSIDE. CHECK OUT HOW RIVERSIDE CAN HELP YOUR CHURCH&#39;S CONTENT-CREATION PROCESS - http://thechurch.digital/riverside Understanding Apple&#39;s Vision Pro Impact The recent episode of the Church Digital Podcast (TCD) dove into a technology that could revolutionize not just everyday life but also the workings of the church. Host Jeff Reed and operations director Andy Mage engaged in a lively conversation about the newly released Apple Vision Pro. Priced at $3,500, the device showcases advances in augmented and virtual reality, potentially shaping our workspaces, communities, and how we experience the church digitally. When Augmented Meets Reality The episode was both a technophile&#39;s delight and a deep dive into the implications of AR in our society. As the discussion unfolded, the two outlined the pros and cons of integrating such advanced technology into our daily routines. The potential distractions and the possible hazard of users becoming too engrossed in their augmented universes were weighed against the device&#39;s seamless and immersive experience. A Church Digital in Augmented Reality The Apple Vision Pro, running on Vision OS, has evidently piqued Jeff&#39;s interest, especially considering the long-term impact AR might have over VR. The podcast explored the cultural shift that this technology might beckon, particularly for the church, considering how such devices might alter attendance and engagement during online services. A New Stage for Faith and Community Building Andy emphasized the need to use technological tools judiciously within the church setting, balancing the allure of tech with the focus required to understand God&#39;s word. Jeff shared insights into a future where AR might help bridge distances, enabling a level of closeness and shared experience unheard of before. The Takeaway Overall, the conversation was an intricate blend of marveling at technological advancements and cautiously assessing their implications for community and spirituality. The episode ended with nods to the importance of adopting new tools for church benefit, signaling a convergence of faith and innovation poised to redefine ecclesiastical spaces in the digital age. Timecode 00:00 Introduction 07:56 High-priced new device prompts curiosity and anticipation. 09:45 Steve Jobs emphasized beauty inside and out. 15:43 Eye scanning for Face ID, hand control. 17:05 Immersive productivity experience with powerful virtual screen. 19:29 Virtual desktop with MetaQuest 2 experience. 24:26 Outside Mac pass through, biggest selling feature. 27:52 TV obsolete, at a price 35:25 Apple expanding SDKs, virtual office revolution opportunities. 36:45 2022 meta focused on corporate use. 40:28 Augmented reality&#39;s potential surpasses that of virtual. 43:37 Tech limitations, distracted God-like behavior, legal consequences. 48:21 Phone sharing trend leads to synchronized movie viewing. 52:15 Disney&#39;s booming quarter, rumors of buyout. 54:38 Tim Schaefer owns Epic with Tencent&#39;s involvement. 56:32 Epic plans to release its own VR headset. ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed Founder, The Church Digital Guest: Andy Mage Operations Director, The Church Digital QUESTIONS &amp; RESOURCES How do you see augmented reality (AR) shaping the future of church and faith-based communities, particularly in relation to Jeff Reed&#39;s belief that it will have a more significant impact than virtual reality (VR)? In what ways could Apple&#39;s augmented reality technology potentially enhance or detract from genuine relationship building within the church, considering the pastor&#39;s concerns about VR&#39;s limitations? In what unique ways could churches and other faith-based organizations leverage Apple&#39;s AR/VR tech, despite the perceived lack of community-focused features? Are there opportunities for third-party development to fill these gaps?</p>

<p>In an ever-evolving church landscape, it’s crucial to understand who we are communicating with. Barbara Carneiro, CEO of Word Revolution, articulates the importance of specificity in content curation. Catering to different generations isn&#39;t just wise; it&#39;s essential. She eloquently breaks down generational categories into four Cs: contributors (boomers), consumers (Gen Xers), collaborators (millennials), and curators (Gen Zs). These categories reflect distinct worldviews shaped by diverse upbringings. Grasping these nuances can transform the way your church reaches out to each group. The Transformative Power of Simplification Jeff Reed, host of TCD, together with Carneiro, advocates for targeted communication over broad attempts. This strategic approach echoes through their conversation, highlighting the need for churches to harness the power of simplification. By narrowing down focus and understanding key human desires—whether it&#39;s hope, belonging, or truth—churches can craft curated paths of communication that resonate more profoundly with their intended audiences. Trust, Technology, and Curation Carneiro&#39;s perspective on technology and trust is enlightening. She emphasizes how today’s listeners seek curators to help filter the overwhelming tide of information. Her comments on short videos as the primary communication channel for Gen Z also reflect a deep understanding of current trends. For churches, this means being intentional about the platforms and messages they use to connect with different generations. Conclusion: The Path to Effective Church Communication Carefully targeting your audience with generational understanding and simplification can revolutionize your church&#39;s outreach. Let TCD be the guidepost on this journey through the digital mission field, helping your church navigate the complexities of audience-specific messaging. Timecode 00:00 Introduction of The Church Digital Podcast, Brought to you by Riverside 03:28 Barbara and Jeff discuss generational communication strategies. 08:37 Barbara revolutionized The Church Digital with a new logo. 12:27 Passionate curiosity drives understanding in generational communication. 14:50 Generational perceptions influence engagement and worth. 18:53 Simplify life, communicate effectively with different generations. 21:46 Specific impact matters more than abstract concepts. 29:07 Empower others, value in ministry, beautiful curation. 29:57 Moving from information to engagement to trust. 33:45 Podcast excited about personalization and communication trends. 39:29 Prioritize people over channels for effective communication. 41:49 Efficiently utilize resources to invite engagement. 46:08 Identifying key human desires and church archetypes. 49:54 Targeted audience demographics and communication challenges. 52:04 Be clear, focus, and align with others. 55:53 Life.Church checks for Pei Wei for church locations. 58:06 2024 curation, simplification, and hope for improvement. ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed Founder, The Church Digital Guest: Barbara Carneiro CEO, Word Revolution QUESTIONS &amp; RESOURCES How can churches effectively tailor their communication strategies to address the unique needs and preferences of different generational groups such as boomers, Gen Xers, millennials, and Gen Zs? What are the challenges and benefits associated with transitioning from broad church communication strategies to more targeted, niche approaches? How has the shift from the information age to the engagement and curation ages impacted the way churches should approach digital communication and content creation? What steps can churches take to build trust within their digital outreach initiatives, ensuring that the content is both curated and impactful for their target audience? How can a church identify the key human desires—like hope, belonging, or truth—that it aims to fulfill, and how should this understanding shape its communication and curation path?</p>

<p>In digital spaces where the need is significant, the theological and pastoral landscapes of churches are expanding beyond the physical realm. EP280 of the TCD podcast, hosted by Jeff Reed, features a conversation that weaves together crisis, trauma, and digital ministry, presenting an intersection often underserved in theological discussions. **Recognizing Trauma in Digital Ministry** Trauma comes in many forms, and it&#39;s no stranger to the digital realm. Megan Carter and Stacy Knapp stress the importance of understanding trauma&#39;s manifestation through behavior changes, communication patterns, and emotional flatness, among other signs. **The Heart of Empathy** Empathy and humble listening are paramount. It&#39;s vital that ministers resist the inclination to be &#39;fixers&#39; or to downplay experiences. Instead, they should seek to understand the person&#39;s story and provide a connection to the appropriate care. **Protecting Pastors and Volunteers** The podcast doesn&#39;t shy away from the burnout ministers face. Megan Carter introduces the concept of &#39;compassion fatigue,&#39; highlighting the need for self-care strategies that go beyond clichés. Self-care isn&#39;t a solo endeavor—Megan and Stacy advocate for creating support networks that offer reciprocal understanding and aid. **Training and Awareness** There is a continuous call for training and resources, crafting a trauma-informed congregation, and a leadership that can navigate the digital waters with a shepherd&#39;s care. Equipping volunteers with the right tools and awareness not only strengthens the church&#39;s support structure but also enriches the spiritual health of the community. **Digital Ministry: A Space of Hope** Echoing throughout the conversation is the role of digital ministry as a sanctum for those who might struggle with conventional church settings. Advocating for digital spaces to be just as robust in relational and emotional support as physical congregations, the guests touch on the power of technology to bridge gaps and provide solace. Ministry in the digital age isn&#39;t exempt from the trials of human experience. Instead, it gifts an opportunity to extend empathy across pixels and bytes—a mission both restorative and reflective of Christ&#39;s love. Timecode 00:00 Introduction 07:48 Mental health&#39;s role in digital ministry. 10:30 Trauma is individual perception of emotional discomfort. 22:38 Digital ministry allows for better mental health. 27:55 Teaching trauma-informed care: focus on empathy and perspective. 32:35 Mental health coaches need self-awareness and boundaries. 41:09 Training is crucial for trauma-informed care. 44:02 Ignoring feelings in pursuit of spiritual growth. 46:56 Avoid burnout by prioritizing self-care. 54:38 Encouraging greater accessibility and care for trauma. 57:06 Always be a learner. ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed Founder, The Church Digital Guest: Megan Carter Next Steps Pastor, First Capital Christian/Church Anywhere Guest: Stacy Knapp Chaplain, Digital Crisis Coach QUESTIONS &amp; RESOURCES * KLOVE Crisis Response Care: https://www.crisisresponse.org/ * American Association of Christian Counselors - https://aacc.net/ * AACC&#39;s Light University - https://www.lightuniversity.com/ * How can digital ministers and volunteers be trained to recognize the signs of trauma and crisis in individuals they interact with online? * How can church leaders protect themselves from vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue while continually providing support to others? * Can you discuss the distinction between self-care and soul care, and why is it important for individuals in caregiving ministries to understand these concepts? * How can digital ministers create a sense of presence and personal connection to their community members in a medium where physical cues are absent? * What role does building a support network play in sustaining the mental health of those involved in digital ministry, and what steps can be taken to establish such a network?</p>

<p>Leveraging Live Chat for Enhanced Church Connection Creating Community Through Digital Ministry The recent episode of TCD podcast EPA 279 featured Evan Connelly from Lighthouse Church, who shared insights into utilizing live chat as a tool to foster community within the church. The use of Intercom.com, a platform typically used for customer service, has been repurposed by Lighthouse Church to create personal connections between pastors and the congregation, both online and in-person. Digital Tools in Post-COVID Era Host Jeff Reed and Evan Connelly delved into the challenge of some churches devaluing digital tools post-COVID. However, their conversation highlighted the success of live chat, showcasing the church&#39;s services beyond expectation, building a sense of belonging for onsite and online attendees alike. Buy-In from Diverse Ministries The commitment to fast response times and substantial engagement was central to the discussion. Lighthouse Church has managed to get a variety of staff, including pastors, elders, and directors, bought into the idea of live chat. They achieved this through regular team meetings, recognizing and rewarding good performance, and fostering collaborative environments. Expanding the Scope Lighthouse Church&#39;s chat, developed during COVID, demonstrates an understanding of digital space as an opportunity for accessibility and support. By integrating platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google Business, the church has created a unified communication hub that allows swift responses and personalized connections. Conclusion The conversation at TCD podcast shed light on the value of incorporating live chat into church ministries. It suggests a progressive trend where churches can develop deeper connections with their community, resonating with the needs of a modern congregation. Timecode 00:00 Introduction 09:05 Teasing next chat, a chance encounter discussing church project. 11:15 Accessible personal support for church members expanded. 16:48 Offering support, prayer, and guidance in chats. 25:24 Encourage small group involvement and offer counseling. 31:44 Integrating various platforms for streamlined communication. 33:26 Priority on accessibility across different platforms emphasized. 39:08 Skills in prayer, technology, and response are important. 42:23 Impressed with getting team buy-in. 45:56 Strengthening response time, integration, and promotion efforts. 48:07 Passionate about discussing church leadership; open communication. ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed Founder, The Church Digital Guest: Evan Connelly Online Campus Director, Lighthouse Church QUESTIONS &amp; RESOURCES Intercom - http://intercom.com Evan Connelly previously on The Church Digital Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&amp;v=X0VmQC43k8g Churchome&#39;s Jonathan Song talking Pastor Chat on The Church Digital Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJV0gCpEBPs Churchome&#39;s Pastor Chat - https://www.churchome.org/pastor-chat Evan&#39;s Presentation for Church IT Network - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OiAVac0eaWx9L671nGTO62DPcPiqHvMjlMGKT4MGGM0/edit?usp=sharing How does the platform intercom.com specifically enhance community engagement and create a sense of buy-in for different ministries and teams? In what ways has Lighthouse Church adapted their use of digital tools post-Covid to continue providing value to both onsite and online attendees? Discuss the balance between leveraging staff and pastors versus volunteers in a digital ministry like the one at Lighthouse Church. What are the advantages and challenges of each approach? Evan Connelly mentioned the response to individuals expressing thoughts of self-harm. How does an online ministry prepare and equip its team to handle such delicate conversations? What role do immediate response times play in creating a sense of availability and connection in an online church environment? Why is aiming for a two-minute response time critical for Lighthouse Church?</p>

<p>Exploring the Next Frontier: AI&#39;s Role in Church and Society Next up on The Church Digital Podcast, we&#39;re bringing Kenny Jahng, AI Next director at Exponential Next. The latest episode, hosted by Jeff Reed, delved into the fascinating yet complex domain of artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for the church. AGI: A Reality, Not a Hypothesis Jahng points out that AGI isn&#39;t a distant fantasy but a current reality, with AI deciphering thoughts through MRI scans or manipulating Wi-Fi signals for surveillance. These examples underline the urgency for ethical discussions within the church as this technology could interpret human thoughts, bringing forth potential misuse. AI&#39;s Impact on Church Leadership and Pastoral Care Jahng and Reed tackle how AI can revolutionize church leadership and pastoral care. From crafting sermons that resonate deeply with congregations to enhancing personal connectivity, AI&#39;s role is likened to a seminary intern—beneficial as an assistant but necessitating faithful human oversight. Their conversation reveals a crucial need for balance: utilizing AI to augment human capabilities without straying from the core of spirituality and community. The Digital Church: A Space for Worship and Discipleship TCD emphasizes that embracing digital spaces and AI tools does not replace the traditional church but extends its reach. The podcast itself prompts essential inquiries about making disciples in a digitally-driven world. Conclusion: Reshaping Our Future Responsibly The church&#39;s response must be measured and deliberate as AI continues to reshape our perception of creativity and life. It is paramount that this technological evolution does not occur in isolation but involves broad community dialogue led by spiritual and moral guidance. While the prospect of AGI looms large and the transformative potential of AI is undeniable, the church&#39;s challenge remains to engage thoughtfully with these tools, ensuring they complement—rather than overshadow—our sacred spaces and human interactions. Timecode 00:00 Jeff&#39;s Intro and Robot Overlords. 10:09 Irony of &quot;AI will take mundane jobs, sparking Renaissance.&quot; 18:01 AI should enhance, not replace human experiences. 23:54 Debating divinity and responsible use of technology. 29:38 Utilize AI for scripture interpretation and adaptation. 34:46 Can AI write better sermons than humans? 43:07 Practicing conversation scenarios fosters effective communication. 48:21 Pros: the democratization of education. Cons: ethics, safety, unpredictability 56:40 Urgency in awareness, hope and faith. ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed Founder, The Church Digital Guest: Kenny Jahng Founder, AI For Church Leaders QUESTIONS &amp; RESOURCES Church Tech Today - http://churchtechtoday.com AI for Church Leaders - http://aiforchurchleaders.com How can artificial general intelligence (AGI) be ethically integrated into the church to benefit congregations without compromising human elements of worship and community? How can AI potentially transform pastoral care, and what safeguards should be in place to ensure that such technology supports rather than replaces human pastoral relationships? Given the possibility of AI writing sermons or enhancing sermon preparation, what should be the balance between utilizing AI-generated content and the unique insights of a human pastor? Considering the humorous notion of enslavement by robot overlords, how do such exaggerated ideas reflect real concerns about AI, and how can they be addressed in a constructive manner? With AI&#39;s ability to process and learn from vast amounts of data, including religious texts and sermons, what theological implications might arise from machines interpreting and teaching religious doctrine? In what ways could the church&#39;s mission and outreach benefit from the use of AI, and how can the church ensure that the technology is used responsibly and in alignment with its core values?</p>

<p>Digital Discipleship: The Exponential Potential of Innovative Ministry In TCD&#39;s latest episode, EP277 - Dr Dan Tebo &amp; A Dissertation on Digital Church, we delve into an ocean of insights that stood out as a beacon of illumination for the modern church. Jeff Reed, the host, and Dr. Dan Tebo, the guest, engage in a profound dialogue about digital discipleship and its innate potential for transformative growth. Realizing Missed Opportunities in Disciple Making A glance back to 2008 reveals a pivotal moment where the church could have embraced disciple making over mere discipleship—a decision that could have catalyzed exponential growth. Jeff Reed reminisces this past opportunity, setting the stage for a discussion steeped in what could have been and what now can be in leveraging digital ministry. The Gratification of Intentionality in Digital Reach Dr. Tebo extends gratitude to those who have molded the contours of digital discipleship, underscoring the fruitfulness of intentional communication online. His fond acknowledgment not only praises past efforts but also lays down the aspiration for Christ-centered digital growth. Anticipating Future Dialogues and Strategic Mergers Closing the conversation was not just a ceremonial end but an anticipation of future discourses and strategic mergers, marking the juncture of Dr. Tebo&#39;s visionary move to bring DCN under the umbrella of the Church Digital—a momentous stride towards a unified digital ministry effort. The Importance of Multi-Faceted Digital Tools Dr. Tebo’s emphasis on meeting people where they are digitally speaks volumes about his approach to ministry. By favoring varied digital tools, he stands unwavering against the current of one-size-fits-all solutions and supports fluidity and vastness in reaching out through the digital realm. Dan&#39;s Journey in Academia and Law Enforcement Interlacing the discourse is Dan&#39;s remarkable narrative—a tale that traverses the spheres of academia, law enforcement, and digital ministry. His dual roles somehow merge to serve a higher calling, one that resonates throughout the conversation&#39;s turns and tides. Landing the Plane In summation, EP277 with Dr. Dan Tebo unravels the marvels of digital ministry, setting a benchmark for future endeavors in the realm of digital discipleship, and posits the transformative capabilities of the church when it dares to step into the digital world with intention and courage. ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed Founder, The Church Digital Guest: Dr Dan Tebo Pastor, Servant Warrior Church QUESTIONS &amp; RESOURCES Dr Dan Tebo&#39;s Dissertation: A Grounded Theory Study of Digital Discipleship Methods for Effectiveness in the Phygital Church - https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5001/ Dan Tebo &amp; Dr Steve Lowe on the TCD Podcast - https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-106-liberty-university-the-academia-of-online-ministry The Church Digital on YouTube - http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital  Why do you think fear, time requirements, and a lack of digital engagement skills create resistance within the physical church toward digital discipleship? What alternative metrics could be used to evaluate the effectiveness of digital discipleship that move beyond traditional analytics such as vanity metrics? How can a church transition from a traditional framework to one that is more akin to the Servant Warrior Church&#39;s model, focusing on intentional relationships and adaptability? Discuss the five main tenets of digital discipleship derived from Dan Tebo’s research. How might these tenets shape future strategies for churches looking to expand their digital ministry?</p>

<p>Embracing Digital Discipleship: The New Era of Church Digital Engagement</p> <p><br></p> <p>The New Frontier of the Digital Church:</p> <p>In an ever-evolving digital landscape, The Church Digital Podcast&#39;s latest podcast, EP276 - &quot;The New The Church Digital,&quot; featuring host Jeff Reed, has deeply explored digital discipleship&#39;s dynamics and role in modern ministry. The episode encapsulates a pivotal shift toward digital solutions for spiritual outreach, with conversations revolving around using digital spaces for evangelization, particularly in countries where physical evangelism encounters legal barriers.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Aquatic Leadership and Collaboration:</p> <p>A significant highlight of the podcast is the discussion on The Church Digital&#39;s rebranding and introducing new leadership with Bernie Mapili as CEO and Andy Mage as COO. Their focus on collaborative efforts, like the partnership with organizations such as NewThing and Gloo, points toward a broader vision of empowerment and innovation within the digital space. The episode paints a future brimming with synergistic relationships to bolster The Church Digital&#39;s presence and reach.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Creating a Movement System:</p> <p>Bernie and Jeff talk about the exciting developments at The Church Digital, including the Movement System, which is taking the popular disciple-making system into the digital realm. The Evolution of Leadership:As we witness the transformation of leadership roles within The Church Digital, the podcast provides a candid look at the personal challenges faced by Jeff Reed, which led to a redefined structure at the organization. The transition highlights the importance of resiliency, introspection, and the adaptive nature of leadership that aligns with the fast-paced changes of digital ministry.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The Power of Digital Community and Innovation:</p> <p>Tom Pounder and Andy Mage&#39;s contributions spotlight the innovative strides made within the digital ministry. Pounder&#39;s TCD Sidekick podcast addresses the critical role of online components in ministry, whereas Mage&#39;s &#39;From Text to Testimony&#39; delves into pressing concerns like mental health within the digital paradigm. Jeff Reed&#39;s recognition of these works underscores the transformative power of digital platforms in providing valuable resources for spiritual guidance and support.</p> <p> Superheroes of the Digital Space:</p> <p>In a lighter vein, the podcast participants discuss superhero tropes, drawing parallels between superhero team dynamics and the leadership group at The Church Digital. The entertaining interplay serves as a metaphor for the collective strengths and unique skills each member brings to the table, ultimately forging a powerful team focused on digital missionary work.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Closing Thoughts:</p> <p>This episode of The Church Digital Podcast crafts a narrative that not only embraces the new ventures of The Church Digital but also celebrates the individuals who drive its mission forward. As we navigate the digital age, episodes like this remind us that regardless of challenges, the church&#39;s digital engagement continues to be a beacon for those seeking spiritual connection and discipleship in the digital domain.</p> <p><br></p> <p>00:00 Church digital future, new logo and website.</p> <p>09:47 Unexpected connection leads to a deep bond.</p> <p>13:40 Church digital representation, strengthen, lift others, entrepreneur.</p> <p>17:38 Meeting Bernie in Florida, a surprising, cool experience.</p> <p>24:38 Focused on discipleship, tools now ubiquitous. Partnership for discipleship in communities.</p> <p>27:39 Missed church attendance improves with digital engagement.</p> <p>32:12 Church reaching people digitally, expanding its reach.</p> <p>37:38 Discussion about digital church network expansion and support.</p> <p>47:47 Building Avengers-type team of thought leaders.</p> <p>54:41 Resource for digital missionaries and ministry support.</p> <p>59:34 Podcast featuring ministry leaders discussing digital ministry.</p> <p>01:07:58 Combining two organizations into The Church Digital.</p> <p>01:08:52 Church planting dedication strengthened, digital discipleship emphasized.</p>

<p>So we took a little break from the podcast, and now we&#39;re back! With a fresh outlook on digital ministry for pastors, planters and practitioners, The Church Digital Podcast is a great opportunity for your church to find innovative ways to use this digital technology for kingdom purposes.</p> <p>With this Season 6 Trailer, we&#39;ll be exploring how your church can be the church not just on Sunday morning, but 168 hours a week! </p> <p>Check out the return of The Church Digital Podcast and the launch of Season 6: 168 Church, coming on Monday, January 1, 2024. Find The Church Digital Podcast on Podcast Apps, and YouTube.</p>

<p>Saddleback has always had an experimental culture. Seeing Saddleback adopt a digital strategy literally a decade+ ago, and then move into decentralized and micro church strategies…Saddleback has learned that failure is not the end of the experiment. Failure is just one step closer to finding success.</p> <p>But, how do you get your church to experiment? With services coming every Sunday, even with the push for “excellence” every week…how do we do something different? These are the questions we’re bringing to Jay Kranda, Online Community Pastor at Saddleback.</p> <p>By the way, these are the issues that we’re dealing with in our Leadership Network’s <a href="http://leadnet.org/dlc">Digital</a> and <a href="http://leadnet.org/mlc">Metaverse</a> Learning Communities. Through these Learning Communities, we’re helping churches explore how to take next steps in their digital and metaverse ministry…and experimenting plays a huge part! So check out the <a href="http://leadnet.org/dlc">Digital Learning Community</a> and <a href="http://leadnet.org/mlc">Metaverse Learning Community</a> and find out how your church can join Leadership Network in what’s next.</p> <p>So jump on this podcast with Jeff Reed and Jay Kranda as we are exploring how your church can experiment! Find out, right here, on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>In Dave Ferguson we trust! Visionary Leader of <em>Exponential</em> as well as <em>NewThing Network</em> and lead pastor at <em>Community Christian</em> in Chicago, Dave has been a huge supporter of Digital Church! In fact, Dave let us borrow B.L.E.S.S. practices to be the framework for digital missionaries! I’m continually blown away by the love and support he shows to digital ministry and digital planting. (You’ll catch a bit of this at the beginning of the podcast.)</p> <p>Now as we’re talking how to take your Digital Ministry to the Next Level, Dave and Dr. John Harris (my co-author for <em>Sharing Jesus Online</em>) jump on a podcast to talk about the power of a digital missionary, and the potential to have that missionary reaching into digital community to connect with a digital person.</p> <p>As we explore the potential of taking your digital ministry to the next level, digital missionaries are a big step towards your church reaching people the buildings aren’t reaching.</p> <p>Looking to release a team of digital or metaverse missionaries in your church. Jump in a <em>Leadership Network Learning Community </em>and find out how to take your church to the next level.</p> <p><a href="http://leadnet.org/dlc">http://leadnet.org/dlc</a> - keyword “Tyler” for $100 off</p> <p><a href="http://leadnet.org/mlc">http://leadnet.org/mlc</a> - keyword “Stunami” for $100 off</p>

<p>In 2023, many churches are going back to an old mindset of digital ministry. Let’s broadcast those church services! But, and maybe I’m talking crazy here, what if your church didn’t. Instead, what if your church did something different.</p> <p>This is what we’re highlighting here this week with Tyler Sansom, from &quot;First Capital/Church Anywhere.&quot; For a medium sized church in the middle of a small, blue collar town, &quot;First Capital&quot; is doing some incredible things digitally. Digital Discipleship, International Ministry, even releasing Christian Long-Form Films… the thing I love about &quot;First Capital&quot; is that they find ways to do some incredible stuff when other churches of their size would never dream of trying.</p> <p>But this really gets to the heart of this podcast. How can your church unleash the next season of ministry? How do you get your attenders to really engage and support creative ministry in and around the church? This is what we asked Tyler, and his answer is somewhat surprising: Discipleship.<br>Lean into this podcast with Tyler, and learn about Leadership Network’s Learning Communities, and how your church can learn more about &quot;First Capital’s&quot; Discipleship Process, and how it can help take your church to the next level. More information at <a href="http://leadnet.org/dlc">http://leadnet.org/dlc</a> and use the coupon code “tyler” for $100 off.</p>

<p>According to Pushpay’s &quot;2023 State of Church Tech Report ,&quot; 25% of American churches are looking to plant a church in the metaverse. So, doing a learning community on planting a virtual reality church should be a no brainer!</p> <p>So that&#39;s what we did. Partnering with Leadership Network, DCN is doing a learning community helping churches like yours explore virtual reality, even helping churches go on mission trips into virtual reality. </p> <p>For the podcast here we’ve got Stuart McPherson, metaverse pastor from Lakeland Church, who is co-leading the learning community with Jeff. Come learn about the community we’re creating, and see how churches like yours can fit into the <a href="https://leadnet.org/vr-and-the-metaverse-cohort/">metaverse learning community,</a> or the <a href="https://leadnet.org/digital-discipleship-cohort/">digital learning community.</a></p> <p>Season 5 of The Church Digital Podcast is well underway. Come dive in and learn how your church can go “to the next level” in 2023. Start here!</p> <p><br></p>

<p>Welcome to Season 5 of The Church Digital Podcast, as we’re talking about how to take your church’s digital and/or metaverse ministry to the next level. And do we have a great conversation for you here, right off the bat!</p> <p>This idea escalated quickly. Not that long ago Ryan Sidhom, Lead Pastor at the Church Plant River City Church approached me with an idea: let’s do mission trips into the Metaverse. He even pitched his church as the guinea pig to test the model of an actual “mission trip” in the metaverse, where we take people into Virtual Reality to be on mission. We’ve built trainings around my books <a href="http://leadnet.org/vrbook">VR &amp; The Metaverse Church</a> as well as <a href="http://sharingjesusonline.com/">Sharing Jesus Online</a>. Evidently, word got out.</p> <p>The test idea exploded. <a href="https://leadnet.org/vr-and-the-metaverse-cohort/">Leadership Network is doing a learning community</a> where we’re helping US Churches understand the missional implications of the metaverse. Similarly, GACX is doing a similar learning community with our metaverse mission trip for international mission orgs. Oh, and let’s not forget about <a href="https://relevantmagazine.com/culture/tech-gaming/a-church-is-launching-the-first-mission-trip-to-the-metaverse">Relevant Magazine writing about what we’re up to</a>.<br>This is what we’re diving into with this podcast! We’ve got Ryan coming in and talking about the mission trip, and how Leadership Network wants to help churches like yours host a metaverse mission trip THIS YEAR! So chuck out the launch of Season 5 on The Church Digital Podcast, and for more information on Leadnet’s Learning Community and the Metaverse Mission Trip check out <a href="http://leadnet.org/mlc">http://leadnet.org/mlc</a></p>

<p>I’ve had a mutual respect for James Emery White for a while now. His church, Mecklenburg, has gotten some attention in recent years for abandoning their multisite strategy and instead focusing on their digital strategy. So, of course I feel a kindred spirit. Then he says the word phygital…a lot…so of course I love this guy.</p> <p>We had a great conversation here on this podcast. We talked Meck. We talked James’ new book &quot;Hybrid Church.&quot; We talked what digital can, and cannot, do. On most points I agree with James, but on all points it’s a valid conversation around physicality and the changes to community and contextualization.</p> <p>We need more pastors like James Emery White. Grab this podcast url and share it with your lead pastor. Buy the book and pass it around your church. Learn how your church has to really function digitally and physically simultaneously.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>This convo, right here, may be one of my favorite podcasts we&#39;ve done to date. Years ago “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Church-3-0-Upgrades-Future/dp/B08BC2H7KP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WFNEGRREM0US&keywords=church+3.0+by+neil+cole&qid=1682312989&sprefix=church+3.0%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1">Church 3.0,</a>” a book by Neil Cole, was heavily influential in my life. Understand, Neil didn&#39;t write the book in a digital context. When he wrote “Church 3.0,” very few people were doing anything in the digital ministry space. But when I read this book back in the early 2010s, all I could think about is how some of these practices could exist digitally.</p> <p>So, similar to our recent conversation with <a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/leonard-sweet-talks-digital-church">Leonard Sweet</a>, I loved this opportunity to sit down with Neil Cole and talk to him about Digital Church. Mind you, we&#39;re taking Neil&#39;s ideas into a whole new realm, but I counted it a pleasure to talk with another pioneer in a unique space. We delved into it in the conversation, but Neil was a decade or two before his time! As many contemporaries today are praised for their work in micro church areas, Neil was criticized for his work in the space (and, to be honest, I can relate to that).</p> <p>We even brought into the convo Jason Morris, who arguably is the smartest man in all of digital ministry, who was also influenced strongly by Neil&#39;s book...So, looking for a conversation involving three out-of-the-box thinkers about a micro/digital approach to church, where we also talk about the turmoil of pioneering in church space? Check out this convo with Neil Cole, Jason Morris and myself, right here on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>Season 4 of The Church Digital Podcast has been a deep dive, an introspective look into Gaming and Nerd Culture, and how the church is already active in this space.</p> <p>In the concluding episode, Jeff and Season Co-Host Mark Lutz jump in a conversation to discuss the highlights of the season, as well as an overarching theme: what are the opportunities to utilize Gaming Church to reach Gen Z, and even Gen A! </p> <p>Plus, get a sneak peek of the future of Jesus, Gamers, and Church with a couple special announcements from Jeff &amp; Mark. All here on the newest episode of The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>As we’ve been digging into Season 4: Jesus, Gamers, and Church we’ve explored many different types of gaming church, and we’re seeing many different people with different skill sets fit into different roles. Gaming church is a beautiful picture where churches, missionaries, and moderators all come together to create not just a single church, but a fully functioning ministry!</p> <p>Church planters know of this idea (revived in recent years by Alan Hirsch and others) called APEST &amp; the Fivefold Ministry. Modern Church Planters (and arguably all church leaders) should be encouraged to build out their leadership teams representing APEST: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds and Teachers. As we dig into each role, we recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each role, but more than that, we see how APEST works together best when these roles are unified, when they work together.</p> <p>How does APEST apply to Gaming Church, and to Gaming Culture? Let’s find out when we ask Lux Digital Church’s Mark Lutz, as well as Zach Miller from Storyland Studios (and Nerd Culture Ministry Collective) as we explore APEST in Gaming Church.</p>

<p>It’s Ladies Night with The Church Digital Podcast. During Season Four of The Church Digital Podcast called &quot;Jesus, Gamers and Church&quot; we are doing a deep dive on Gaming and Nerd Culture, and how churches are aggressively reaching this mission field… </p> <p>As we’ve talked on the show, there is a lot of opportunities to connect with the gamers on this digital mission field, as there’s close to 3.2 billion gamers active in the world. What may be a surprise to some is the growing percentage of women that are in the gaming world...in 2022 48% of US Gamers were women! Yet, Twitch is a heavily-driven male platform, and what few female streamers there are often deal with male chauvinistic trolls in the audience verbally harassing the streamers on many fronts.</p> <p>In this Girl Power episode of The Church Digital Podcast, we talk with GodSquad’s Amanda Souza and Asia the Girl, two Twitch Streamers who utilize their influence for the Kingdom. Let’s sit down and better understand what it means to be a woman streamer, and what ministry looks like for them on Twitch.</p>

<p>Through The Church Digital Podcast’s Season 4: Jesus, Gamers &amp; Church, we have been exploring how engaging in gaming and nerd culture digitally allows us a huge missional reach. We’ve talked mostly about Twitch being the avenue that we engage in, which is cool. But, to effectively reach gamers, what if we actually did “church” in video games.</p> <p>Novel concept, but that’s exactly what DJ Soto and VR MMO Church are doing. As lead pastor of VR Church, DJ saw a huge opportunity to reach people via virtual reality back in 2016. DJ and VR Church is taking that same pioneering, innovative spirit by planting churches inside video games like “Rust” or “Final Fantasy”!</p> <p>What does church look like inside a video game? Let’s talk with DJ, as well as Pastor Koko (who pastors the Final Fantasy campus) and discover what church, and discipleship, look like inside video games!</p>

<p>The Online Church Blueprint is the BEST “how to” for digital church planters, physical church leaders just starting their online transitions, and everyone in between. Each episode gives practical insight, tips and tricks, and helpful steps to get YOUR digital church expression up and running! So join us as we talk about &quot;what should your online service look like?&quot;<br></p>

<p>Hey friends, Jeff here from The Church Digital Podcast. We’ve got a great conversation coming up from Flatcap - Twitch’s Leighton Seys, digging into how physical pastors are utilizing Twitch! Through TCD Podcast’s Season 4: Jesus, Gamers and Church we’ve been exploring how the church can reach Gaming and Nerd culture. We’ve explored Digital Churches, eSports, Digital Missionaries… and this week we’re digging deep into physical pastors who stream on Twitch.</p> <p>Flatcap leads a network of physical pastors who are streaming on Twitch. Through his network Flatcap provides coaching, care, and community to others. Flatcap is also a huge part of Digital Church Network as our Director of Relationships.</p> <p>I was unavailable for this recording, but Mark Lutz from Lux Digital Church and friends with Flatcap jumped on for the interview. So jump on with Mark and Flatcap, and let’s start exploring what pastors are currently doing on Twitch. </p> <p><br></p>

<p>The Exponential 2023 Global Conference wrapped up last week in Orlando. This year, 5000+ Church Planters and Multiplication-friendly people gathered at First Baptist Orlando to pray, seek God, and learn. Leadership Network offered a Digital and a Metaverse track. And, as much fun as teaching hundreds on the power of digital discipleship…as much fun as networking with global organizations talking about the power of a digital church…the most fun I had was seeing Exponential through the eyes of some gamers.</p> <p>I stayed in a low end AirBNB with eight gamers, most of which were new to the idea of Exponential. And seeing their response to the conference, &nbsp;and to the ideology, was invigorating.</p> <p>So why not do a podcast on it? I was so wrapped up doing conference stuff I didn’t have time to do this interview, but I’ve got Mark Lutz from Lux Digital Church doing this interview directly from Expo Orlando. Let’s talk about the conference and let’s talk about collaboration…and let’s find out what’s next for the Gamer Church, on this episode of The Church Digital Podcast.</p>

<p>When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down everything in 2020, JO Saxton turned to Instagram to gather with people online. "Tea Time w/Jo" was born and a community continued to grow. Today, Jo Saxton joins us to talk about the importance of online communities, the difference between tolerating and celebrating people, and how Jo aims to gather, equip, and catalyze women in leadership with her leadership network and the Ezer Collective gatherings.</p>

<p>What does an IT guy with a local cable company do after hours? Video Games and Streaming on Twitch of course. Destiny 2 seems to be the game of choice if you’re curious. But AKI doesn’t stop there. He involves his wife and kids in the stream, making it a family event! AKI and Peach open up their family time to Twitch and Discord, allowing the audience to be part of a healthy, non-toxic family environment.</p> <p>Many of AKI’s audience don’t have a healthy environment. They’ve never seen it. AKI’s streams on Twitch are literally the only exposure some have to a healthy family environment. As a result, AKI deals with many difficult issues: suicidal, depression, addictions, pornography… helping be the light of Christ in the dark areas of Twitch. This is just the beginning of life as a Digital Missionary.</p> <p>So, jump on this podcast as AKI and Jeff talk about the life of a digital missionary on Twitch!</p>

<p>Today my conversation is with Dr. Josh Packard, Executive Director of the Springtide Research Institute. Through their extensive research (perhaps the largest data set on the planet) on the spiritual lives of young folks, Springtide and Dr. Packard discovered some mind-blowing things. You might think you know about the spirituality of the next generation (13-25 year olds), but you're probably wrong. The "decline narrative" is way too simplistic. Yes, you might see less young people attending church...but that doesn't mean they're out on Jesus. And it doesn't mean they're going to come to us for help.</p> <p>Since the next generation is less likely to seek out traditional church attendance (they don't trust institutions or institutional leaders), it's important we go to them. Let's look beyond the assumptions and meet them where they are. But they don't need more Fun Uncles...Reddit is better for that. It means shifting our models from Knowledge Transfer to Relational Authority. From the Sage on the Stage to the Question Consultant.</p> <p>Subscribe: <a href="https://anchor.fm/betterontheinside" target="_blank">https://anchor.fm/betterontheinside</a></p>

<p>CATCH THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST LIVE, THURSDAYS 3PM ON TWITCH. HTTP://TWITCH.TV/DIGITALCHURCHNETWORK</p> <p>As we examine gaming culture, we see more and more lack of institutional trust. This is many reasons why the church has historically struggled to connect with gamers. But Jate Earhart and others, are working to overcome this tension, essentially operating as a vocational missionary in gaming space.</p> <p>Utilizing Twitch and Discord, Jate’s goal is to disciple a million video gamers. How’s he doing? What does discipleship look like in video games? Let’s talk with Jate and get the scoop from someone who’s working full-time as a digital missionary.</p> <p>In the broadcast we talked about supporting Jate’s ministry. If you’re interested in getting connected to Jate, let Jeff know.</p>

<p>Today we Deep Dive into the platform known as BigScreen, and as usual, we will address the goods and bads of what this VR platform has to offer for churches looking to dive into VR ministry. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><br></p> <p>Email us at metaversechurchpodcast@gmail.com &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Join our Discord: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEdOa0RqTGFOd0pWLWNQUGU2UjdoOE1jNUljd3xBQ3Jtc0tuYTVjalZaYUR3aVJScnNkMk0zMWhVVHNyVWFjZzB3aTA0ODFQc2NRaHVCbHI3X3FvblZSZ3Z6OUd3QzdHZGptelJ2dVJub0c4eDJfSnNOdEJNdnFlUnR1d3pnYmlBRzBEYnpVU2ZMdXpDZWNjbDQ2Yw&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fdiscord.gg%2FmWKBEqZ4gJ&amp;v=AUkJKCY26ZY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/mWKBEqZ4gJ</a></p>

CATCH THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST SEASON FOUR STREAMS LIVE ON TWITCH. THURSDAYS, 3PM EASTERN. http://twitch.tv/digitalchurchnetwork How can churches minister to the Esports industry? That was the question we ask Johno, Director of Esports for Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Johno has deep understanding of the Esports industry, as well as a vision for what ministry looks like in that space. How do we reach people in the Esports arena? How do we utilize Esports influence to reach and disciple others? What can your church do to help start and support Esports movements? These are just some of the questions we asked Johno in the interview. And oh, btw, we talked about how to get your kids connected into Esports too! So dig into the podcast, and come hang out with us on the next podcast interview we’re doing live! http://twitch.tv/digitalchurchnetwork

Why does Google Search matter and why should your Church or ministry pay attention to it? Find out in this conversation with Mark MacDonald.

<p>CATCH THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST RECORDING LIVE ON TWITCH! WE’RE DOING OUR INTERVIEWS LIVE ON TWITCH, THURSDAY’S AT 3PM EASTERN. http://twitch.tv/digitalchurchnetwork</p> <p>Nerd Culture is growing by leaps and bounds, and we, THECHURCH.DIGITAL, are digging into Nerd Culture, and how best to reach them. To that end, we’re bringing into the conversation Bubba Stallcup, founder of Love Thy Nerd, to find out.</p> <p>Whether you’re a digital church, or a physical church doing digital ministry, or even a physical church, there are opportunities for you to better learn how to connect with the nerds in your church! Take a listen to this podcast and find out one simple way your church can connect with the nerds.</p>

<p>On this episode, Jason Morris and Joey Santos will chat with Mindy Caliguire from <a href="http://soulcare.com/"><u>SoulCare.com</u></a>. Today an increasing number of people are looking for communities using digital platforms, and Digital Pastors are on the frontlines meeting and connecting with people from all walks of life. We must pay attention to the health of our souls before going out to help others.</p>

CATCH THE JESUS, GAMERS AND CHURCH INTERVIEWS ON TWITCH. THURSDAYS 3pm EASTERN ON http://twitch.tv/digitalchurchnetwork — How do we reach the estimated 3 billion video gamers for Christ? Great question, which sets up the focus of Season 4 of The Church Digital Podcast: “Jesus, Gamers, and Church.” In Season 4, we’re deep diving into Gamer Culture, into Nerd Culture, and a better understanding of how they think and how we can take Jesus, and the Church, into that culture. The challenge is not to force gamers to think like the church. The challenge will be to contextualize the church for gamers. This is why, for our season opener, we’re bringing in Mark Lutz from Lux Digital Church into the conversation. For the past year, Mark has been the lead pastor of Lux, a church that aims to reach Gamers for Christ. Through Twitch Church Services and discipleship via the Discord platform, Mark is a pioneer in reaching different types of people via different methods of discipleship in different environments. So jump on this podcast and look for more from The Church Digital Podcast as we explore Jesus, Gamers, and Church.

<p>Can we deconstruct the church and not God? Can we challenge the bride of Christ in America without questioning our faith? This is a quandary I live in. This is just one of the questions we dug into in the podcast.</p> <p>As we explore digital ministry and digital church, we are challenging perceived norms, and I may in the few, but I will own this statement: when done right, I believe that a digital expression of church is actually closer to the biblical model proposed.</p> <p>Brad Brisco is one of my favorite twitter follows. While most of Twitter has seemingly become a giant shout-fest turning grown adults into petty children, Brad utilizes the platform so well to challenge his people to his way of thinking, sure, but he does it respectfully. And as someone who works with co-vocational pastors and priesthood of all believes ideology (challenging the clergy/laity divide) Brad is one of these in the church-space who may not understand a digital ecclesiology, but through his work is giving permission to digital to reimagine it’s ecclesiology.</p> <p>So jump on the show as Brad Brisco from the North American Mission Board unpacks Digital Ecclesiology &amp; Deconstructing Church.</p>

<p>EP250 - Dr John Harris in Book Launch, Sharing Jesus Online</p> <p>Jeff and Dr John wrote a new book, and we’re celebrating right here on this podcast! Download the PDF or buy the softcover on Amazon. Check out <a href="http://sharingjesusonline.com/"><u>http://SharingJesusOnline.com</u></a> for more info</p> <p>Here on The Church Digital Podcast we are celebrating our next book launch, Sharing Jesus Online. Written by Dr John Harris and Jeff Reed, Sharing Jesus Online is a simple, reproducible framework helping people effectively share their faith online. With the idea of creating digital and metaverse missionaries, Sharing Jesus Online takes a popular evangelism framework “B.L.E.S.S.” and maps it out over digital and metaverse spaces.</p> <p>So jump on the Sharing Jesus Online Release Party. Get the behind the scenes scoop on the book, and learn how this resource can revolutionize your church! Check out this podcast, and don’t forget to get the book from <a href="http://sharingjesusonline.com/"><u>http://SharingJesusOnline.com</u></a></p>

<p>Microchurches are fascinating to me. You have volunteers with an extremely high level of commitment, serving as a church. These are not fairweather volunteers by any stretch. These are people that open up their homes weekly, prepping sermons, relationally engaging week-by-week, day-by-day.</p> <p>How do you grow that level of commitment? How does discipleship help foster healthy accountability? As we look at the future of digital and metaverse churches, the decentralized model of digital will continue to influence a healthy approach. Is it possible to get volunteer commitment of a digital/metaverse church at the same level as a microchurch owner would?</p> <p>These are some of the questions we dig in with Jason Shepperd, Leader of Church Project. With incredible understanding of the megachurch model, as well as the microchurch model, Jason Shepperd is in a great position to give us advice heading into our exploration of digital and metaverse churches. So lean in with Jason and Jeff as we talk volunteer accountability.</p> <p><em>Disclaimer: Due to a unforeseen issue, we had to reschedule schedule podcasts. This podcast was supposed to be EP250, which was celebrated on the podcast. Unfortunately, things change. EP250 will be next week, but for today enjoy EP249.</em></p>

<p>You see, I thought I was walking into a conversation about creating and utilizing podcasts in discipleship. Instead, I walk into a conversation about empowering people digitally, and mobilizing people in the pew to start a movement. Incredible conversation.</p> <p>Patrick Miller was a stranger to me. We haven't really met before this podcast. I bumped into him on Twitter, and was curious about some of his tweets. Recent author, as well as a constant contributor to The Gospel Coalition, Patrick is well versed in digital ministry, and shares some unique perspectives on how your church can empower people to reach the people they need to reach.</p> <p>Your church sermon podcast may be dead, but church podcasts are far from it. Listen to Patrick Miller to find out why.</p> <p><strong>Patrick's Book:</strong></p> <p>Truth Over Tribe: Pledging Allegiance to the Lamb, Not the Donkey or the Elephant - https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Over-Tribe-Pledging-Allegiance/dp/0830784780/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1673235742&amp;sr=8-1</p> <p><br></p>

<p>2023 is upon us, and THECHURCH.DIGITAL &amp; Digital Church Network are working hard to help pastors, planters and practitioners with their digital ministry. 2022 brought us massive opportunities; join Jeff as we celebrate 2022 and tease what's to come in 2023.</p> <ol> <li>He Gets Us may be the best evangelism opportunity the American church has this year. Open Office on He Gets Us - http//thechurch.digital/openoffice // signup He Gets Us - <a href="http://thechurch.digital/hegetsus"><u>http://thechurch.digital/hegetsus</u></a></li> <li>Jeff's next book, with Dr John Harris: <em>Sharing Jesus Online - Helping Everyday Believers Become Digital &amp; Metaverse Missionaries</em>, releases Monday, January 16.</li> <li>Exponential Conference is coming up on March 6-9. We'll have 12 digital/metaverse sessions happening. Come to the conference and get a hug from Jeff - <a href="http://exponential.org/"><u>http://exponential.org</u></a></li> <li>The Church Digital Podcast was incredible in 2022 with Leonard Sweet wrapping up, and then in 2023 with Brad Brisco from North American Mission Board, Jason Shepperd from Church Project, and don't sleep on TCD Podcast Season 4: Gamer Church, coming in February.</li> <li>Digital Church Network is looking for leadership to step in and help us take ministry to the next level. Opportunities in Hospitality, Content, Prayer, Discipleship, and Community... check out some onboarding events at <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/events"><u>http://digitalchurch.network/events</u></a> and find ways to connect.</li> <li>One more thing... you gotta watch the video to find this one out.</li> </ol>

<p>SO HERE'S THE DEAL... Almost 25 years ago, as a college student, I read Leonard Sweet’s book SoulTsunami, and to say that it changed my life would be an understatement. In 1999, Leonard’s book gave me permission to digital ministry even though everyone else thought I was crazy. 20+ years later, people still think I’m crazy, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.</p> <p>HERE’S AN IDEA! Let’s get Leonard Sweet on a podcast, and talk with the Church Futurist about the future of the tmchurch. We’ll hit digital and metaverse church. We’ll talks politics and theology. We’ll talk content with the author of 70+ books. To be honest we cover a lot of topics, all the while having some fun too. &nbsp;&nbsp;So jump on the podcast with myself, and Leonard Sweet, talking digital church. &nbsp;ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed THECHURCH.DIGITAL &amp; DigitalChurch.Network Twitter // Facebook // Instagram // LinkedIn // YouTube &nbsp;Guest: Leonard Sweet SpiritVenture Ministries Facebook // Instagram // Website</p> <p>LEONARD'S BOOKS:</p> <p>SoulTsunami - https://www.amazon.com/Soultsunami-Sink-Swim-Millennium-Culture/dp/0310227623/ref=sr_1_1?crid=17WE63C0SMXWU&amp;keywords=SoulTsunami&amp;qid=1670806474&amp;sprefix=soultsunami%2Caps%2C86&amp;sr=8-1</p> <p>Gospel According to Starbucks - https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-According-Starbucks-Living-Passion/dp/1578566495/ref=sr_1_1?crid=YWW4HJC331CV&amp;keywords=Gospel+According+to+Starbucks&amp;qid=1670806492&amp;sprefix=gospel+according+to+starbucks%2Caps%2C89&amp;sr=8-1</p> <p>Postmodern Pilgrims - https://www.amazon.com/Post-Modern-Pilgrims-First-Century-Passion/dp/0805421378/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2Z2UM254HK27E&amp;keywords=Postmodern+Pilgrims&amp;qid=1670806507&amp;sprefix=postmodern+pilgrims%2Caps%2C114&amp;sr=8-2</p> <p>Telos - https://www.amazon.com/Telos-Heaven-Today-Leonard-Sweet/dp/1953495389/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RLRNXLIKRJKU&amp;keywords=Telos+Leonard+sweet&amp;qid=1670806537&amp;sprefix=telos+leonard+sweet%2Caps%2C100&amp;sr=8-1</p>

<p>Faith without works is dead! How many times have you heard that challenge towards the idea of digital churches and digital ministry? James 2 isn’t wrong, of course. But it doesn’t have to apply to Digital Churches. “Jeff, how do you serve people digitally?” Well, have we got an opportunity for you.</p> <p>Realizing that digital is not the abandonment of gathering, but instead the opportunity to birth new gatherings… what if we applied that same philosophy to serving? What if we could equip our people to serve in their physical community, regardless of where they are located? What if digital church could impact single moms, sex trafficking, foster care and battle hunger in communities across the planet!?</p> <p>Enter Panos and Robert from One More Child, an organization who is decentralizing training that is set up to help churches like yours move our digital consumers to a place of serving in their community. Let’s start to explore the idea of using our digital church or digital ministry to create missional connections and service opportunities globally using digital. Dive into this podcast with Jeff and One More Child, and let’s start serving the community via digital!</p>

<p>Barbecue Church? Learn how Barbecue is being used to effectively connect with people that church buildings aren’t.</p> <p>We’ve seen lots of unique expressions of church pop up, but Barbecue Assemblies of God? Jeff sits down with Andre Anderson, serial entrepreneur and lead pastor of Barbecue Church. Where’d the idea come from?&nbsp; How is barbecue being used to reach and disciple people today. Lean in as Jeff talks with Andre about how he started Barbecue Church, and how God is using it today.</p>

Tis the season to get stressed out, amiright? So many departments coming together. So many volunteers serving with all their heart. The standards are set high for this year’s Christmas Services (happening on a Sunday this year BTW.) But how do you manage the creative tensions? How do you get people to work together. What does it look like to get people to focus towards an aligned direction, often meaning they would need to set aside their own desires? This is how it often feels working at a Church in Christmas (or Easter for that matter.) But it doesn’t have to be. To this end we’re bringing in Ben Stapley to the conversation. His 17th Christmas working for the church, Ben has navigated this tension for a while, and knows how to not only manage the tension but thrive in it. So jump in the podcast, and learn not just how to survive Christmas, but how to create a healthy culture that will help you survive all 52 weeks in the year!

<p>Jeff published his book on churches in virtual reality! Download for FREE, or buy Kindle/Hard Copy from Amazon: <a href="http://thechurch.digital/vrbook" target="_blank">http://thechurch.digital/vrbook&nbsp;</a></p> <p>Well, the time has come. THECHURCH.DIGITAL and Leadership Network is happy to announce the publishing of VR and the Metaverse Church, Jeff’s first book. Telling the stories of the innovation (and the innovators) in virtual reality, Jeff moves beyond the novelty of the technology, instead exploring in detail the missional opportunities the church has engaging in virtual reality communities like AltspaceVR, or VRchat. Which brings us to this podcast. While we’re celebrating VR and the Metaverse Church, we are also digging into the “wild wild west” of virtual reality… VRchat! Talking with Stewart Freeman, Director of Cornerstone VR’s VRchat Campus, (and a person of peace in VRchat) we’re doing a deep dive into this controversial virtual world. So, listen to the podcast, and grab a copy of Jeff’s book over at <a href="http://thechurch.digital/vrbook" target="_blank">http://thechurch.digital/vrbook</a></p>

<p><strong>Engagement: A Digital Missionary/Volunteer Structure for He Gets Us</strong></p> <p>He Gets Us sounds like an incredible idea, but it can certainly seem overwhelming. How can your church effectively set up He Gets Us to be effective for ministry? What role should Alpha play? How do we structure volunteers? Jump on this livestream where Jeff will literally whiteboard a strategy for churches like yours to engage like never before.</p> <p>Looking for a Playbook for Digital Missionaries? Look no further.</p> <p>If you've not signed up for He Gets Us yet, get 12 months of He Gets Us, FOR FREE, at <a href="http://thechurch.digital/hegetsus?fbclid=IwAR2Fn6_zAcWEPRBlXhYWsGZGKNgbPL5s4QF1jMpeH_z9EcVmm3y-jgEutXE" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://thechurch.digital/hegetsus</a></p>

PASTOR OVER TEXT? There are plenty of ways to pastor someone digitally, through Zoom or even through Avatars in virtual reality. But text-only? Surely there’s some difficulty in that environment. Enter Jonathan Song, Director of Pastor Chat at Churchome. Churchome has leaned heavily into it’s mobile app, even to the point of pastoring people around the country via chat/text messaging. DOES IT WORK? Does it work? Does caring for a soul work via text messaging? Jonathan’s got the inside scoop and examples of how he (and his staff and volunteers) are regularly pastoring people nationally using texting tools… oh and don’t sleep on some of the decentralized conversations we’re having here as well. Hang out with Jeff & Jonathan as they’re talking Pastor Chat on this episode of The Church Digital Podcast SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below: Apple Podcasts | RSS Feed | Anchor | Overcast | Spotify | Pocket Casts | Google Play ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff ReedTHECHURCH.DIGITAL & DigitalChurch.NetworkTwitter // Facebook // Instagram // LinkedIn // YouTube Guest: Jonathan Song Instagram //LinkedIn RESOURCES Give to DigitalChurch.Network - http://digitalchurch.network/give DIGITAL CHURCH NETWORK COMMUNITY: https://digitalchurch.network/joinfam  Missional Imagination, Asynchronous Communities, & Digital Church

<h2><span>GET THE INSIDE SCOOP</span></h2> <p><span>What does Digital Discipleship look like? Get the inside scoop on Sprout Digital’s 2022 Digital Discipleship Research Report with Jared &amp; Ann Roth.</span><span> </span></p> <h2><span>ONE OF THE MOST DOWNLODED PODCASTS</span></h2> <p><span>In one of the most-downloaded podcasts in The Church Digital Podcast history, Jared and Ann Roth shared their passion for the digital church. Retired co-pastors and denominational leaders, the Roths started Sprout Digital, a research company passionate about the digital methods of church and discipleship.</span><span> </span></p> <h2><span>THE DIGITAL CHURCH RESEARCH REPORT </span></h2> <p><span>In 2021, On an earlier episode of The Church Digital Podcast, the Roths shared with us their Digital Church Research Report, detailing the findings of a new model of church… digital churches! In 2022, the Roths have expanded their research, detailing the idea of Digital Discipleship, and how discipleship is impacting physical, digital, metaversal and even gaming churches.</span><span> </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST</h2> <p>If <span>you're enjoying this episode</span>, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="9sir-7-0">Apple Podcasts</span></a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><br></a><a href="///fairlyspiritual" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="font-weight: bold;">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Jared Roth<br><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jared.roth.10/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>// <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-roth-ed-d-09526b25" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></p> <p style="line-height: 1;">Guest: Ann Roth</p> <p style="line-height: 1;"><a href="https://m.facebook.com/cornerstonefellowshipfoursquarechurch/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>// <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-roth-b3b29a82" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Give to DigitalChurch.Network - <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/givE">http://digitalchurch.network/give</a></li> <li>DIGITAL CHURCH NETWORK COMMUNITY: <a href="https://digitalchurch.network/joinfam">https://digitalchurch.network/joinfam</a>&nbsp;</li> <li>PODCAST: The Church Digital Podcast - <a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/ep197-jason-shepperd-developing-a-microchurch-network">https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/ep197-jason-shepperd-developing-a-microchurch-netw

<h2><span>ARE DAOS AND NFTS LEGIT?</span></h2> <p><span>As the Church looks to Blockchain &amp; Crypto, are DAOs and NFTs legit? Are these gimmicks, or is there a future for the church in the new technologies? Are NFTs legitimate, or is this a gimmick? In a recent Digital Church Network Roundtable we dug into the legitimacy of blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Part two in the series, we’ll be exploring the idea of DAOs and NFTs. </span></p> <h2><span>ARE THERE LEGITIMATE MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES HERE?</span></h2> <p><span>Kingdom tools? To find out, we’re bringing in decentralized church experts Jon Dengler and Jason Dukes as we explore how DAOs and NFTs could be the tools of the future, decentralized church. </span></p> <!--more--><hr> <h2>SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST</h2> <p>If <span>you're enjoying this episode</span>, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="9sir-7-0">Apple Podcasts</span></a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><br></a><a href="/fairlyspiritual" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="font-weight: bold;">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: John Dengler<br><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WellBuiltBikes" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>// <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-dengler-00a34073" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> // <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJT5H5hc74f89w7DUwwUhCw" rel="noopener" target="_blank">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Jason Dukes</p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Give to DigitalChurch.Network - <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/givE">http://digitalchurch.network/give</a></li> <li>DIGITAL CHURCH NETWORK COMMUNITY: <a href="https://digitalchurch.network/joinfam">https://digitalchurch.network/joinfam</a>&nbsp;</li> <li>PODCAST: The Church Digital Podcast - <a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/ep197-jason-shepperd-developing-a-microchurch-network">https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/ep197-jason-shepperd-developing-a-microchurch-network</a>&nbsp;</li> <li><span>PODCAST: Being a Church in the Marketplace - </span><span><a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-goal-leadership-podcast-31000280/episode/being-the-church-in-the-marketplace-33021791">https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-goal-leadership-podcast-31000280/episode/being-the-church-in-the-marketplace-33021791</a></span></li> <li>WEBSITE: The Well - <a href="http://www.welltampa.com/p/about-wel.html">http://www.welltampa.com/p/about-wel.html</a>&nbsp;</li> </ul> <h2 style="font-size: 32px; fon

<p><strong>GET YOUR CHURCH SIGNED UP FOR </strong><em><strong>HE GETS US, </strong></em><strong>AND GET 12 MONTHS FOR FREE... </strong><a href="http://thechurch.digital/hegetsus" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>http://thechurch.digital/hegetsus</strong></a></p> <p>One of the largest Christian Technology Companies in America, GLOO has been helping churches figure out how to better use data. Recently, GLOO has focused on a national marketing campaign called “He Gets Us.” These ads, run online as well as other ad channels, have been un-earthing spiritual explorers and connecting them to partnering churches for relationship and even discipleship.</p> <h2>EMBRACING A DIGITAL DISCIPLESHIP PROCESS</h2> <p>Talk about doing something different to connect with different people! The He Gets Us campaign is an incredible opportunity for lots of churches, if not especially for those embracing a digital discipleship process.</p> <h2>EXPLORE HOW CHURCHES LIKE YOURS CAN MAXIMIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY</h2> <p>Learn more about the GLOO campaign, and explore how churches like yours can maximize the opportunity of He Gets Us… right here on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST</h2> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><br> </a><a href="///fairlyspiritual" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Brad Hill<br> <a href="https://twitter.com/bhillford" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeamGloo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhillford" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a></p> <p>Guest:&nbsp; Jason Vanderground<br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/havenforcreative" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/havenacreativehub/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="https://havenforcreative.com/about/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Website</a></p> <p>Guest:&nbsp; Bill McKendry<br> <a href="https://twitter.com/billmckendry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeamGloo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//</p>

ARE DAOS AND NFTS LEGIT? As the Church looks to Blockchain & Crypto, are DAOs and NFTs legit? Are these gimmicks, or is there a future for the church in the new technologies? Are NFTs legitimate, or is this a gimmick? In a recent Digital Church Network Roundtable we dug into the legitimacy of blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Part two in the series, we’ll be exploring the idea of DAOs and NFTs. ARE THERE LEGITIMATE MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES HERE? Kingdom tools? To find out, we’re bringing in decentralized church experts Jon Dengler and Jason Dukes as we explore how DAOs and NFTs could be the tools of the future, decentralized church. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below: Apple Podcasts | RSS Feed | Anchor | Overcast | Spotify | Pocket Casts | Google Play ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff ReedTHECHURCH.DIGITAL & DigitalChurch.NetworkTwitter // Facebook // Instagram // LinkedIn // YouTube Guest: John DenglerFacebook// LinkedIn // YouTube Guest: Jason Dukes RESOURCES Give to DigitalChurch.Network - http://digitalchurch.network/give DIGITAL CHURCH NETWORK COMMUNITY: https://digitalchurch.network/joinfam  PODCAST: The Church Digital Podcast - https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/ep197-jason-shepperd-developing-a-microchurch-network  PODCAST: Being a Church in the Marketplace - https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-goal-leadership-podcast-31000280/episode/being-the-church-in-the-marketplace-33021791 WEBSITE: The Well - http://www.welltampa.com/p/about-wel.html 

<p>Christ-Centered Recovery is so important in digital and metaverse spaces, so why are churches hesitant to do Christ-Centered Recovery digitally?<br><br>There is an incredible opportunity digitally to offer Christ-Centered Recovery, yet very few organizations offer recovery in digital- or metaverse- spaces. Churches are looking for the opportunity. Digital Church Network is excited to explore the topic of Christ-Centered Recovery and draw attention to the need and inspire those looking to meet the need.<br><br>Opening up this conversation is Nate Graybill from Watermark Church in Dallas, TX. As Director of Re:generation, a Christ-Centered Recovery system developed by Watermark Church, Nate has seen the benefit of recovery digitally, as Re:generation has been used by Watermark and other churches digitally. <br><br>Let’s talk about the opportunities (and challenges) of recovery in digital- and metaverse spaces, in this Roundtable.</p> <h2>SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST</h2> <p>If <span>you're enjoying this episode</span>, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="9sir-7-0">Apple Podcasts</span></a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><br></a><a href="///fairlyspiritual" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a> // <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: <a href="https://www.watermark.org/people/nate-graybill" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Nate Graybill</a><br>re:generation, Watermark Church, National Director<br><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-graybill-60370475" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>For participants looking for resources: <a href="http://www.regenerationrecovery.org">http://www.regenerationrecovery.org</a></li> <li>For churches looking to learn more about starting re:generation: <a href="http://www.watermarkresources.com">http://www.watermarkresources.com</a></li> <li>For the re:generation Conference Sept 12-13 in Dallas: <a href="http://www.watermarkresources.com/conferences">http://www.watermarkresources.com/conferences</a></li> </ul> <h2>ABOUT NATE GRAYBILL</h2> <p>Nate Graybill is the National Director and founder of Re:generation Recovery at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, TX. Nate found healing from pornography through Christ in 2000 and started a Celebrate Recovery ministry at Watermark in 2002. Four years later, Nate left his career in strategic planning and

<h2>RURAL CHURCHES HAVE STRUGGLED WITH TECHNOLOGY...</h2> <p>Is there an opportunity to do something different? Enter Michael Beck, one of the loudest voices in America towards fresh expressions. Michael is releasing a new book “Fresh Expressions of the Rural Church” where Michael and co-author Tyler Kleeberger discuss innovative ideas surrounding the Rural Church.</p> <h2>WHAT IS THE ROLE OF DIGITAL IN A RURAL CHURCH?</h2> <p>What is the role of digital in a rural church? Is it possible to use the scalability of digital in simpler environments? How can digital discipleship complement what’s happening in physical space? Let’s find out on this episode of The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <h2>SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST</h2> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><br> </a><a href="///fairlyspiritual" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Michael Beck<br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/michael.beck.1044" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reverendwild1/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram </a>//<a href="https://michaeladambeck.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> Website</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Give to DigitalChurch.Network - <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/give" rel="noopener" target="_blank">http://digitalchurch.network/give</a></li> <li>DIGITAL CHURCH NETWORK COMMUNITY: <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>digitalchurch.network/joinfam</strong></a></li> <li>Dr. Michael Beck's Website: <a href="https://michaeladambeck.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://michaeladambeck.com/</a></li> <li>Find Dr. Beck's books on Amazon here: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Adam-Beck/e/B07PQZDBGH/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Adam-Beck</a></li> </ul>

<h2>DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT WILL HELP US REACH DIFFERENT PEOPLE.</h2> <p>Fortunately, God has equipped us with imagination, allowing us an opportunity to come up with different, creative ideas to connect with people. And, as a result of COVID, there is probably no better time in human history for imaginative ideas than right now.</p> <h2>THIS IS THE HEART BEHIND MISSIONAL IMAGINATION.</h2> <p>How can these ideas be used for kingdom purposes? How can we network or collaborate with others to make this Missional Imagination a reality? Let’s dig into this Missional Imagination conversation with Patrick O’Connell, Global Director of NewThing Network. NewThing specializes in collaboration, and the idea of unique expressions of church (physically and digitally) is right up their alley. The idea of Missional Imagination is the front door to NewThing’s Movement System, which is crucial to NewThing’s (and DCN’s) desire to start organic disciple-making movements!</p> <h2 style="line-height: 1;">SO WHAT'S YOUR IDEA?</h2> <p>What can God do with your Missional Imagination? Dive into this podcast with</span> <a href="mailto:patrickoconnell@newthing.org" style="font-weight: normal;">Patrick O'Connell</a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> and discover what God may have in store for you… here on The Church Digital Podcast.<p> <!--more--><hr> <h2>SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST</h2> <p>If <span>you're enjoying this episode</span>, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="9sir-7-0">Apple Podcasts</span></a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><br></a><a href="///fairlyspiritual" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="font-weight: bold;">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Patrick O'Connell<br><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickoconnell/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="font-weight: bold;">LinkedIn</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Give to DigitalChurch.Network - <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/give" rel="noopener" target="_blank">http://digitalchurch.network/give</a></li> <li><span style="color: #000000;">DIGITAL CHURCH NETWORK COMMUNITY: <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam" rel="noopener" target="_blank" style="font-style: normal;"><strong>digitalchurch.network/joinfam</strong></a></span></li> </ul> <h2 style="font-size: 32px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #000000;">ABOUT PATRICK O'CONNELL</span></h2> <p><span>Patrick O’Connell is the Director of NewThing. After graduating college and a stint in the

<p>GET MORE INFORMATION ON <em>CHURCH IN A VR BAR - </em><a href="http://churchinavrbar.com" target="_blank">http://churchinavrbar.com</a></p> <p>A SELF-PROCLAIMED "PASTOR AT THE BAR"</p> <p>Joey Santos has been on The Church Digital Podcast in the past, talking about his experiences doing church at a physical bar in Ohio. A self-proclaimed “Pastor at the Bar”, I wasn’t surprised in a recent conversation when Joey said,</p> <blockquote>“<em>Jeff, what would it look like to open a Bar in Virtual Reality and be the church in that space?</em>”</blockquote> <p>I wasn’t surprised but, I’ll admit, I got really excited.</p> <p>Church in a VR Bar is a bit away from reality, but I wanted you to hear the heart behind the idea of a VR Bar. Catch a vision for the VR Bar, and maybe find out the role you (and your church) can play…</p> <h2>AND, THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING</h2> <p>And, knowing us, this is only the beginning as we explore creating more shared experiences in virtual reality… only here on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <h2>SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST</h2> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Church in a VR Bar - <a href="http://churchinavrbar.com" target="_blank"><strong>http://churchinavrbar.com</strong></a></li> <li>Give to DigitalChurch.Network - <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/give" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>http://digitalchurch.network/give</strong></a></li> <li>DIGITAL CHURCH NETWORK COMMUNITY: <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>digitalchurch.network/joinfam</strong></a></li> </ul> <h2>ABOUT JOEY SANTOS</h2> <p>"One of my passions is to pour my life into helping the body of Christ to learn, develop, and grow in maturity of faith and relationship with Jesus Christ.</p> <p>I believe in the power of one – one life committed to Jesus can make an enormous impact when connected to another life committed to Jesus. When those lives become connected with other lives by passion and vision, the power to impact our world with the love and message of Jesus grows exponentially. It all starts with one. Perhaps you are that one – I believe you can reach your full potential in Jesus."</p>

<div class="hs-embed-wrapper" data-service="youtube" data-responsive="true" style="position: relative; overflow: hidden; width: 100%; height: auto; padding: 0; max-width: 600px; max-height: 337px; min-width: 256px; display: block; margin: auto;"><div class="hs-embed-content-wrapper"><div style="position: relative; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 56.17%; margin: 0px;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KSRJazVuEqY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: none;"></iframe></div></div></div> <h2>TABLES ARE TURNED THIS WEEK.</h2> <p>Jeff is getting interviewed by Pastor and Author Doug Bursch. Virtually complete strangers, Jeff and Doug meet for the first time in this podcast recording and discuss the challenges and obstacles of social media and digital church.&nbsp;</p> <h2>A FASCINATING AND HILARIOUS CONVERSATION.</h2> <p>Doug and Jeff talk about Doug’s book - <a href="https://amzn.to/3CyIYTH"><span>Posting Peace, Why Social Media Divides Us and What We Can Do About It</span></a>, applying some of Doug’s principles of Social Media into Digital Church overall.</p> <p>Looking for insight on who this Jeff guy is? Start with this podcast right here!</p> <!--more--><hr> <h2>SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST</h2> <p>If <span>you're enjoying this episode</span>, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="9sir-7-0">Apple Podcasts</span></a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><br></a><a href="/fairlyspiritual" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="font-weight: bold;">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Doug Bursch<br><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com//fairlyspiritual" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter // Facebook</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/fairlyspiritual/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> Instagram</a> // </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-bursch-2b797412" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="font-weight: bold;">LinkedIn </a>//<a href="http://postingpeace.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="font-weight: bold;"> Website</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Give to DigitalChurch.Network - <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/give" rel="noopener" target="_blank">http://digitalchurch.network/give</a></li> <l

<p>Seacoast gets it. To reach different people you have to do something different, and Seacoast is doing something different. What are they doing? Well, I don’t want to give it away here in the intro but...</p> <blockquote> <p><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Lato, Calibri, Arial, sans-serif;">Let’s just say the South Carolina megachurch is exploring a future model of church that I believe will be very popular in the months and years to come.</span></p> </blockquote> <p>Vague enough for you? Dig into the podcast and discover what Seacoast is up to, and how you can experiment with this idea as well.</p> <!--more--><hr> <h2>SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST</h2> <p>If <span>you're enjoying this episode</span>, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="9sir-7-0">Apple Podcasts</span></a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><br></a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="font-weight: bold;">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Ryan Scott<br><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/vtryscott" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span> </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-scott-8ab16440/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="font-weight: bold;">LinkedIn&nbsp;</a></p> <p>Guest: Gabe DeWalk<br><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/gabedewalk/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a><span>&nbsp;</span>//<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabe-dewalk-4aa64122b/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="font-weight: bold;">LinkedIn</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Give to DigitalChurch.Network - <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/give" rel="noopener" target="_blank">http://digitalchurch.network/give</a></li> <li><span style="color: #000000;">DIGITAL CHURCH NETWORK COMMUNITY: <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam" rel="noopener" target="_blank" style="font-style: normal;"><strong>digitalchurch.network/joinfam</strong></a></span></li> <li> <p>Missional Imagination,&nbsp;Asynchronous Communities,&nbsp;The Digital Church Video</p> </li> <li> <p>Seacoast Podcast launching in August</p> </li> </ul> <h2 style="font-size: 32px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #000000;">ABOUT RYAN SCOTT</span></h2> <p>Ryan is the Online Campus Pastor for Seacoast, a multi-site mega-church in the Carolinas. <p>In 2010, Ryan joined Seacoast Church as a Worship Leader and later became the Ass

Part Two of this Apprenticing Roundtable will happen Tuesday, August 23rd, 7pm Eastern in a Digital Church Network LIVE Roundtable on Apprenticing.  Bring questions and let's dig in. More info http://thechurch.digital/apprentice THE NEGATIVE TREND CONTINUES IN 2022, AS .... post-COVID churches are closing quicker than we can open them. In this decrease season, it is essential for our churches to multiply… even more so in digital space! Our digital and metaverse churches need to multiply to better capitalize on the opportunities available to reach a different type of person. And, as Eric Metcalf says, This is why it is so important for our digital and metaverse churches to have apprentices This approach helps to intentionally focus on multiplying. In this season of infancy, when digital ministry is new and often misunderstood, successful digital churches need to apprentice in order to multiply. How do we multiply? What does apprenticing look like in digital and metaverse spaces? Let’s dig in with Eric Metcalf and find out here on The Church Digital Podcast. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below: Apple Podcasts | RSS Feed | Anchor | Overcast | Spotify | Pocket Casts | Google Play ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed THECHURCH.DIGITAL & DigitalChurch.Network Twitter // Facebook // Instagram // LinkedIn // YouTube Guest: Eric Metcalf ABOUT ERIC METCALF Eric Metcalf serves as a coach for Courage to Lead, NewThing Global Executive Director and NewThing Chicagoland Director. He planted a church in the city of Chicago, launched NewThing’s Leadership Residency Program, directed NewThing and provided leadership to Community Christian Church’s Small Group Ministry. Eric has been married for 23 years to his beautiful wife Erin and has three incredible children: Joey (18), Lydia (17), and Max (14). RESOURCES Give to DigitalChurch.Network - http://digitalchurch.network/give DIGITAL CHURCH NETWORK COMMUNITY: digitalchurch.network/joinfam RPMS - Relationally Physically Mentally Spiritually Carl George - 9 Keys to effective small group ministry - https://amzn.to/3BAAQSc

HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN ONE OF THOSE EMAILS WHERE... ...the prince of Nigeria is looking for some money in order to restore his kingdom? All he needs from you is $600,000 wired to one of his accounts, and once restored he will return your loan 10-fold. Well, maybe you’re brave enough to try this. I am not. That being said, there are other opportunities coming out of Africa that are worth your attention. HOW DOES A WOMAN FROM GEORGIA CONNECT WITH AFRICANS AND OTHERS GLOBALLY? Meet Anne Bosarge. Anne runs The Chapel Online, a Digital Church that is reaching people globally, including a very strong presence in Africa. So, how does a woman from Georgia connect with Africans and others globally? What does an intercontinental disciple making relationship look like, digitally? Let’s dig into how The Chapel Online works, and how effective Anne Bosarge and her team is at discipling people on a global scale through digital methods.  SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below: Apple Podcasts | RSS Feed | Anchor | Overcast | Spotify | Pocket Casts | Google Play ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff ReedTHECHURCH.DIGITAL & DigitalChurch.NetworkTwitter // Facebook // Instagram // LinkedIn // YouTube Guest: Anne BosargeTwitter // Facebook // Instagram //LinkedIn  RESOURCES Give to DigitalChurch.Network -

It was a quick throwaway line from Lucas Pulley with Metaverse Church NEXT… "We’re even doing Dungeons & Dragons Church!"  Wait, what? Dungeons and Dragons Church? Is that allowed? Evidently, yes, it is allowed. Meet Andy Corson, a Bi-vocational minister with a unique history of creating unique expressions of Church. Preaching in a Bar? Doing bible studies for Dungeons & Dragons players in a game store? Andy has a heart to reach bikers, bar people and gamers for Christ, and has a history of creating unique expressions of church that are reaching people that our buildings typically don’t reach. Dive into this conversation with Andy Corson and Lucas Pulley (Executive Director of Tampa Underground). In today's discussion, we'll explore unique expressions of Church, here on The Church Digital Podcast. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below: Apple Podcasts | RSS Feed | Anchor | Overcast | Spotify | Pocket Casts | Google Play ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed THECHURCH.DIGITAL & DigitalChurch.Network Twitter // Facebook // Instagram // LinkedIn // YouTube Guest: Lucas Pulley Twitter // Instagram //LinkedIn RESOURCES Give to DigitalChurch.Network - http://digitalchurch.network/give DIGITAL CHURCH NETWORK COMMUNITY: digitalchurch.network/joinfam ABOUT LUCAS PULLEY Lucas has been planting microchurches for 11 years. His goal is to equip believers to be on God's mission so they can transform the cities where they live. Lucas is the Director at Tampa Underground Network, an experimental community made up of over 100 microchurches, pursuing change in the church and mission in the world. He's led a network of decentralized small churches and continues to lead a house church in inner-city Tampa today along with his wife and their two sons.   

WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF YOUR CHURCH ACHIEVED GLOBAL REACH, DIGITALLY? This is what Casa Church Miami is wrestling with. A Hispanic Church in the heart of Miami, Casa Church Miami saw it’s ministry expand broadcasting church services on social media, but online church services is not the endgame, but the beginning, of online ministry. LET’S TALK WITH EZEQUIEL FATTORE, AND LEARN HOW CASA CHURCH MIAMI IS EXPANDING INTO LATIN AND SOUTH AMERICA DIGITALLY. How is Casa Church expanding onto another continent using digital ministry? What does it look like for Casa Church to impact physical lives across the planet? Let’s dig in and learn from Ezequiel and Jeff here on The Church Digital Podcast. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below: Apple Podcasts | RSS Feed | Anchor | Overcast | Spotify | Pocket Casts | Google Play ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff Reed THECHURCH.DIGITAL & DigitalChurch.Network Twitter // Facebook // Instagram // LinkedIn // YouTube Guest: Ezequiel Fattore Twitter // Facebook // Instagram //LinkedIn RESOURCES Give to DigitalChurch.Network - http://digitalchurch.network/give DIGITAL CHURCH NETWORK COMMUNITY: digitalchurch.network/joinfam Metaverse Summit: https://leadnet.org/metaverse-church-summit/ Website:https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-091-tyler-sansom-building-using-influence-as-a-digital-missionary Website: https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/tyler-sansom-and-the-influencer-as-a-digital-missionary

<h2>CAN AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHURCHES BE EFFECTIVE IN DIGITAL MINISTRY?</h2> <p>Coming out of COVID, what is the role of digital? This is a challenge for many of today’s churches, including African-American Churches. Typically, African-American churches have struggled technologically, but having learned in the COVID season how to do digital ministry, is there an opportunity for an African-American church to continue digital ministry post-COVID?</p> <h2>LET’S TALK AFRICAN-AMERICAN DIGITAL MINISTRY WITH LMICHELLE</h2> <p>For the conversation we’re bringing in LMichelle Salvant. One of the early voices in Augmented Reality, LMichelle is active with Higher Dimension Church in Tallahassee, Florida. Are African-Americans open to digital expressions of church? What does discipleship look like digitally in African-American churches? We’re going to dig in and talk African-American Digital with LMichelle and Jeff Reed here on The Church Digital Podcast.</p>

<p>Alright. This is one of these conversations where we probably won’t put our technology hat on. We’re not talking some new technique or process for digital ministry. Instead, we’re going to dive deep into microchurch.</p> <p>LET’S BETTER UNDERSTAND MICROCHURCH STRATEGY, AND HOW IT CAN REACH THE CITY.<br> As we look at Decentralized Microchurches, we see an immense opportunity to reach people digitally… utilizing digital community in the same way that physical microchurches are reaching to their community. The potential of a microchurch is far more than just doing a neighborhood bible study, as Taylor McCall says it opens up a new opportunity, to create a new city. Mindblown? We are too.&nbsp;</p> <p>DOES TAYLOR’S MCCALL’S MICROCHURCH STRATEGY FOR BRAVE CITIES PAVE THE WAY FOR DIGITAL MICRO? <br> Taylor’s Microchurch strategy is aggressive, but what does it mean for Digital? How can we use Digital to not only reach our city, but to create new expressions of the city? What is a digital city anyway? Or what is the role of digital in reaching our city? These questions, and many more, with Taylor McCall &amp; Jeff Reed on The Church Digital Podcast.&nbsp;</p> <p>ABOUT TAYLOR MCCALL<br> Taylor McCall is the founder of Common Thread — a movement of interconnected churches in Birmingham, AL, that consists of intentional neighborhood communities, small businesses and justice works in their city and multiple cities around the world. Taylor and his wife Lindsey and their five children live in downtown Birmingham and have been living in and practicing intentional community for over a decade.</p>

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE CHURCH LOOK LIKE? This is the question we’re asking. Post-COVID we’ve learned a lot of what a church can look like digitally, but how do these lessons help the Church moving forward. You’ve heard us talk about digital expressions of church, but are these social media churches, zoom churches, even streamers doing church… are these opportunities viable? What about the physical churches that are no longer financially viable. As we see potential recession and economical strains, is there potential for struggling physical churches to move digital for a season? What examples are we already seeing of struggling churches that are moving digital for the next season? LEONARDO BLAIR FROM CHRISTIANPOST.COM TALKS THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL CHURCH Leonardo Blair recently wrote a very detailed article on Digital Church Network, and how we’re supporting digital- and metaverse- churches. Curious what an outside perspective looks like for Digital and Metaverse churches? Let’s dig in with Leonardo from ChristianPost.com and see how people, today, are taking advantage of digital and metaverse churches. ABOUT LEONARDO BLAIR Leonardo Blair is an award-winning investigative reporter and feature writer whose career spanned secular media in the Caribbean and New York City prior to joining The Christian Post in 2013. His early work with CP focusing on crime and Christian societyt. He continues to report extensively on church crimes, spiritual abuse, mental health, the black church and major events impacting Christian culture. He is a 2007 alumnus of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he was an inaugural member of the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism. He lives with his wife and two sons in New York City. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below: Apple Podcasts | RSS Feed | Anchor | Overcast | Spotify | Pocket Casts | Google Play ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff ReedTHECHURCH.DIGITAL & DigitalChurch.NetworkTwitter // Facebook // Instagram // LinkedIn // YouTube Guest: Leonardo BlairTwitter // Instagram //

RUDE PEOPLE! THE INTERNET IS FILLED WITH THEM. Seems like wherever you turn there are negative people, angry people. To make matters worse, they seem to be louder on the Internet. So we as digital pastors and planters strive to do ministry in an area that attracts rude people, almost enabling them by giving them a platform? Sounds about right. CHURCH, LET’S NOT RUN FROM RUDE PEOPLE. IS IT POSSIBLE TO RUN TOWARDS THEM? That’s tricky, right? How do we do ministry with rude people when they are rude? How do we set aside personal feelings and motivations to reach people who may need Jesus most? Jesus did turn over the tables that one time. What is the difference between man’s anger and God’s?  CHURCH, ARE WE GUILTY OF BEING RUDE? This may not be a stretch, but are we guilty of being rude? As we look at our churches are we guilty of being rude towards people who think differently than us. Are we guilty of positioning ourselves in an echo chamber, ignoring people who think differently than us? These are the questions we’re asking Seth Muse, Founder of Church Comm Team, as we begin to wrestle with how to minister to rude people, digitally. ABOUT SETH MUSE Seth has been in ministry for over 20 years. He is the co-founder of Church Comm Team, a company aimed at helping the local church turn the chaos of church communications into clockwork. He has served as Communications Director at a large church in North Dallas and is also the host of The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast, blogs at sethmuse.com, and has his Masters of Arts in Media and Communications from Dallas Theological Seminary. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below: Apple Podcasts | RSS Feed | Anchor | Overcast | Spotify | Pocket Casts | Google Play ON THE SHOW Host: Jeff ReedTHECHURCH.DIGITAL & DigitalChurch.NetworkTwitter // Facebook // Instagram // LinkedIn // YouTube Guest: Seth MuzeFacebook //

<p>Give to DigitalChurch.Network - <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/give" target="_blank">http://digitalchurch.network/give</a></p> <p><strong>SADDLEBACK IS REACHING A DIFFERENT TYPE OF PERSON THROUGH THEIR EXTENSION CAMPUSES</strong></p> <p>Even some physical churches are learning that they reach a different type of person through different methods. This is the heart behind Saddleback’s Extension Campuses. Through multiple revisions in recent memory, the giga-church Saddleback has been exploring the idea of operating as a microchurch, struggling to figure out a model of operation that can operate through a decentralized framework that empowers people to have the freedom to minister in their context.</p> <p>This is an exciting, but challenging idea. How can a massive church like Saddleback release control?</p> <h2><strong>JAY KRANDA BRINGS 10+ YEARS OF INSIGHT INTO THE CONVERSATION OF DECENTRALIZED CHURCH</strong></h2> <p>This is the beauty of the conversation with Jay Kranda here. Jay openly admits that he nor Saddleback have all the answers. In this weakness, though, is strength. In Jay’s search for the answers, he sheds insight on the heart of church innovation, and an understanding that will help our churches better understand that we don’t need to know the answers, yet. The freedom is in not knowing the answers, but recognizing the questions and having permission to explore.</p> <h2>&nbsp;<strong>ABOUT JAY KRANDA</strong></h2> <p>Jay Kranda is the Online Community Pastor at Saddleback Church. Oversees an online community of online groups and homes groups around the globe. Co-author of “State of the Online Church” and "Going Beyond Streaming". Graduate of Biola University and Talbot School of Theology. Loves the NBA, cold coffee, and chess. Married to Jody and have 2 boys and 1 girl.</p> <h2>SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST</h2> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/">DigitalChurch.Network</a><br> <a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej">Twitter</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej">Instagram</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Jay Kranda<br> <a href="https://twitter.com/jaykranda" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JayKranda" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jaykranda/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram&nbsp;</a>// <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/JayKranda" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></p>

<h2>DIGITAL CHURCHES ARE REACHING PEOPLE WITH HEALTH ISSUES</h2> <p>We talk about how Digital Churches reach different types of people. This week we’re talking about Painted Prayers, a creative, digital expression of church that’s found a way to reach a different type of person. Brianna Heida planted Painted Prayers to reach creative people. As an artist, Brianna was woven many creative aspects into her church as well as the church’s creative process. A year or so into the church, the experiment of Painted Prayers has gone far to connect with a creative audience.</p> <p>Through her ministry life, though, Brianna discovered that she personally had a number of health issues that drastically limited her ability to do ministry physically. While this led to her desire to do ministry digitally, her health limitations actually allowed her to connect with others that also have physical ailments that prevent them from connecting with physical churches.</p> <h2>DIGITAL CHURCHES EMPOWER LEADERS TO LEAD MINISTRY DIGITALLY THAT MAY NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD IN PHYSICAL SPACES.</h2> <p>It’s one thing for Brianna to be empowered in ministry, in spite of her medical issues, reaching people digitally via Painted Prayers. It’s another thing to work to empower people with medical issues with spiritual purpose, helping them have a voice in ministry… allowing them to disciple others… this is the beauty of a Digital Church. Not just to reach a different type of person, but to empower a different type of leader and multiply these differences out.</p> <p>So jump on the podcast where Brianna Heida and Jeff talk about the opportunities of Digital Church reach people with medical issues, but also the spiritual discipline to operate not in our strengths, but in our weaknesses.</p> <h2>ABOUT BRIANNA HEIDA</h2> <p>Brianna is a disabled artist, writer, and pastor, and her latest adventure is planting a fully digital church, Painted Prayers Church. Her heart is to reach the physically, emotionally, and spiritually disconnected, those who live in the margins and find themselves often overlooked or forgotten. She can be found on all the socials @briheida, and you can learn more about her church at <a href="http://paintedprayers.org/">http://paintedprayers.org</a>.</p> <h2>SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST</h2> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>THE CHALLENGE OF CHURCH INNOVATION &amp; HUMILITY</h2> <p>What if what the church needs isn't more of the same. What if it really needs something different. The challenge of church disruption, of innovation even, can be couched in two different mindsets. One is a prideful innovation, one where we know what's best for know what's best for a person, and pridefully lead the person or persons in the way that we think best. The second, though is a humble innovation, one that is led by the Spirit. One that acknowledges that He is, and that we are not.</p> <p>This is where Missional Imagination comes in. Thinking outside the box, doing something different, but realizing that the missional impact does not come from our efforts, but our dependence on the Holy Spirit in and through our lives.</p> <h2>IS GOD MOVING THROUGH US, OR ARE WE WORKING REALLY HARD?</h2> <p>This is the question we asked Michael Beck. With a storied career, Michael works helping fresh expressions of church launch across America, and has experience with metaverse churches, digital churches, prison ministries, homeless, and much more. Author of many books in the Digital/Fresh Expression space, Michael has spent years championing out-of-the box thinking, if for no other reason than positioning the person in a place of humility. So what is Missional Imagination, and how does it lead us to a place of dependence on the Holy Spirit? Let's dig in and find out.</p> <p><br></p> <p><strong>SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST</strong></p> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Michael Beck<br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/michael.beck.1044" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reverendwild1/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>BOOK: Fresh Expressions in a Digital Age, by Michael Beck - <a href="https://amzn.to/3tdtcrB">https://amzn.to/3tdtcrB</a></li> <li>BOOK: Painting with Ashes - When Your Weakness Becomes Your Superpower, by Michael Beck - <a href="https://amzn.to/3miC8rW">https://amzn.to/3miC8rW</a></li> </ul>

<h2>Can We Really Be Digital Missionaries?</h2> <p>This is the heart of the conversation with Dave Ferguson today. Dave, and his brother Jon, recently released a book B.L.E.S.S. which details how people can be a missionary in physical space… “Begin with Prayer, Listen, Eat a Meal Together, Serve, Share Jesus”… Recently the question was asked: Can we do the BLESS practices digitally? Can BLESS become the framework for a Digital Missionary.</p> <p>So, we invited in a bunch of digital pastors and digital planters and asked them the question:&nbsp;<em>As you’re looking at BLESS, how would we do this digitally? </em>Some things make perfect sense on how this could apply as a digital missionary. Other parts, well, needed adapting. How do we adapt it? I think we made solid headway…</p> <h2><strong>Dave Ferguson’s BLESS is All About Intimate Relationships that Point to Jesus. How Do We Do that Digitally?</strong></h2> <p>The biggest issue we found? How do you eat together digitally? in the metaverse? What do we do there? Dave’s solution is fascinating.</p> <p>So, let’s jump into the conversation with Dave Ferguson as well as Pastors and Planters from Digital Church Network, as we join the conversation centered around creating a Digital Missionary Culture.</p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest:&nbsp;<a href="https://daveferguson.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Dave Ferguson</a><br> <a href="https://www.communitychristian.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Community Christian Church</a>, Lead Pastor // <a href="http://newthing.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">NewThing Network</a>,Visionary Leader<br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dave-Ferguson-338036700020/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/fergusondave/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="mailto:daveferguson@communitychristian.org" rel=" noopener">Email</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/3dUAozk" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Amazon</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Jon Ferguson's TCD Podcast talking Digital Missionaries, BLESS Practices: <a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/jon-ferguson-can-bless-be-the-framework-of-a-digital-missionary" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/jon-ferguson-can-bless-be-the-framework-of-a-digital-missionary</a></li> <li>Full list of Roundtable Events and trainings at&nbsp;<a href="http://fam.digitalchurch.network/events" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://fam.digitalchurch.network/events</a></li> <li>BOOK: BLESS: 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change Your World by Dave &amp; Jon Ferguson: <a href="https://amzn.to/3FOe1uc" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3FOe1uc</a></li> <li>BLESS Practices:<br> Begin with Prayer<br> Listen<br> Eat Together // Shared Experiences<br> Serve<br> Share Jesus</li> </ul>

<h2>How are We Supposed to Stay Healthy When We're Literally Ministering in Addictive Spaces?</h2> <p>Internet Addiction is actually a thing. So wait, we're trying to do ministry, we're trying to be the church, in digital- and metaverse- spaces... and evidently these areas are addictive. How do we do ministry in areas that can damage ourselves? How do we minister to those that are damaged? The more complex these technologies become, the more we need to respect and understand the scope of the battlefield. What does the Armor of God look like in digital &amp; metaverse spaces.</p> <p>This is the conversation we're having today. Can damage happen to us in digital and metaverse spaces? Of course! Could damage happen to the bible runners that smuggled the gospel behind the iron curtain, or even biblically when the disciples stood up against Rome? Carrying our cross can look different in the metaverse, but how do we prepare ourselves for the battle?</p> <h2>What Does the Armor of God Look Like for Digital- and Metaverse- Churches?</h2> <p>These are just some of the questions Jeff and Chris Caputo start digging into. There are challenges in digital and metaverse spaces. This doesn't mean we give up! This means we work through and discover how to prepare, which is what we're starting right here in this podcast. So jump on this conversation where Jeff &amp; Chris start digging into how to combat Internet Addictions while doing digital ministry!</p> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Chris Caputo<br> <a href="https://heseddiscipleshipnetwork.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Hesed Discipleship Network</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Internet Addictions Article: <a href="https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/internet-addiction/">https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/internet-addiction/</a></li> <li>5 Types of Internet Addiction:<br> 1) CyberSex Addiction<br> 2) Internet Compulsion<br> 3) Cyber (Online) Relationships Addiction<br> 4) Compulsion Internet Seeking<br> 5) Computer- or Gaming- Addiction</li> </ul>

<p>Could Everyone in Your Church Become a Digital Missionary?</p> <p>What if your Physical-, Digital-, or Metaverse- Church used Digital as the training ground to release Digital Missionaries? What if we utilized the strength of digital to train, activate and release people to reach their circle of influence physically, digitally, or even in the Metaverse? Maybe, just maybe, digital can provide the spiritual purpose that many churches are missing beyond the content-driven Sunday mornings, and help us move from a knowledge-based Discipleship format to an obedience-based Discipleship framework.</p> <p>As aggressive as everyone in your church becoming a digital missionary is, maybe we're not that far off. Enter Jon Ferguson into the conversation. Jon, and his brother Dave Ferguson, developed a framework called BLESS to help empower and activate people in physical space. What if that framework works digitally?</p> <p>Jon Ferguson &amp; Jeff Reed Talk BLESS, Figuring Out How to Apply The Framework to Digital- and Metaverse- Spaces.</p> <p>So let's learn more about Dave &amp; Jon's BLESS Practices. Let's hypothesize more about how to make BLESS the foundational piece of Digital Missionaries, and maybe (just maybe) we'll help some churches find some opportunities along the way.</p> <p>ON THE SHOW<br> Host: Jeff Reed<br> THECHURCH.DIGITAL &amp; DigitalChurch.Network</p> <p>Guest: Jon Ferguson<br> Community Christian Church</p> <p>RESOURCES</p> <p>• BOOK: BLESS: 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change Your World by Dave &amp; Jon Ferguson: https://amzn.to/3FOe1uc</p> <p>• Dave Ferguson's Digital Church Network ROUNDTABLE on Monday, 5/23 9pm Eastern: https://fam.digitalchurch.network/posts/22570319?utm_source=manual</p> <p>• Leadership Network's Metaverse Church Summit on Wedensday, May 18, 1pm Eastern: http://leadnet.org/metaverse-church-summit</p> <p>• BOOK: Jesus is the Question by Martin Copenhaver: https://amzn.to/39RwYAa</p> <p>• BLESS Practices:</p> <p>Begin with Prayer<br> Listen<br> Eat Together<br> Serve<br> Share Jesus</p> <p><br></p> <p><br></p>

<h2>What Could Digital Missionaries Look Like for your Church?</h2> <p>We’re talking digital missionary today, with my friend. I love hanging out with my friend Tyler Sansom. You know, we rarely ever see each other physically. I think we’ve only been together two, maybe three times in our lifetime. But an encouraging text, a well-timed email, or a Spirit-led Facebook Message is always good to lift my spirits. I’m proud of my friend Tyler, who just transitioned to become Lead Pastor of First Capital Christian Church, up in Corydon, IN.</p> <p>Tyler’s no stranger to the podcast, He’s been on the show more than anyone (sorry Jay Kranda!), and today we’re talking Digital Missionaries. First Capital/Church Anywhere has been experimenting with the idea of digital missionaries, but their approach has been more bent towards Influencers, and it’s been bringing some fascinating results.</p> <h2>Tyler &amp; Jeff Answer Your Digital Missionary Questions</h2> <p>What can Digital Missionaries do for a Digital Ministry or Digital Church? Is the Influencer approach effective? What’s a good place to start? Let’s dig in as Tyler Sansom and I discuss the Influencer as a Digital Missionary.</p>

<h2>What Does Your Church's Content Strategy Look Like?</h2> <p>What is the role of content in the church, and how can we maximize this content. Yes, our weekend services are content, but there is so much more our churches can do to create, and connect, to people digitally.</p> <p>Let’s bring in Mark MacDonald into the conversation. Mark, author of the book <em>Be Known for Something</em>, has been helping churches master not only content creation, but also to maximize the impact by developing a content strategy.</p> <h2>Jeff &amp; Mark Give You the Answers to Your Church Content Strategy Questions</h2> <p>Are you a physical church doing digital ministry? Digital church? Either way there’s definitely lessons you can take away when Mark and Jeff talk Creating Your Church’s Content Strategy.</p> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a> | <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Mark MacDonald<br> <a href="http://beknownforsomething.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Be Known For Something</a><br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MarkMacDonaldOfficial" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://twitter.com/mackmac1023" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Mark MacDonald's Book, Be Known For Something on Amazon - <a href="https://amzn.to/3vwscRc">https://amzn.to/3vwscRc</a></li> <li>Buy Mark's Book in Bulk from <a href="http://beknownforsomething.com/">http://beknownforsomething.com</a></li> <li>Google Search Terms - <a href="http://keywordtool.io/">http://keywordtool.io</a></li> </ul>

<p>Pastor, are we tired of pivoting yet? I'm sure this season has been exhausting, but as much as we have tried different things (that may or may not have worked) the important question at hand is simple: what lessons did we learn? In this COVID season, Pastor, it's easy to chalk up the past two years as a one time experiment and ignore the potential lessons along the way.</p> <p>Can those lessons, though, help the pivoting? Can experimenting prevent the radical shift we've all felt in this COVID season? Let's talk with Kent Jacob, Lead Pastor at EPIC Church and Justin Dela Cruz, EPIC's Director of Campuses, where they talk about their COVID experiment. Lots of churches talked about shutting their doors in this COVID season, and encouraging Microsite development. EPIC did it, only doing physical church services once a month (other services were online/microsite).</p> <p>Did the experiment work? How did their experiment position them for the future? Let's find out as we talk with Kent &amp; Justin about EPIC's experiment, the lessons learned, and what's next for their church!</p> <p><br></p> <p>ON THE SHOW<br> Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Kent Jacobs, Lead Pastor<br> Justin Dela Cruz, Director of Campuses<br> <a href="http://epic.church/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">EPIC Church</a><br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/epicchurchphilly" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/epicchurch/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="https://www.youtube.com/epicchurchphilly" rel="noopener" target="_blank">YouTube</a></p>

<p>Goes without saying, but it 's a hard season to run a church. So much pressure week in and week out. Interestingly, this isn't going to get any easier. Culturally we've talked about <a href="https://anchor.fm/blog/is-this-legal-the-cultural-shift-away-from-event-based-evangelism" rel="noopener" target="_blank">culture is shifting and will continue to shift as a result of the adoption of metaverse</a>, and as a result we, the church, are at a crossroads.</p> <p>Yes, all these pivots are exhausting, but the question is will these pivots help us be a better church?</p> <p>Enter Steven Barr into the conversation. Steven, leader of Castmember Church, regularly deals with unbelievers on a global scale, and has faced a number of challenges to his "churched" mindset. In response, Steven has developed these nine mindsets that churches need to wrestle with to effectively connect and reach people in the future.</p> <p>Examine your church here, Pastor. Is this a season for new wine skin? What are the areas you need to improve in?</p> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a> | <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Stephen Barr<br> <a href="http://castmemberchurch.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cast Member Church</a><br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StevenLBarrCMC" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li><a href="http://castmemberchurch.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cast Member Church</a></li> <li><a href="https://anchor.fm/blog/episode-190-what-a-disney-castmember-church-can-teach-me-about-digital-discipleship" rel="noopener" target="_blank">EP190: &nbsp;What a Disney Castmember Church Can Teach Me About Digital &amp; Discipleship</a></li> </ul>

<p>Friend of Digital Ministry, ever notice how sometimes people look at you like you're WEIRD because you're involved in digital ministry? Because you stream services or get passionate about discipling people in digital or meta spaces?</p> <p>We can relate.</p> <p>Join us for Digital Ministry Doesn't Have to be Weird, LIVE! Jump in the live show, ask questions, get affirmed in your ministry and learn how to help others better understand how God is using digital, globally.</p> <p>If you want. to catch up on what's going on with Tom, Chestly, Andy, Jon and the Pocket Pulpit team, check out <a href="http://thechurch.digital/podcast" rel="noopener">http://thechurch.digital/podcast</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener">DigitalChurch.Network</a><br> <a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener">LinkedIn<strong> </strong></a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Tom Pounder<br> <a href="https://newlife.church/" rel="noopener">New Life Christian Church</a>, Online Pastor<br> <a href="https://anchor.fm/thesidekick" rel="noopener">Subscribe to TCD Sidekick Podcast</a><br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/theDigitalBootcamp/" rel="noopener">Digital Bookcamp</a>, Facebook Group<br> <a href="https://twitter.com/tapounder" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tom.pounder.18" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-pounder-223bb582/" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a></p> <p>Guest: Andy Mage<br> <a href="https://bayhope.com/" rel="noopener">Bay Hope Church</a><br> <a href="https://anchor.fm/andy-mage" rel="noopener">Subscribe to Breaking the Fifth Wall</a><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/therealandymage" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chinomage" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/therealandymage/" rel="noopener">Instagram</a></p> <p>Guest: Jason Morris<br> <a href="http://resi.io/" rel="noopener">RESI</a><a href="https://twitter.com/jasonandmaria" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jcmorris" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jasonandmaria/" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncarlmorris/" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a></p>

<p>It's 2022. If there's ever a time to start something new, this is it.</p> <p>Some of us are looking to launch digital or metaverse churches. Many of us are looking for ways to relaunch or rejuvenate our online ministries or campuses... and have we got the roadmap for you.</p> <p>We're sitting down with DigitalChurch.Network's Chestly Lunday, and talking about what it looks like to launch a digital ministry or church. Interested in planting a digital/decentralized church, or even an established church looking to better understand the nuances of digital... this is a conversation you're going to want to hear.</p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest:&nbsp;<a href="https://chestlylunday.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Chestly Lunday</a><br> <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network&nbsp;</a>//&nbsp;<a href="https://anchor.fm/chestly-lunday19" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Chestly Lunday Experience</a><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/chestly_lunday" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/chestly" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/chestlylunday/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chestly-lunday-591ab21a6/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li><a href="http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam">Join the Digital Church Network: http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam</a></li> <li><a href="https://fam.digitalchurch.network/events" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Events on the Digital Church Network: https://fam.digitalchurch.network/events</a><br> </li> <li><strong>Chestly's Launchpad<br> </strong>1. Rely on the Spirit's Leading<br> 2. Clarify Your Missional Identity<br> 3. Design Your Community Structure<br> 4. Build A Healthy Team<br> 5. Develop Your Engagement Engine<br> 6. Launch Your Community<br> </li> <li>Angela Craig's Team-building Articles<br> (<a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/team-building-your-church-online" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Part 1</a>) - <a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/team-building-your-church-online" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/team-building-your-church-online<br> </a>(<a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/team-building-your-church-online-part-2" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Part 2</a>) - <a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/team-building-your-church-online-part-2" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/team-building-your-church-online-part-2<br> </a></li> <li>Hesed Discipleship Network - <a href="https://heseddiscipleshipnetwork.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://heseddiscipleshipnetwork.com/</a></li> <li>The Chestly Lunday Experience - <a href="https://anchor.fm/chestly-lunday19" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://anchor.fm/chestly-lunday19</a></li> <li>Book: Traction - <a href="https://amzn.to/3x24eOJ" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3x24eOJ</a></li> <li>Book: Launch - <a href="https://amzn.to/3IZywnz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3IZywnz</a></li> </ul>

<p>There's a new type of Pastor coming, who's engaging in a different type of ministry. It's funny. I'm not actually sure how "new" this really is, but as the "great resignation" moves into church space, we're seeing more and more Pastors transition to a bi-vocational or co-vocational approach to ministry. Truthfully, even more exciting than this is the new wave of ministers, as the priesthood of all believers is embracing this new digital/decentralized model of church, allowing for different types of leaders to reach different types of people in different environments. Taking advantage of this decentralized model, lay people are becoming pastors and ministers of the gospel, championing digital or micro movements at a fraction of the cost of our physical buildings.</p> <p>How do you operate a church or ministry when you have a full-time job somewhere else? What does ministry look like for someone. Are they bifurcated in approach if their 9-5 is doing something other than ministry?</p> <p>Coming into the convo is Jared Hughes, Co-Pastor of Hope City Church, one of if not the US' largest digital church. Co-Pastoring with his wife Angie, the Hughes have a fresh outlook on digital ministry, connecting with thousands while developing and discipling a team approach. Listen in as we dig in to what a growing example of what pastors will look like in the future.</p> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Jared Hughes, Co-Lead Pastor<br> <a href="https://www.hopecitychurch.us/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Hope City Church</a>&nbsp;-&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hopecitychurchlive" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jared.hughes.16" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jaredlhughes/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Jared &amp; Angie Hughes - EP126 : The Co-Vocational Approach to a Digital Church</li> <li><a href="http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam">Join the Digital Church Network: http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam</a></li> <li><a href="https://fam.digitalchurch.network/events" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Events on the Digital Church Network: https://fam.digitalchurch.network/events</a></li> </ul>

<p>Season 3 is going strong, as we continue to feature the Humble Disruptors of Digital and Meta Churches. To kick it off, we're talking with two lead pastors of Digital Churches...</p> <p>The US church has lost 25% of attenders over the past 20 years. Many churches are reporting 50-60% pre-COVID attendance is back in the building. 43% of active church attenders do not strongly trust their church leaders. We are seeing a movement in the US, a movement of de-churched people. Let's talk about it.</p> <p>Who are these de-churched people? Are there common characteristics or traits to consider? Why did they leave? What are they looking for? And maybe how can our churches utilize digital to re-engage them.</p> <p>We're bringing in Dr. John Harris, Lead Pastor of Hearts Like His Church (a Digital Church), and surprise guest Jared Hughes, Lead Pastor of Hope City Church (also a Digital Church) in a conversation about recognizing and reaching the De-Churched.</p> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Dr. John Harris<br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HeartsLikeHis" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Hearts Like His</a>, Lead Pastor<a href="https://westsidefamily.church/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChapFTK" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/348946029542806/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Hearts Like His Community</a></p> <p>Guest: Jared Hughes, Co-Lead Pastor<br> <a href="https://www.hopecitychurch.us/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Hope City Church</a>&nbsp;-&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hopecitychurchlive" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jared.hughes.16" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jaredlhughes/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li><a href="http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam">Join the Digital Church Network: http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam</a></li> <li><a href="https://fam.digitalchurch.network/events" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Events on the Digital Church Network: https://fam.digitalchurch.network/events</a></li> </ul>

<p>We're kicking off Season 3 with The Church Digital Podcast this week, talking about the State of the Digital Church, and from where I sit, we are looking good! Season 3 with the podcast is going to delve into the humble disruptors that are continuing to pave the way for digital, meta, and phygital churches globally.</p> <p>Want to know what I am really excited about? Check out the podcast, and then swing over to <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam">http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li><a href="http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam">Join the Digital Church Network: http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam</a></li> <li><a href="https://fam.digitalchurch.network/events" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Events on the Digital Church Network: https://fam.digitalchurch.network/events</a></li> </ul> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/ep207-jeff-reed-and-the-state-of-the-digital-church-address" target="_blank">Full Show Notes Available at: https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/ep207-jeff-reed-and-the-state-of-the-digital-church-address</a></p>

<p>So, way back in January (seems like eons ago) THECHURCH.DIGITAL started a podcast network, and it's been a blast bringing the team together, and featuring them over the past month on The Church Digital Podcast. If you want. to catch up on what's going on with Tom, Chestly, Andy, Jon and the Pocket Pulpit team, check out <a href="http://thechurch.digital/podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">http://thechurch.digital/podcast</a></p> <p>But life goes on, and we finally get back to normal. Well, almost. This is the last week of the Podcast Takeover season but this time it's me taking over my own podcast. Within the past month I have started doing a live show with Leadership Network on Metaverse Church, and we're doing a Podcast Takeover ONE MORE TIME to introduce my first episode of <em>Metaverse Church NEXT.</em></p> <p>Guest here on the podcast, Michael Uzdavines, Metaverse Pastor with Cornerstone Yuba City/VR. Cornerstone is a physical church in Northern California who has been doing Metaverse Church for a year or so... and doing a phenomenal job with it. Curious what the future Church of the Metaverse is going to look like? Here's a great sneak peek of what Virtual Reality Church will be.</p> <p>Metaverse Church NEXT is on most Wednesdays, 12:30pm Eastern, on Exponential's Hub. For more information, check out the Leadership Network Website - <a href="https://leadnet.org/metaverse-church-next/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://leadnet.org/metaverse-church-next/</a></p> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a> | <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Guest: Michael (Goose) Uzdavines<br> <a href="https://cornerstoneyc.com/" rel="noopener">Cornerstone Yuba City/VR</a> &amp; <a href="http://metachurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">METACHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://leadnet.org/metaverse-church-next/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Leadership Network's Metaverse Church NEXT</a></li> <li><a href="http://metachurch.digital/" rel="noopener">METACHURCH.digital - Guide for Churches to Explore the Metaverse</a></li> </ul>

<p>A people group unto themselves, gaming culture is taking over. From video game consoles, to computer games, mobile games, tabletop games, card games, there is an expansive community centered around gamers... and we haven't even talked about streaming or the metaverse yet!</p> <p>As digital pastors and planters, we need to better understand this culture if we hope to reach it. Which is why I love this conversation right here. Two of my favorite people are jumping into this conversation. Andy Mage is taking over The Church Digital Podcast, featuring his new show Breaking the Fifth Wall. And one of his first guests on his new podcast? Lux Digital Church's Lead Pastor Mark Lutz! Mark runs a Twitch Church aimed at reaching gamers, so who better to help explain gamer culture.</p> <p>So let's do this. Andy Mage taking over the The Church Digital Podcast while interviewing Mark Lutz on the new show Breaking the Fifth Wall. Learn how churches are reaching gamers today, and how your church can reach a different type of person. Looking to subscribe to the Breaking the Fifth Wall Podcast? Subscribe here: <a href="https://anchor.fm/andy-mage,">https://anchor.fm/andy-mage,</a> and don't forget to check out the other shows over on <a href="http://thechurch.digital/podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">TCD's Podcast Network.</a></p> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a> | <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Guest: Andy Mage<br> <a href="https://bayhope.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Bay Hope Church</a> // <a href="https://anchor.fm/andy-mage" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Breaking the Fifth Wall</a><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/therealandymage" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chinomage" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/therealandymage/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Subscribe to <a href="https://anchor.fm/andy-mage" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Breaking the Fifth Wall</a></li> </ul>

<p>I first met Chestly early in the COVID season. He was working at a Church in Student Ministry, but had some passionate ideas centered around digital ministry. In the time that followed, Chestly's desire to see people be discipled digitally increased. Chestly launched KingCity Church, which became one of the foundational blocks for the Digital Church Network.</p> <p>The Chestly Lunday Experience is an incredible experience exploring ministry for digital ministry through the prevailing/established model as well as the digital church planting. Through dynamic interviews with church and business influencers, as well as a creative coaching approach, Chestly's podcast is something you do not want to miss... which is why we're bringing him on the <a href="http://thechurch.digital/podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">TCD Podcast Network </a>and featuring him in this takeover episode!</p> <p>This episode, Chestly is talking with Michael DeJong and some of the team from Activation Church in a coaching conversation as they're wrestling with what platforms to use to reach people. Solid conversation as we're understanding the role of platforms in digital ministry.</p> <p>BTW, if you're wanting to do coaching like this with Chestly on his show, for free, email <a href="mailto://chestly@thechurch.digital" rel="noopener">chestly@thechurch.digital</a>.</p> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a> | <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Guest: <a href="https://chestlylunday.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Chestly Lunday</a><br> <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network </a>// <a href="https://anchor.fm/chestly-lunday19" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Chestly Lunday Experience</a><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/chestly_lunday" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chestly" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chestlylunday/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chestly-lunday-591ab21a6/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></p> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn </a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Subscribe to <a href="https://anchor.fm/chestly-lunday19" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Chestly Lunday Experience</a></li> </ul>

<p>It's time for some new voices in Digital Church. It's <a href="https://twitter.com/cnieuwhof/status/1492875715049627656" rel="noopener" target="_blank">been said recently (on Twitter)</a> that "listening" is the new "reading", and I've loved in this recent season listening to the Digital Pastors and Ministers on the front lines. In this season the Church has grown so much in understanding what digital can be, and I have loved hearing some voices that honestly I hadn't heard before.</p> <p>Sarah &amp; Hector are two of those voices for me. These two combine regularly to make up the <a href="https://anchor.fm/pocket-pulpit-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Pulpit Podcast</a>. The digital ministry duo live on different sides of the country, but have a fresh outlook on the role and purpose behind social media. They're asking great questions, and digging into the challenge of being the church with these electronic devices in our pockets.</p> <p>So come meet Hector and Sarah and listen to some new, fresh voices in Digital Church as they take over Episode 203 of The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p>-----</p> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Overcast</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a> | <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p> <p>-----</p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn // </a><a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Sarah Kinzer<br> Church of the Nazarene // <a href="https://anchor.fm/pocket-pulpit-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Pulpit Podcast</a><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/kinzer_sarah" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sarah_kinzer/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p> <p>Guest Hector "Hex" Martinez<br> Epic Life Church // <a href="https://anchor.fm/pocket-pulpit-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pocket Pulpit Podcast</a><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/seatexhex" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter </a>// <a href="https://www.hexradio.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">HexRadio</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://anchor.fm/pocket-pulpit-podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Subscribe to Pocket Pulpit Podcast</a>.</li> <li>More about the <a href="http://thechurch.digital/podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">TCD Podcast Network</a>.</li> <li><a href="https://sarahkinzer.wordpress.com/abide/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Information on Abide Book</a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3sBRJFJ" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Buy Abide from Amazon</a></li> </ul>

<p>Confession hour here on The Church Digital Podcast. I say something in this podcast that I've not publicly admitted to in maybe twenty years. So listen in, but let's be honest for a minute. Working and/or Volunteering for a church can be an incredible rewarding job. But if we're honest, it can also suck the soul right out of you. This is why I love talking with our guest here, Jon Pyle. He admits there's a problem, and is working to help people, well, be better on the inside.</p> <p>We're on Week Two of <a href="http://thechurch.digital/podcast" rel="noopener">The Church Digital Podcast Network </a>takeover of The Church Digital Podcast. Last week <a href="https://anchor.fm/thesidekick" rel="noopener">Tom Pounder &amp; The TCD Sidekick Podcast</a> took over the show talking Guest Engagement pathway. Next up, <a href="https://anchor.fm/betterontheinside" rel="noopener">Jon Pyle and his show "Better on the Inside" </a>are taking over. Ever feel like when you're working for a church sometimes you lose your soul? Shoot, there were times I felt like my soul was being held captive and depending on my performance I could possibly get it back!</p> <p>For Jon's podcast, he's bringing in Roberta Jones Hall, Psychiatrist digging deep on mental health. Incredible vantage point on how to get to the spiritual, mental and physical aspects to a lot of the depression/mental health concerns that plague church staffs even today. This is a solid conversation that you cannot miss!</p> <p>If you're enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:</p> <p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-digital-podcast/id1457984867" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/s/9c3c43c/podcast/rss" rel="noopener">RSS Feed</a> | <a href="https://anchor.fm/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">Anchor</a> | <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1457984867/the-church-digital-podcast" rel="noopener">Overcast</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1m7zKqEJL1UdY5N6pDVhES" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://pca.st/63s0" rel="noopener">Pocket Casts</a> | <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85YzNjNDNjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" rel="noopener">Google Play</a></p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener">DigitalChurch.Network</a><br> <a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener">LinkedIn<strong> </strong></a>// <a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Jon Pyle<br> <a href="https://www.city.church/" rel="noopener">City Church</a>, San Antonio<br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jonathanglenpyle" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jonpyle/" rel="noopener">Instagram</a><br> <a href="https://anchor.fm/betterontheinside" rel="noopener">Subscribe to Better on the Inside Podcast</a>.</p> <p><strong><br> RESOURCES</strong></p> <ul> <li>Digital Church Network - <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/">http://digitalchurch.network</a></li> <li>Events through the Digital Church Network - <a href="https://fam.digitalchurch.network/events">https://fam.digitalchurch.network/events</a></li> <li>Subscribe to Jon's Podcast, Better on the Inside - <a href="https://anchor.fm/betterontheinside">https://anchor.fm/betterontheinside</a></li> <li>Join the Digital Church Network FAM (free Online Community - <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam" target="_blank">http://digitalchurch.network/joinfam</a></li> </ul>

<p>So THECHURCH.DIGITAL is rolling out it's Podcast Network, and I gotta tell you, I'm excited about the Content Creators we're platforming here on <a href="http://thechurch.digital/podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Church Digital Podcast Network</a>. Over the next month The Church Digital Podcast is getting taken over! We'll be featuring one of our Network Associates each week for the next five weeks, giving you, listening audience, a taste of the different nuances featured on TCD Podcast Network.</p> <p>Right off the bat, we're featuring <a href="https://anchor.fm/thesidekick" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Tom Pounder &amp; The TCD Sidekick Podcast</a>. Tom is a veteran to digital ministry, blogging and podcasting on digital church FOR YEARS! Back in November we announced that Tom is coming over to THECHURCH.DIGITAL, bringing his proverbial talents over to TCD.</p> <p>For the takeover here we're bringing in Jake McNamara, a new digital pastor in this COVID season. Through The Compass Church, Jake has been exploring some interesting paths centered around guest engagement. What's Jake &amp; The Compass Church learning in this season? How can we get guests to engage better digitally? Let's find out as Tom Pounder takes over The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <h2>ON THE SHOW</h2> <p>Host: Jeff Reed<br> <a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a> &amp; <a href="http://digitalchurch.network/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DigitalChurch.Network</a><a href="http://thechurch.digital/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br> </a><a href="http://twitter.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="http://facebook.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="http://instagram.com/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/deerffej" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn // </a><a href="http://youtube.com/thechurchdigital" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></p> <p>Guest: Tom Pounder<br> <a href="https://newlife.church/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">New Life Christian Church</a>, Online Pastor<br> <a href="https://anchor.fm/thesidekick" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Subscribe to TCD Sidekick Podcast</a>.<br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/theDigitalBootcamp/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Digital Bookcamp</a>, Facebook Group<br> <a href="https://twitter.com/tapounder" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/tom.pounder.18" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-pounder-223bb582/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></p> <h2>RESOURCES</h2> <ul> <li>Tom Interviews Jeff for the first time, back in 2018.&nbsp;<a href="https://ymsidekick.com/2018/07/05/how-to-get-serious-about-online-ministry-at-your-church/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em>How to Get Serious About Online Ministry at Your Church.</em></a></li> <li>More about the <a href="http://thechurch.digital/podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">TCD Podcast Network</a>.</li> <li><a href="https://anchor.fm/thesidekick" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Subscribe to TCD Sidekick Podcast</a>.</li> <li><a href="http://thechurch.digital/tom" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Learn more about Tom Pounder</a>.</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/ep201-engagement-tom-pounder-and-the-tcd-sidekick-takeover" target="_blank">Full Show Notes Available on THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>200 Podcasts has brought us to this point... Have you heard yet? We are launching a Digital Church Network. Over the years we've had so many conversations centered around equipping people via digital discipleship to reach a digital and meta mission field in hopes of creating digital and meta churches... honestly it just felt like launching a Digital Church Network was the next natural step.</p> <p>Looking at the reach and engagement digital churches are seeing, and the lack of organizational support they are receiving from national organizations and denominations here in America, God's voice has been pretty clear... the Digital Church Network is here to support churches in digital and meta spaces. all the while championing a decentralized, organic method of church that is strategically designed to help normal people start movements of the Gospel.</p> <p>Once again doing the thing that's never been done before, Jeff is joined here with Chestly Lunday of King City Church for the why behind launching the Digital Church Network. This is just the beginning. Look for further updates here on The Church Digital Podcast. &nbsp;ON THE SHOW&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/ep200-so-we're-launching-a-digital-church-network" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p> <p>Check out the <a href="http://digitalchurch.network" target="_blank">Digital Church Network</a> Website</p>

<p>2021 brought a lot of changes, which brings opportunities in 2022.</p> <p>So, here we are. THECHURCH.DIGITAL, in an attempt to better equip churches that are interested in expanding their ministry in digital and meta spaces, is rolling out... well, you're just going to have to come watch the stream with Jeff when he announces the changes coming.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/ep199-so-whats-going-on-with-jeff-and-thechurch-digital" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p>

<p>As a Church Futurist it’s not often when I talk with someone that is ahead of me, and my conversations with Todd Wilson historically have blown my mind. Todd, CEO of Exponential, is an incredible designer of strategy. The few opportunities I’ve had to talk with him about the trends of today and how they’re influencing tomorrow - and how the church needs to adapt - well, inspiring is just the beginning of that conversation.</p> <p>Truthfully, I wanted to share one of those conversations with you. As we discuss, Exponential has acquired Leadership Network, and is relaunching LN in 2022 with multiple focuses, and guess what? The Metaverse is one of them!</p> <p>A major organization in the US, championing Churches in the Metaverse? Yes, please! Dig in while Todd talks about the why and the what’s next of Leadership Network, and the Church in the Metaverse.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/ep198-todd-wilson-the-challenge-of-todays-metachurch" target="_blank"><strong>Show Notes available on THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</strong></a></p>

<p>Today we're not going to be talking much about technology. In fact, it doesn't come up at all. Today we're going to be focusing on more of leadership, the networking, the relationship aspects. The Digital Church Network will be launching in 2022, but to pave the road we needed to have some conversation to learn more about what church networks can look like.</p> <p>Enter in Jason Shepperd, with House Church Network. As Founder of the House Church Network (in Texas), Jason has created a microchurch movement here in America that is empowering individuals on personal mission.</p> <p>So while this conversation doesn't have much to do with tech, this convo will definitely help your church prepare for what the future holds.</p> <p>Show Notes available on THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</p>

<p>Pandemic or not, 2021 was a chaotic year for the church and its leaders. Before we get back to 2022, let's reflect back on 2021 and the positive influences we as the church and its leaders have gone through. Joining Jeff in this broadcast is Tom Pounder/TCD Sidekick, along with other content creators/influencers: Chestly Lunday, Andy Mage, Garrett Siljee and John Pyle. Get a sneak peak of what TCD Podcast Network will become in 2022 while celebrating some of the greatness of 2021.</p> <p>SHOW NOTES &amp; LINKS AVAILABLE AT <a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/tcd-podcast-network-presents-top-podcasts-of-2021" target="_blank">THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-195-are-digital-pastors-ever-off" target="_blank">Show Notes Available on THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p><em>For the love of all, let’s focus on doing something other than the weekend service</em>! We’ve heard it time and time again, let’s do something different. Have you ever asked yourself why it’s so hard to do something different? Lee Coate, Executive Pastor at The Crossing Church, has figured out the formula for an experimental culture at a church, and sheds some insight on how to be a church that experiments, while talking about a recent experiment that the church is going through literally right now… “Sessions.” So jump on the podcast where Jeff and Lee sit down and talk through The Crossing’s Experimental Culture.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-194-lee-coate-complementary-content-an-experimenting-culture" target="_blank"><strong>Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</strong></a></p>

<p>So, what you’re telling me is you met some people in virtual reality and now you want to fly across the country and meet them in person? What are you in, some kind of cult?</p> <p>Real live quote from the mother of one of our guests here. Nicole the Angel started attending Cornerstone VR, a virtual reality campus of Cornerstone Yuba City. Cornerstone Yuba City is a small church in NorCal, maybe about 200 attend there physically. One of the unique parts of Cornerstone is they consider their virtual reality campus part of their physical church, even to the point of inviting the VR attenders to come join them physically for a “church reunion” of sorts. Forever Family, they called it, was the first time the Virtual Reality attenders met each other much less met the Physical Church attenders.</p> <p>What happens when physical people and metaverse people connect in San Francisco? We’ll talk about it on the podcast. And truthfully, as fun as that is, that’s nowhere near as interesting as the part of the conversation where we talk about how discipleship in the metaverse is working to empower missionaries in the physical and in the meta worlds.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-193-jason-poling-the-multiplying-meta-church" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>What challenges are you facing in Digital ministry? You’re definitely facing challenges. We all are! What’s fascinating to me, in this post-COVID culture we’re moving into, is that one church’s strength is another weakness, and vice-versa.</p> <p>Which really gets me to the heart of this podcast. Sprout Digital is in the midst of a five year Research Project, digging into the validity of Digital Church and Digital Discipleship. And with focuses like that, you can bet that THECHURCH.DIGITAL is excited about this conversation.</p> <p>So we’re bringing in Jared &amp; Ann Roth, Founders of Sprout Digital (and Co-Pastors at Evergreen Church), to excitedly discuss the trends that we’re seeing in Digital Church post-COVID, and what it tells us about what’s next…</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-192-research-findings-on-digital-church" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>So you want to be a missionary in Belize? Awesome. Learn the language. Understand the culture. Meet some people. Listen. Pray. And eventually talk about Jesus. There’s a playbook on how to be a missionary in a foreign land. And as you probably noticed very little of the playbook has anything to do with a church service.</p> <p>But how do we be a missionary in, oh I don’t know, the METAVERSE? Enter PastorBrock into the conversation… probably the first true META Missionary I’ve ever met. I love his perspective on evangelism in the METAVERSE, and respect his potentially evolving viewpoints on Discipleship &amp; Church in the Metaverse.</p> <p>In this conversation you’re finding a guy fully committed to using the METAVERSE to reach people for Jesus. And let’s be honest, there’s not many of those guys around right now. So jump on and learn some things from arguably the world’s first META MISSIONARY.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-191-pastorbrock-the-metaverse-missionary" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>So happy the Facebook algorithm connected Steven Barr and I together. Being a Disney freak, I was sure Facebook connected us because of my obsession with all things Disney. Come to find out, though, there’s a lot more that connects Steven and I.</p> <p>Steven runs a church aimed at Disney Castmembers, the employees that run Disney World theme parks. Talk about out of the box thinking, I wanted to learn about some of his philosophy of how he’s reaching people at Disney, but what came out of this was a much deeper conversation centered around Discipleship and Digital.</p> <p>Jump on the Podcast while we talk a little bit about the Mouse, but a lot more about another crazy idea to be the church in the lives of those who need Jesus.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-190-what-a-disney-castmember-church-can-teach-me-about-digital-discipleship" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Uberizing Church. Yeah, at this point we’re just making up words here. That’s a good thing, though, cause we get to define each word. Ulitmately, with each new word comes a new standard.</p> <p>Uberization of Church brings this idea of platforming a concept, crowdsourcing it, and releasing it to others. In many ways, it’s the opposite mindset than what we typically think in church today. It’s not controlled growth, it’s releasing control, allowing multiplication.</p> <p>How do we get there? Jump in this conversation as Jeff, along with Gloo’s Matt Engel, explore the idea of Uberizing Church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-189-matt-engel-the-uberization-of-church" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Zuckerberg did it. With the announcement of the new parent company, META, Zuckerberg has made Facebook extremely relevant as they announced their dreams for the METAVERSE. For those unaware, the metaverse comprises of virtual reality worlds, augmented reality, digital assets and physical space all isolated or seamlessly blended together in some sort of a mixed reality.</p> <p>Crazy? With Facebook $$$ you can bet the Metaverse is going to expand big time. It’s important to realize, the Metaverse is already a thing. What we’re talking about here isn’t new. Zuck didn’t create the Metaverse. He’s just going to pour a ton of money into it, creating better tools for community. The community is already there. The question is will the church take this opportunity to be the church in the new METAVERSE community.</p> <p>Listen in on the on-demand recording of Jeff’s Livestream, where he talks about the future church and the opportunities of the METAVERSE.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-188-the-future-church-in-the-metaverse" target="_blank"><strong>Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</strong></a></p>

<p>Why is a digital church perceived to be so threatening to a physical church? Rather than see a digital church as complementary to what’s happening physically, a digital church is seen in competition, as if the Gospel means less digitally than physically. Reality is we see today that these digital churches are reaching a different type of person than physical churches are reaching. These digital churches are not in competition, they are completing our call in making disciples… just using different methods.</p> <p>Which gets us into this podcast episode. We’re bringing in Dr. John Harris, Lead Pastor of a Digital Church called Hearts Like His, hitting a plethora of digital church topics. Don’t sleep on the “race &amp; the digital church” question, either. Interested or thinking about planting a digital church? You’re going to love this conversation.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-187-the-perceived-threat-of-a-digital-church" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>So what's going on at THECHURCH.DIGITAL? What's this big announcement? Jump on this podcast to get the news first-ish... and find out how THECHURCH.DIGITAL is moving towards helping churches like yours with practical, grounded insight &amp; tips. Once you check out the podcast swing over <a href="http://thechurch.digital/sidekick">to http://thechurch.digital/sidekick</a></p>

<p>We often talk, here on the podcast, about the idea of churches doing multiple strategies. At Stadia, we call it multimodal churches. Instead of running one approach, a multimodal church runs multiple modes, multiple strategies of church. Rather than simplifying approach, in this mid/post-COVID season, it’s not good to put the proverbial eggs in one basket. Instead, church, we need to diversify our approach and run multiple strategies.</p> <p>This begins to pull the thread on the conversation today. Jason Morris, Westside Family’s Global Innovation Pastor, is a regular here on the podcast, but thanks to a role shift and an adjusted mission/vision at Westside, Jason responsibilities now include launching a micro-location strategy, as well as, digital. So, what’s the plan? What’s the benefit? Let’s dig in yet again with Jason Morris and explore Westside Family’s A2 Communities.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-186-jason-morris-established-micro-location-why-not-do-both" target="_blank"><strong>Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</strong></a></p>

<p>The idea of a digital missionary may seem almost foreign to some. Can we really empower people to be on-mission digitally? What is that process to get people on-mission? This just scratches the surface when I sit down with Tom Pounder and talk about what a Digital Missionary is, and what they can be… Ready to think outside the box? Talk crazy? Let’s go.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-185-tom-pounder-encouraging-a-digital-missionary" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>It is amazing to me how controversial the words “digital” and “discipleship” are, especially when they’re in the same sentence. The truth is that these devices in our pocket can go a long way to bring us closer to God. In season two, we’re continuing to highlight those that are doing innovative things and thinking outside the box, so let’s talk crazy on digital discipleship.</p> <p>This is the heart of the conversation today. We’re bringing in Tyler Sansom, Lead Pastor of Church Anywhere, to learn how they’re discipling people via their mobile app! Whether standalone, or in conjuncture with a physical discipleship system, digital discipleship has huge potential to help your church create disciple-makers.</p> <p>So let’s dig in with Tyler Sansom and talk through Digital Discipleship via a mobile app.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-184-tyler-sansom-discipleship-via-mobile-app" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Fun stat. 49% of Church Budgets, Pre-COVID, went to salaries. Payroll. Almost 1/2 of every dollar given went to pay an employee. (Almost 25% went to pay for the building, but that’s another conversation).</p> <p>There’s a movement as of late. Are you seeing it? People are stepping back from paid church staff positions, but still doing ministry either through the church or moving to doing ministry more in the workplace. This bi-vocational/co-vocational mindset is anything but new, however during this mid/post-COVID season, we are seeing a surge in this mindset.</p> <p>So what does it mean to be bi-vocational? Co-vocational? How does this affect how we do ministry? Does being bi-vocational limit or enhance how we do ministry? This may not be new thinking, but for many, this is crazy thinking… so let’s talk crazy with Sam Chacko, Lead Pastor of Loft City Church and Bi-vocational minister. Sam’s got the insight to what bi-vocational and co-vocational means, and how it could influence your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-183-sam-chacko-bivo-covo-and-a-not-so-new-approach-to-funding-ministry" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Thanks to the global pandemic, churches around the world have made leaps and bounds, digitally. Even, as aggressive as, the church has been in forging new digital and phygital (tm) strategies, let me tell you some terms they’re not yet taking seriously: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning.</p> <p>The future of not only church, but tech in general, is centered around this idea of personalization. Using data openly available to craft messages, training, and discipleship specifically for individuals. I know what you’re thinking. “Data is so boring.” But data coupled with some AI and Machine Learning? Groundbreaking potential as we tailor our teachings and resources specifically for the people.</p> <p>Artificial Intelligence. Machine Learning. It’s not The Matrix quite yet. Let’s learn how these things can be used to the church’s advantage.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/episode-182-jeff-hook-the-personalization-of-discipleship-via-ai-and-machine-learning" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Season Two is upon us. As we’re launching this next season at THECHURCH.DIGITAL, we are telling the story of the innovators, the out of the box thinkers, the crazies… and celebrating what God is doing though them! First on the list, Theo Davis, Digital Pastor at Restore Church, who is doing an experiment of an online bible study through Minecraft.</p> <p>I’ll be honest, I know very little about Minecraft. My kids, however, know a bunch. How is Theo using Minecraft to engage a different community? What does engagement look like? What’s the long-term plan? This is what I want to know!</p> <p>So join me as we scratch the surface of what a Minecraft church “could” eventually be, here on Season 2 of The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/season-2-episode-181-theo-davis-minecraft-small-groups" target="_blank"><strong>Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</strong></a></p>

<p>Trying to take your small groups to the next level, digitally? Get some quick tips on how to lead and engage digital groups better using some quick and proven methods. How can BETA Show help your groups this week? Tune in and find out!</p> <p>BTW, this week is The BETA Show’s last episode, as the all new Season 2 is debuting Monday, September 13th.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta42-tips-for-better-online-small-groups" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Whether you do ministry in an established church, or looking to start something new, in this mid/post-COVID world our churches need to think “digital” first. Let’s talk through three reasons why your church still needs to think digital first.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta41-why-my-church-should-think-digital-first" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Wanting to plant a church? In this mid/post-COVID culture we live in, there are many complications when it comes to doing physical ministry, much less starting physical ministry from scratch. At this point, every church plant needs to embrace “Phygital” in their church. How can your church plant be Phygital? Many different paths here to integrate digital into your church’s strategy. Let’s explore some options here, and give church planters some practical next steps, here on the BETA Show.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta40-how-do-i-plant-a-phygital-tm-church-in-3-not-so-easy-steps" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Looking to take that next step in your digital ministry? Recognize that Digital Community is not located by physical boundaries, which leads to new guardrails defining Community. In many cases, for phygital/digital-only churches, AFFINITY is the new VICINITY.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta39-digital-discipleship-affinity-is-the-new-vicinity" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>I was in Nashville last week, and had an incredible experience (over a cup of decent coffee) that brought me some insight on Digital Ministry.&nbsp;What did I learn here? Let’s talk about what Waffle House taught me about Church Online.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta38-nashville-what-waffle-house-taught-me-about-digital-church" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>We’ve got all these people, digitally? What are we supposed to do with them? If our churches really expect to exist digitally, then we need to be comfortable discipling people in digital space. What does a digital discipleship pathway look like? And how does a digital discipleship pathway operate compared to a physical discipleship pathway? Let’s start getting practical here on the BETA SHOW.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta37-creating-a-digital-discipleship-pathway">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>We get this a lot these days. Coming out of the COVID season many churches are trying to push back towards a physical-only process, while ignoring many of the lessons and principles that were learned during the pandemic... or leadership wants to still emphasize digital, but is putting all time, energy and resources into physical and ignoring digital?</p> <p>As people who are passionate about digital ministry, yet are seeing digital devalued, what are we to do? How do we handle situations when our vision does not align with leadership?</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta36-my-church-is-reverting-back-to-physical-only-help">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>What does it look like to staff a church to have a phygital impact? Let’s kick around some staffing concepts to maximize your staffing structure for physical + digital ministry.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta35-how-do-we-staff-this-phygital-church-thing">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>As churches are rushing to get back to the building, let’s stop... pause... and ask the question: “Do we really need a building?” Can a church “be the church” without a building? The early church was many things... can we do these things digitally? Let’s dig into the Digital Ecclesiology of a Social Media Church.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta34-questioning-a-social-media-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Is your church wrestling with Phygital? Trying to figure out if hybrid is for your church? What does our mindset need to be? Learn the foundational characteristics that will help your church thrive, grow and multiply PHYGITALLY.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta33-five-foundations-of-a-phygital-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>The idea of digital-only churches... churches without physical footprints, are not new by any stretch. As a matter of fact, there are healthy examples of digital-only churches not only here in America but around the world! But practically speaking, who are they and how do they work? Here are some key examples of digital-only churches highlighting how they are digital churches within the specific contexts of their digital community.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta32-four-types-of-digital-only-churches">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Pastor, you’ve got an incredible responsibility to create disciples. Why not use every tool available to make that happen?</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta31-digital-broadcast-digital-discipleship-digital-campus-digital-only-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Stadia is championing a new word here. PHYGITAL was so much fun, let's talk MULTIMODAL, multiple models of church... in this new, post-COVID culture we live in, it is going to be so important for churches to develop multiple strategies, moving beyond just the physical building. Let's talk three reasons why your church needs to diversify it's ministry... three reasons why your church needs to go multimodal.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta30-three-reasons-your-church-needs-to-go-multimodal">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Are our physical services effective? Typically, we measure butts in seats to get that number. Did more people come this week than last week? You’re heading in the right direction.</p> <p>In most situations, butts in seats is a horrible analytic. That being said, it’s necessary… but there are others! What are we looking at? What stats should we be looking at and how do we measure them? This is where we bring in the experts. RESI has been helping stream church services for years, and they’ve gotten quite good at helping churches measure and process analytics!</p> <p>So jump in the conversation with Collin Jones and Jennifer Miles from Resi, and let’s figure out how we should be measuring the analytics of our church services online.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-137-resi-analytics-of-online-church-services">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>In this new, Post-COVID society, the role of Digital Pastor is becoming more and more complicated. How do you push digital when so much pressure is going back to physical? This is the heart of the conversation with Brandon Arndt.</p> <p>Brandon is new in his role, having recently become the Digital Pastor at Christ Fellowship Miami as Rey De Armas transitioned out of his role recently. To celebrate the occasion, we take a trip down memory lane discussing everything from mentoring to Post-COVID culture to the first days being a Digital Pastor. All this and more on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-136-brandon-arndt-first-days-of-a-digital-pastor-post-covid-edition">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>As a general rule, it’s tough being a Pastor. This COVID season has been tough on the church. As a result, a number of churches are shutting down… also concerning, a number of Pastors are resigning. And while burnout or deconstructing faith is relevant in the life of ministry in 2021, there are others that are reframing their calling.</p> <p>THECHURCH.DIGITAL’s own Rey De Armas is on a similar journey. Recently resigning from his full-time church staff position, Rey is not walking away from ministry… instead he is walking towards a greater mission field than he’s experienced in his church staff career.</p> <p>So join Jeff &amp; Rey as we go into greater detail talking about what exactly Rey’s been doing these days.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-135-the-new-mission-field-so-what-exactly-is-going-on-with-rey">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>There’s a disruption happening within the Church, and it honestly has very little to do with technology. As churches are re-opening their physical doors with mixed results, some pioneers are disrupting the church scene, launch Digital-Only, Location-Independent Churches. Are you a disruptor in the making? Here are five reasons you may be a digital church planter in the making.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta29-five-reasons-you-might-be-a-digital-church-planter">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Potentially, what can separate a Physical Church from a Digital-Only Church? The ability to disciple people to the point of getting them on-mission… to help them discover their personal mission? This is why I see a similarity between Microchurch Movements and Digital-Only Churches… because we have the opportunity to relationally scale digital to the place of helping find their personal mission.</p> <p>But how do we do that in the Microchurch space? Enter Rob Wegner, one of the leaders of Kansas City Underground and co-author of <a href="https://amzn.to/3v0ykh1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Starfish and The Spirit</a>, Rob has experience discipling, equipping and releasing people on Personal Mission across Kansas City. Let’s lean in and learn what it looks like in Micro, and figure out how to apply this digitally.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-134-rob-wegner-helping-people-find-their-personal-mission">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>“Jeff, we’re just too small of a church to take advantage of what Digital has to offer.” Many pastors have shared this perspective with me, but their logic is fundamentally flawed. The small church’s perceived weakness is actually their strength, the reason why they can be successfully digitally. Can a small church be successful digitally? Absolutely! Let’s talk about how.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta28-four-reasons-your-church-can-thrive-phygitally">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>75% of the people I talk with, who are interested in planting a Digital-Only Church, are interested in being bi-vocational or co-vocational. They’re not looking to give up their full-time job to do ministry, instead they’re wanting to do ministry alongside (or even through) their job.</p> <p>So I set out to better understand the heart behind co-vocational ministry. Having spent 15 years on various church staffs, I can honestly say I don’t have a solid perspective, and my learning accelerated quickly talking to Steve Pike. Steve, author of Next Wave: Developing the 21st Century Church. Steve starts talking about five different funding models for the Church. Tithes/Offerings is just one model… Bi-Vocational is another…</p> <p>Can the Post-COVID Church find other ways beyond tithes and offerings? Let the learning begin!</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-133-steve-pike-new-streams-of-funding-for-your-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>As social distancing relaxes, and churches re-open their buildings, what lessons have we learned from these digital-only churches? These ecclesia's without a physical footprint? Are these culturally valid? Biblically solid? Come learn why Digital-Only Churches are necessary, and what this means to you.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta27-6-reasons-we-need-digital-only-churches">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>There are lots of solutions out there for digital churches.&nbsp; In my opinion, none of them is a game changer like Altar Live. The biggest problem in all of church online is how do we get people to stop “watching church is isolation.” In this COVID season, Altar Live grabbed the bull by the horns and solved that problem in a big way… oh, and along the way they solved some of your church’s online small group problems too.</p> <p>Looking for a solution to take your Digital Church deeper? Get people out of experiencing “church in isolation.” Check out this podcast with Altar Live.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-132-altar-live-stopping-church-in-isolation-by-meeting-your-online-attenders">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Masks are finally loosening up. Social Distancing guidelines are weakening. Yay! It’s time for physical church again!!! Let’s not forget the lessons of phygital, though. Here are seven reasons why your church STILL needs to be a Phygital Church.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta26-7-reasons-your-church-still-needs-phygital">Complete Show Notes Available on THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>If you are reading this, if you are connected somehow to THECHURCH.DIGITAL, then you probably realize this already. If not, let me tell you… you are more than a techie. In my own life, I’ve wrestled with this. And in our physical, phygital, digital-only, multimodal churches we as techies come to this place where we realize we are more than button pushers.</p> <p>I think this is what makes this conversation with Curtis so interesting. Starting out as a Creative, growing to a Techie… Curtis discovered God was leading him along a different path than what he was planning… God was developing the heart of a shepherd.</p> <p>As Curtis shows us, when God moves our heart from tech to shepherd, we discover more of who He is… showing us where we are not aligned. Our desire, the necessity, for our physical and digital churches to be multicultural comes out of this heart…</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-131-transformations-multicultural-church-digitally">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Is it gambling or is it the future? Get a better understanding of what Cryptocurrency is, and how your church can benefit from it. Join Jeff, Rey, and Dunham + Co’s Nils Smith talking cryptocurrency and the church.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta25-nils-smith-crypto-the-church">Complete Show Notes Available on THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>There are some that consider Video Gamers to be one of the largest unreached people groups on the planet. While it can be discussed that Gamers may not officially be a people group, we can wholeheartedly agree that Gamers need Jesus.</p> <p>And that’s the heart of Pastor Souzy. Lead Pastor of God Squad, Pastor Souzy has grown his digital-only church by reaching, shepherding and discipling Gamers. Using Twitch Streams and Discord Communities, God Squad probably looks nothing like your church, but that’s not a bad thing.</p> <p>So let’s learn something. Let’s learn about Twitch, about Streaming, about Video Game Culture. Let’s learn the mindset about video gamers, and how we can use digital to be the church of video gamers.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-130-pastor-souzy-understanding-the-twitch-streaming-video-game-culture">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>2016 we were doing Kids Church Online at Christ Fellowship Miami. What a crazy idea! Well, the idea was certainly before it’s time, and Kids Online was shut down less than six months after we started…</p> <p>Truthfully, the idea wasn’t bad. Just before it’s time. Christ Fellowship re-engaged the old playbook back when COVID started, made some adjustments and now have a phenomenal product aimed at connecting with Kids Online.</p> <p>So jump on while we revisit the past and talk a bit about what the future of Kid Min could be… and how you can get started… here on the Beta Show.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta24-kids-church-online-wont-someone-please-think-of-the-children">Complete Show Notes Available on THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>The Church Planting Textbook for the Modern Era has been released. Peyton Jones’ Church Plantology is out, and with it comes years of insight and experience wrapped up as a readable resource. But what does this mean for digital only expressions?</p> <p>Peyton and I (Jeff) were hanging out in a RCA (Reformed Church in America) webinar the day before this recording having a fun conversation centered around digital church planting… so much so we ended up doing a whole other conversation on this podcast centered around the impact and effectiveness of digital church planting. Thinking about planting a Physical/Phygital/Digital-Only Church? This is for you.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-129-church-plantology-a-convo-with-peyton-jones">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>How do we measure success? Are metrics important? Where is the Holy Spirit in a world where data is king? Look, we know the rules of engagement have changed. Nickels and noses may be solid metrics, but they can’t be the only metrics. And this really begins to scratch the surface. What are we, the church, actually trying to achieve here.</p> <p>Into the conversation, let’s bring Craig Whitney, VP of Planter Development at Stadia. Who better to speak to the effectiveness of churches than the leader of the group who is effectively training the next generation of pastors. Also in the conversation is Jared Roth, who is quickly becoming one of my (Jeff’s) favorite people. Why is Jared awesome? Well, you’re going to have to listen to the podcast and find out.</p> <p>Defining success, and more clarity around a multimodal church. All this here on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-128-jared-roth-defining-the-success-of-a-physical-digital-and-or-multimodal-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>I ran into Dave on Twitter, talking similarities between Micro-church and Digital-Only churches. But what started out as a digital/micro convo quickly got much larger talking about many other models of church. What lessons is Community Christian learning? What are they looking to get into next? What’s the minimal/essential ecclesiology that aligns biblically without limiting multiplication? At what point is Jeff going to launch a digital-only church through Community Christian? These are many of the questions we’re talking about here in the next episode of The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-127-dave-ferguson-the-ecclesiology-of-a-phygital-digital-only-and-or-multimodal-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>I thought I knew what to expect with Jared &amp; Angie. Leading one of the largest (if not the largest) digital only expression of church in America, I was expecting the couple to fit the mold a digital pastor… what we see so often in our Phygital Churches. To be honest, Jared &amp; Angie, and much of this conversation, was a complete surprise.</p> <p>There are people planting digital churches who see themselves as disruptors. They’re proud that they’re doing something different. They wear it as a badge of honor. I was half-expecting this from the Hughes.</p> <p>What I heard instead was a passion to reach and disciple people with any method possible. Their aggressive, go get it attitude speaks volumes. Their passion to connect with people using digital tools, incredible. The fact that the digital-only church didn’t exist until before COVID, and the fact that they themselves didn’t do digital ministry anywhere before COVID, shocking!</p> <p>Reality is they were broken vessels before God, and God rebuilt them in incredible ways influencing people with the Gospel literally around the planet. All this while working other full-time jobs outside of the church.</p> <p>Think you understand digital ministry? Interested in planting a digital-only church? You need to hear this conversation.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-126-jared-angie-hughes-and-the-co-vocational-approach-to-a-digital-only-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Our churches know what it looks like when God moves in a physical space, but maybe we’re so busy producing the digital elements that we miss what God is doing in front of us, digitally.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta23-digital-revival-seeing-god-move-phygitally">Complete Show Notes Available on THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Founder of The First Impressions Conference, and one of the early Church Online guys, Greg is an expert in Church Guest Services, physical &amp; digital. What are visitors looking for in digital church?</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta22-greg-atkinson-tips-from-an-online-secret-shopper" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Complete Show Notes Available on THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>We talk often here at THECHURCH.DIGITAL about digital-only churches, interviewing these innovative pastors that run churches that exist in digital-only space. Stories like DJ Soto and Angela Craig certainly are inspiring. But, how do you get started in planting a Digital-Only church?</p> <p>Enter Stadia. We are passionate about planting multimodal (multiple models of) churches, even to the place of helping church planters start digital-only churches. Which brings us to this podcast where we talk with the first graduating class of digital-only church plants.</p> <p>What is it like to start a digital-only expression of church? What are the obstacles, celebrations, stories of these churches? Let’s find out as we interview Mark Lutz, Chestly Lunday, and Christopher Monroe talking planting digital only churches through Stadia.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-125-planting-a-digital-church-through-stadia">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>The Bible calls us to <em>go and make disciples</em>… no one questions that. How we define discipleship? While the church doesn’t challenge to make disciples, there are plenty of disagreements on what exactly a disciple is.</p> <p>Enter into the conversation Kevin Marsico, US Director of The Timothy Initiative. Used around the world, The Timothy Initiative is used to create disciples and plant churches physically and digitally… domestically and internationally.</p> <p>The Western Civilization Church is struggling, and the twenty-year decline has nothing to do with COVID. It’s time to look on church, on discipleship, differently…</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-124-disciples-making-disciples-in-a-multimodal-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Let’s come to clarity. The Western church has done some things right over the years. That being said, there’s still a lot to learn. The mass accelerator of COVID changed all the rules, and as a result the church has more questions than answers, especially in the long-term usefulness of digital church.</p> <p>While some of the Western Church struggles with the long-term longevity of Phygital/Digital, the global church has had huge success with the digital church. Digital discipleship? Digital evangelism? Digital only expressions of church?</p> <p>Recently, I was told “Jeff, you know who’s really good at digital church? Every pastor in the Middle East. Because of persecution, it’s one of the few opportunities the Middle East has to grow the Church.” Dig into this episode of The Church Digital Podcast and discover what we can learn from the Global Church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-123-justin-murff-digital-lessons-to-learn-from-the-global-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>COVID accelerated culture, but how has this cultural shift influenced physical church services? Look beyond masks &amp; social distancing and find opportunities to creatively connect in physical space.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta21-the-future-of-physical-church-services-starts-today-clubhouse-edition">Complete Show Notes Available on THECHURCH.DIGITAL<strong>.</strong></a></p>

<p>For the podcast here, Clivane has a unique perspective of church online.<br> She’s Canadian (okay, that’s not unique).<br> She’s a millennial (once again, not unique).<br> She works at an Anglican Church (historically, not unique at all).<br> But individually, we here at THECHURCH.DIGITAL are broadening perspectives here and looking to learn.</p> <p>What does digital community look like to a millennial? On-Mission? If evangelism is a dirty word to Millennials, then, what does the future of the Church look like? Where is GenZ in all this?</p> <p>These are just some of the topics we are hitting here, on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-122-millennials-evangelism-digital-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>In the year 2021, Small Groups may becoming old hat. Crazy to think, right? How these smaller, church-based biblical communities operate has evolved over the years. But the core foundation of the strategy, loosely based on biblical principles, really hasn't changed since the 1980s... and just imagine with me how much culture has changed since the days when the mullet was popular? So, maybe we're just talking crazy here, what would happen if we blew up Small Groups and started from scratch? What could the 2021 version of church-based smaller communities look like? To be effective in this new culture, what needs to change?</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta20-rethinking-church-small-groups-peloton-style-clubhouse-edition">Complete Show Notes Available on THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p>

<p>Pre-COVID, One Community Church was a force to be reckoned with. Located in Plano, the multicultural church was highly effective utilizing physical ministry, but in the weeks leading up to COVID, there was an organizational tension that maybe the church needed to firm up its digital strategy. March 2020 confirmed the thought and the church quickly learned that it needed some help to develop that Phygital Strategy. Matt, as the staff person championed to help develop that strategy, reached out to Stadia Phygital for help.</p> <p>In the conversation here, Matt talks about the tensions observed and the lessons learned in transitioning a large, physical organization towards a phygital mindset… and why One Community Church will be a Phygital organization for the long-haul.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-121-matt-anderson-developing-one-communitys-phygital-strategy">Complete Show Notes Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Easter is right around the corner, and while “what is the experience going to be?” is a big question, equally important is, “how are we going to follow up?” That’s why BETA Show is talking with Text In Church’s Jeanette Yates, helping churches develop a strategy towards intentional follow up for Easter, including some freebies!</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta19-effective-easter-follow-up-with-jeanette-yates">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Can a church exist without a building? Sure. Hear stories how God is moving through digital-only, location-independent churches. Join Jeff and other digital-only church planters while they explain the ministry and celebrate the joys and the challenges of digital only churches.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta18-defining-a-digital-only-location-independent-church">Access Show Notes on THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>I’m guilty of many things in life. I admit before you publicly that I occasionally overstate things to prove a point, but when I tell you here that there are multiple times in this conversation you can hear my head literally explode, well, that’s an overstatement too. What is not an overstatement is that Sam George challenged me in a way that no one ever has before.</p> <p>Sam George is a specialist of sorts, specifically on diasporatic movements. If Ekklesia is the gathering of God’s Church than Diaspora is the scattering of His Church. And, as Sam tells me, God moves in that scattering and in the subsequent regathering.</p> <p>We’re talking topics we don’t often hit on The Church Digital Podcast. Global Church. Multicultural Church. Persecution. Revival. Walking away from this conversation, I did have one thought come to mind. My view of the future digital church is too small and this conversation with Sam George just scratches the surface of the necessity of digital influence for tomorrow’s (and even today’s) church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-120-sam-george-diaspora-ekklesia-a-mobile-god">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>WandaVision has taken the world by storm. With it’s unique storytelling approach, are there lessons for we the church? Dive into this recording of a recent Clubhouse conversation.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta17-what-the-church-can-learn-from-wandavision">Access Show Notes on THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Pre-COVID, very few churches were doing groups online. Now as a result of social distancing, churches had to onboard their groups very quickly to digital methods. Interestingly though, as we’re coming out of the COVID and getting back to the building, some churches report up to 90% of their groups are staying online.</p> <p>So, since our groups are staying Phygital, let’s talk about how to give our groups purpose. In a recent webinar I (Jeff) did with Gloo we talked specifically about strategies to get our groups on mission... multiplying...</p> <p>So many challenges for 2021’s church. So many opportunities for ministry not of large masses, but of smaller individuals. This is the heart behind this conversation to get our Phygital Groups to Multiply.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-119-phygital-groups-that-multiply">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>We call it The BETA Show. Of course we're going to experiment... Here with THECHURCH.DIGITAL we have been testing the waters with this new Clubhouse platform, and unlike most social media, this seems to be a great opportunity to physically dialogue, to actually talk, with people. So, we're moving The BETA Show over to Clubhouse occasionally to see how the engagement is over on Clubhouse. Why Clubhouse? <a href="https://fb.watch/3Sjp82-hih/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jeff did a recent livestream over on Facebook about the potential of Clubhouse</a>. Not on the platform? Hit us up and we'll try to send over an invite! Android users, and people who can't make the conversation in real time... the majority of conversations will be recorded and made available via <a href="http://thechurch.digital/podcast" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Church Digital Podcast feed</a>, so make sure you're subscribed to that. We'll also have show notes here on <a href="http://thechurch.digital/blog" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Church Digital Blog</a>.</p> <p>As we’re coming out of the COVID season and approaching the next normal, what is the role of digital? As we’re going back to our buildings, with hopes that eventually our people will return to the physical space, are there digital lessons that we should be bringing along?</p> <p>What many churches have yet to realize is that digital ministry is different than physical ministry. Many churches are just doing digitally what they do physically… these are oftentimes the churches that are reporting burnout among staff and zoom fatigue among attenders.</p> <p>So let’s pause here, and reflect… what is the difference between physical and digital? With a solid panel of pastors and ministry leaders recorded on Clubhouse, this is a great conversation with applications for your specific church!</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta16-differences-between-physical-digital">Access Show Notes on THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>As stressful as the world is becoming in the 2020s, what is happening to our mental health? Okay, this may be a bit “off-brand” for THECHURCH.DIGITAL, but this issue is prevalent in our churches and our culture today, and we as a Church have to address mental health for what it is.</p> <p>Let’s address the stigmas and the misconceptions, and start to scratch the surface on the Church’s role in mental health.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-118-the-church-mindy-caliguire-and-mental-health">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>We call it The BETA Show. Of course we're going to experiment... Here with THECHURCH.DIGITAL we have been testing the waters with this new Clubhouse platform, and unlike most social media, this seems to be a great opportunity to physically dialogue, to actually talk, with people. So, we're moving The BETA Show over to Clubhouse occasionally to see how the engagement is over on Clubhouse. Why Clubhouse? <a href="https://fb.watch/3Sjp82-hih/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Jeff did a recent livestream over on Facebook about the potential of Clubhouse</a>. Not on the platform? Hit us up and we'll try to send over an invite! Android users, and people who can't make the conversation in real time... the majority of conversations will be recorded and made available via <a href="http://thechurch.digital/podcast" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Church Digital Podcast feed</a>, so make sure you're subscribed to that. We'll also have show notes here on <a href="http://thechurch.digital/blog" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Church Digital Blog</a>.</p> <p>Is your church thinking above the funnel? In past years, we treated the weekend service, the large gathering, as the front door of our church. Recently, though, some churches have been having success thinking above the funnel and connecting with people even before they get to that digital (or even physical) weekend service. What tools can we, the church, use to meet, engage and develop relationships with people digitally? This is the heart of the conversation. What are some practical ways your church can connect with people before they set foot in your physical and/or digital church service? BETA15 is here to answer that question.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <h2>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW</h2> <p>We need your help. <strong>Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724)</strong> and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <h2><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta15-church-thinking-above-the-funnel-digitally">Access Show Notes on THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></h2>

<p>I can remember a conversation I had with a Lead Pastor back in early 2019… “you know, there are probably only 20 people in the country who actually serve full-time as a digital pastor.” It has been fascinating to see how churches are pivoting to Digital as a result of COVID. Some churches are embracing the opportunity, even as far as moving people from other staff positions to lead, to champion the Digital opportunities within the church.</p> <p>To that end, we brought in a panel of new Digital Pastors, and talked about the transition to Digital and what the future of Digital looks like? What has their perspective been? What are the challenges? Who has their go-to supporters been? Do they actually like shepherding people digitally?</p> <p>Fascinating conversation focusing on today’s Digital transition and tomorrow’s Digital future.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-117-the-new-digital-pastor">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Cough Cough, we’re 45ish days until Easter. How’s your communication plan? In this Mid/Post-COVID environment, it’s going to be important for our churches to market, to communicate externally, what’s happening at Easter. Developing that marketing strategy is essential, and we’re bringing in a specialists… David Uribe… to help your church develop an effective external marketing strategy. Through this plan and other free resources, Uribe Creative is helping your church thrive this easter season.</p> <p><a href="http://uribecreative.com/easter" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Free Template to Build Your Easter Webpage</a></p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta14-six-tips-towards-marketing-easter">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>When COVID hit, the majority of churches did not have a digital strategy, at least in context of broadcasting services or making disciples online. March 2020 saw many churches scrambling to adopt digital strategies, sometimes taking the path of least resistance. Facebook Live, YouTube Live… these are great tools! But they are borrowed platforms. While they are easy and free, there ultimately is a “cost” to the church.</p> <p>What if Facebook, what if YouTube, were to say, “Churches can no longer use our services?” Would your digital strategy still exist? If our digital strategy is totally dependent on borrowed platforms, ultimately, that means that these platforms have the ability to control, to possibly limit or restrict, the voice of the church.</p> <p>Radical thought? Probably. Something we the church need to be concerned about? Definitely. Join in the podcast as Jeff and Rey talk with Collin Jones, President of Resi Media, in their conversation centering around Churches “owning” their platforms.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-116-collin-jones-owning-your-platform">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Butts in seats. Nickels and noses. Unfortunately, this is how the Church has historically gauged its success. COVID did many things, and thankfully the pandemic brought attention to the need of a new scoreboard for the Church. As we’re re-developing our strategy, how do we measure the success of our church? With a panel of Church Leaders from a Gigachurch all the way to a Church Plant, hopefully this conversation even starts a larger conversation at your specific church.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta13-defining-a-successful-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Discipleship means a lot of things. At it’s core value, though, there are two different ideas: 1) Knowledge-Based and 2) Obedience-Based. Many churches operate in a knowledge-based system of discipleship. In fact, our buildings exist as the center of that knowledge. Come to the building and we can teach you more knowledge. Unfortunately, knowledge-based discipleship tends to move away from action. We as Christians have a cognitive understanding of what God has called us to, but we don’t do it. God calls us to make disciples. But many of us are too busy consuming a product instead of denying self and carrying the cross Christ gave us.</p> <p>This is where Obedience-Based Discipleship comes into play. This is why today’s podcast may be difficult to listen to… cause maybe our strategy for doing church, for making disciples, isn’t working and if we can figure out how to this digitally…</p> <p>So, let’s dig into some new ideas here. Maybe this is the new wineskin your church needs for 2021? Let’s explore what discipleship can look like, digitally.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-115-digital-discipleship-thru-timothy-initiative">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Have you made it to Clubhouse yet? The new, up-and-coming Social Media Network has been taking the world by storm... well, a slow storm. The audio-only platform creates a phenomenal opportunity for people to engage in new ways. How can your church take advantage of Clubhouse? We’re bringing DJ Chuang into the conversation to talk about Clubhouse &amp; the Church.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta12-clubhouse-and-the-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Of course COVID caused a radical shift for churches. I think it’s important to notice that, even for the guys doing Online Ministry for years COVID brought a change. For this conversation, we’re bringing in Saddleback’s Online Campus Pastor, Jay Kranda. Jay’s been doing online ministry for a decade now, and over the years he’s seen lots of changes (including while under the pressure cooker of COVID.)</p> <p>How has ministry changed and how can we as digital pastors, church staff and volunteers manage the tension? Let’s find out.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-114-jay-kranda-and-the-constant-evolution-of-an-online-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>We’ve been preaching and teaching to a camera for about a year now. What have we learned? How do we get more effective communicating to a digital audience? How do we get more comfortable with the lens? Are there better methods for our communication? Join Jeff, Rey, and Patrick Holden, Lead Pastor of NUVO Church as we pull these threads, and more, on this episode of the BETA SHOW.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta11-tips-for-better-speaking-online">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Research December 2020 tells us that 80% of people cold to Christ don’t care about our worship services, physical or digital. Event-based evangelism has been waning for years, and now COVID has effectively killed it off. While today’s large gathering church services do serve a purpose beyond evangelism, it’s important for churches to recognize that there are other ways we need to share Christ with those who are far from Him.</p> <p>Enter the Search Engine. 40% of people who are cold to Christ, when they have spiritual questions, will hit Google and try to find the answer. This incredible opportunity is entirely missed by churches today who do not understand simple processes in not only how to shape content to make it effective for online environments, but also how to utilize metadata and other descriptive fields to make the information more findable for searching.</p> <p>Part One of the Pastor Google Ongoing Series: We’re doing a deep dive into simple processes how to make YouTube the Evangelical Engine it has the potential to be.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-113-justin-nava-modern-evangelism-by-pastor-google">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Recently, celebrating its 25th Anniversary, DC Talk’s Jesus Freak revolutionized Christian Music back in 1995. Tonally ground-breaking in the day, it’s lyrics speak a radical, eerily relevant message to Christians in today’s COVID-saturated, race-intensified culture. Remember, relive and maybe even rediscover the album with a message 25 years in the making.</p> <p><a href="https://youtu.be/SshO5tOHmAE" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Watch the Online Video Here</a>.</p>

<p>It’s always a good podcast when Jason Morris is involved. Jason, along with being the Global Innovation Pastor at Westside Family, has been actively working with Stadia Church Planting in helping with the Phygital Cohorts we’ve been doing in 2020.</p> <p>It was in one of these passing Phygital conversations Jason mentioned to me that Westside Family was revamping their online micro-location strategy. As a passing thought, I asked Jason to jump on a call with me so I could hear how the church is developing their online/micro-location strategy.</p> <p>He brought Heidi Tompkins along, and this ended up mind-blowing, revolutionary conversation about how digital church is redefining discipleship, disciple-making, and evangelism in the church. So check out the episode here and let's dig into Westside Family’s Acts 2 Revolution.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-112-jason-morris-heidi-tompkins-micro-locations-the-acts-2-revolution">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>80 days and counting until Easter 2021 is upon us. If your church is like most, you’re currently avoiding thinking about the massive stress that is a Phygital Easter Service. It doesn’t have to be that way, and through the BETA SHOW we’re going to give you some practical insight today to help your church prepare for Easter 2021. With guest Ben Stapley we’re discussing in greater detail how to thrive this Easter both physically &amp; digitally. Don’t avoid it. Embrace it. Learn how on the BETA SHOW.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta10-making-the-most-of-a-phygital-easter">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Stadia has group of churches we call the “Futurists”. These churches are focused on experimenting phygitally. Understanding the heart of disciple-making, what does it look like to multiply our churches physically, as well as, digitally?</p> <p>To most, the idea of a Virtual Reality Multisite Campus seems like a crazy idea. Do people really want to attend church in virtual reality? To answer this question, we’re bringing together a church currently doing physical and avatar (virtual reality) church every week. We’re also bringing in a church that is already successful in physical church, that is wanting to multiply their church into a virtual reality multisite campus.</p> <p>We’re bringing back Jason Poling, <a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-103-jason-poling-the-virtual-reality-multisite-campus" rel="noopener" target="_blank">no stranger here to THECHURCH.DIGITAL podcast</a>. Jason is Lead Pastor at Cornerstone Church up in the PNW, and his church is currently doing church services regularly in physical &amp; VR. For the conversation, we’re also bringing in Josh Amstutz, Lead Pastor at Lakeland Church in Wisconsin, and some of the other staff at Lakeland. Their church is interested in experimenting with a Virtual Reality Multisite Campus, and this conversation with Jason is the first step in discovering practical steps for the journey to set up a multisite campus.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-111-futurist-churches-the-virtual-reality-multisite-campus">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>One of the most under-utilized tools online, Facebook Groups allows for incredible engagement digitally. In this COVID season (and beyond), how can churches use Facebook Groups to build better relationships online? We’re asking three seasoned experts (Katie Allred, Jeanette Yates, and Julie Harris) this question live, answering your questions on how your church can better utilize Facebook Groups today.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta09-facebook-groups-best-practices">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Check your tech brains at the door for this conversation. We’re wrapping up 2020 not talking about anything tech as much as a core component of what a church multiplying movement actually looks like.</p> <p>Enter No Place Left, a Global Organic Church movement that is making a difference in the world, one disciple-maker at a time. Through their intentional (yet organic) approach NPL has a vision of being the church outside of physical buildings, equipping people to become disciple-makers. Learn more about the vision, strategy, and method to create disciple-makers who create churches until there’s no place left.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-109-multiplying-churches-until-theres-no-place-left">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>I love conversations with DJ Soto. DJ challenges me, regularly, and this conversation once again pushes the limits. As Lead Pastor of VR Church, DJ is stretching the boundaries of Avatar Church. Yes, Avatar Church. Here at The Church Digital Podcast, we talk Physical/Phygital church all the time. We talk Digital-Only Churches like Jate Earhart's Love Clan... now we really do a deep dive here talking about putting a church in the Virtual Reality world. Actually, VR Church is different than Digital-Only Churches as it deserves the separate category of Avatar Churches.</p> <p>Here on the Podcast with DJ, we’re talking Avatar Church, VR Church’s Christmas Services, and a bleeding edge church concept involving MMO video games like “Final Fantasy XIV”. Crazy, radical stuff. And. It. Just. Might. Work.</p> <p>Jump on the podcast here and be challenged in your concept of what church is, and how we can be the church digitally. It’s not time to recreate the church. It’s time to reimagine the church.</p> <p>By the way, Stadia Church Planting is looking for Church Planters who are interested in planting digital only churches and avatar churches. Is this you? Check out <a href="http://stadiachurchplanting.org/digital" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://stadiachurchplanting.org/digital</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-108-dj-soto-virtual-reality-final-fantasy-xiv-and-the-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Christmastime is here. Time for love and cheer, and CHRISTMAS MOVIES. THERE ARE SO MANY CHRISTMAS MOVIES. Time to GEEK OUT about the greatness of CHRISTMAS MOVIES like Muppet Christmas Carol, Batman Returns, and Die Hard. Yes, Die Hard is a Christmas Movie. Are you a geek? Do you love Christmas? Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? If "Yes", you will definitely want to watch the Unofficial Geek Ranking of Christmas Movies.</p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_wIHPrh8VQ&amp;t=3s">Watch the Online Video Here</a>.</p>

<p>It’s the most difficult part of Church Online. You’ll have hundreds, maybe thousands of viewers online. But who are these people? How can your church serve them spiritually? Church is more than that one-hour on Sunday. How can we get these people engaged in the rest of your church? The Connection Card can do it. You beg for those connection cards to get filled out... and unfortunately no matter what you do, people just don’t fill these online forms out. THERE ARE BETTER OPTIONS! Just in time for those Christmas Services, join us as we discuss five better options than the connection card.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We've launched a new show over here at THECHURCH.DIGITAL. But we need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta08-five-options-better-than-the-connection-card">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>For most Online Ministry people, Twitch is probably not on your radar. For Jate Earhart, broadcasting has become a regular event. Jate streams on Twitch for hours a day, connecting/engaging/building relationships with people. And his digital church, Love Clan, is growing as a result.</p> <p>Who’s he reaching? Some of these stories are borderline unbelievable, but give testimony to the fact that to reach different people, we need to do different methods.</p> <p>Interested in planting a digital-only expression of church like Love Clan? Stadia Church Planting wants to talk to you. Check out <a href="http://stadiachurchplanting.org/digital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">http://stadiachurchplanting.org/digital</a> for more info.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-107-jate-earhart-twitch-reaching-a-different-type-of-person">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Can you relate to this question by a church volunteer? “I talked my church leadership into trying a live, viewer-interactive service this Dec 20. I’m a volunteer tasked with creating the format; staff will execute logistics. How can I start small and set us up for hopeful success to build on?”</p> <p>Join us here as we talk about how to support a culture of iteration within the church. (Side note: LOVE that the volunteer is driving the innovation!) // Got questions on Online Ministry, text them to 484/324-8724.</p> <p>Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes <a href="http://thechurch.digital/beta" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We've launched a new show over here at THECHURCH.DIGITAL. But we need your help. <strong>Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724)</strong> and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta07-experiment-learn-to-fire-bbs-before-bullets-before-bombs">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>We got Episode 106 here and have brought in Professor Steve Lowe from Liberty University to have a great conversation around the theological implications of Church Online. Liberty is starting an online track where you can eventually get your MDiv with an emphasis in Online Ministry.</p> <p>We've also got Seminary student, Dan Tebo, joining us as we unpack what Liberty is doing to get into this space and the future of the theology of Church Online.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-106-liberty-university-the-academia-of-online-ministry">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>2020 has been crazy, so we’re taking a break from trying to solve the world’s problems and instead focusing on more important things. THECHURCH.DIGITAL is giving you permission to start the holiday early and jump on with us while we debate holiday crises like “do we really want giblets in our gravy?” Join us to see the Ultimate Thanksgiving Smackdown.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/cray01-the-ultimate-thanksgiving-feast-smackdown">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>As church leaders in the midst of this COVID season, there are certainly questions on this whole Digital Church thing. Is this effective? Is it working? Chances are your church leadership thinks they have an idea of what’s happening. There are even “experts” like me to tell you what we think is happening. But has anyone actually taken the time to ask the actual people attending (or not attending) our online services?</p> <p>Enter Barna Research into the conversation. Barna &amp; Stadia just partnered to release the largest report to date on Church Online usage to date... the report centers church attenders, church dropouts... people passionate (and not passionate) about Church Online. What are they receptive to? What are they looking for? Physical? Digital? Hybrid? Barna’s Report confirms some trends that we already understood, but also opened up a number of trends that I, for one, didn’t see coming.</p> <p>So for the conversation we’re bringing in Savannah Kimberlin from Barna to help us unpack what’s happening here, and help us get a grasp on the future of Hybrid Church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-105-savannah-kimberlin-barnas-6-questions-about-the-future-of-the-hybrid-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had this conversation: “Leadership doesn’t understand. They’re wanting to play it safe. How do I get them to see things from my perspective?” COVID has certainly changed the rules. How can you help your church wrestle with bigger, bolder ideas?</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We are launching a new show over here at THECHURCH.DIGITAL. But we need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta06-how-can-i-help-leadership-see-bigger-bolder-ideas">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Remember back when churches met in large gatherings. Those physical services were so powerful, you could just feel the spirit of God moving across the room. It was always interesting to me that people received that feeling differently. Some people report a warmth. Others (including myself) often feel a chill. Has anyone experienced anything like this online?</p> <p>An odd conversation of sorts, how does the Holy Spirit show itself online? Or even physically? A really interesting conversation into what the Holy Spirit looks like in our different gatherings, physically &amp; digitally. We’re bringing into the conversation a rich tapestry of ministry leaders for the conversation: two digital pastors, a creative/video editor and a live production guy... all to wrestle through this idea of how the Holy Spirit moves, digitally.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-104-does-the-holy-spirit-move-online">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>It’s easy to feel underwater with this whole phygital thing. Physical strategy is one thing... now a digital strategy is complicating things greatly. Let’s look at some practical, small steps that can help your church get on top of this whole phygital approach.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We are launching a new show over here at THECHURCH.DIGITAL. But we need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta05-small-steps-towards-effective-digital-strategy">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>I love talking with people who get it. People that you don’t have to convince of a good idea. People that are usually already running down the road about the time you say “hey, look over there!”</p> <p>Jason has been another one of the COVID contacts that is changing the way he looks at Church. Jason is Lead Pastor of Cornerstone Church, and you can hear his story in the podcast, but I’m pretty sure Cornerstone is the only one (if not one of a few) churches that are doing services Physically (in buildings), Digitally (broadcasting video), and also Avatar (Virtual Reality Campus). That’s right. Jason is doing a three-fold ministry approach, hitting physical, digital, and avatar.</p> <p>Not bad for a small church. Jason tells lots of stories here, talking about the challenges of getting started in virtual reality, and the eventual ministry payoff. Incredible conversation with immediate application for churches brave enough to think outside the box.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-103-jason-poling-the-virtual-reality-multisite-campus">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

We got past Halloween. It's not even Turkey-time yet, and here in America we may not even know who the President is, but dang it, it's Christmas-time. Crank out the Christmas Playlist. Put on your favorite Christmas Sweater, and let's start to figure out how in the world we are doing Christmas in this mid/post-COVID 2020 season... Like the BETA SHOW? Check out more episodes here. Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW We've launched a new show over here at THECHURCH.DIGITAL. But we need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church. Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.

<p>We’ve talked a lot here about the idea of multiplying church, which can be difficult to understand sometimes since the idea of multiplication is so, well, rare in the US church world. Even pre-2020, we’re lucky if we’re growing, most likely we’re flatlining, or even trending down. Even now in the foreseeable post-COVID future we are trending away, where Barna predicts 20% of churches shut down in the next 18 months, the idea of church multiplication seems a distant memory.</p> <p>Or, maybe we’re just not doing it right? Have we overcomplicated the idea of church, and in the process designed something that actually prevented multiplication?</p> <p>Enter Ed Love, Director of Multiplication for the Wesleyan Church. Ed, and the Wesleyan Church, has been wrestling with this issue for a while, and several years back hit the scripture again to discover the Wesleyan Church’s “essential ecclesiology” for church multiplication.</p> <p>Healthy things multiply and through this essential ecclesiology from the Wesleyan Church, we’ve got an excellent blueprint towards Church as Platform, Microchurch, and even Digital Church Planting. What’s the ecclesiology look like? Dig into the conversation here, at The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-102-essential-ecclesiology-enabling-digital-church-planting">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Jim’s words kinda shocked me. Having worked with Jim Tomberlin at Christ Fellowship Miami, and studied his multisite movement materials over the years, I kinda felt like I had a solid grounding on the mindset of Jim Tomberlin. So, when he casually dropped the line, I didn’t quite know how to respond.</p> <p><em>It’s not, “Get as big as you can.” It should be, “Get as big as you need to be in order to multiply healthily.”</em></p> <p>For a guy who dedicated decades to multiplying through multisite churches, mergers… and is now championing the cause of phygital churches… the idea shouldn’t be a surprise. The endgame of our buildings, our gatherings… are we multiplying? Is it helping to multiply?</p> <p>The mystery of church multiplication isn’t necessarily hard. The American Church needs to think differently. Let this podcast be the start of a new conversation in your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-101-jim-tomberlin-the-goal-of-physical-church">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Couple questions on the docket this week on BETA SHOW: Jeff, can you talk about ways that your attendees can engage that’s outside/beyond a physical location? // Really, THE biggie in light of seeing churches come back with 50% attendance is this: How can we reach new people while not meeting in person? I’m thinking we need to more than double, or it will feel too discouraging to come to a very small gathering.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We are launching a new show over here at THECHURCH.DIGITAL. But we need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta03-church-we-forgot-the-why">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Well, we got here quicker than we thought. Episode 100 of The Church Digital Podcast launches this week, and we’ve got a solid podcast for you. We’re going old school this week for the podcast, bringing in guys who have been doing online ministry for years… decades…</p> <p>If you’re a regular listener to the podcast, you’ve probably heard me tell the story of Disneyland Starbucks. Rey De Armas and I are sitting at an outside Starbucks with Saddleback’s Jay Kranda, Dunham &amp; Co’s Nils Smith and First Impressions Guru Greg Atkinson. What followed for me was one of the most influential conversations of my life.</p> <p>Online ministry is as controversial mid/post-COVID as it was pre-COVID. Some churches want to do it. Some churches want to forget it. How do we, as innovators, visionaries… as people who may not see eye to eye with leadership… how do we process this? Who challenges you? Who grounds you? How do you respect yet push leadership at the same time?</p> <p>This just scratches the surface here on Episode 100.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-100-kranda-atkinson-nils-the-joys-difficulties-of-online-ministry">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>We’re going back to the building, right? But we’re not supposed to go back to February 2020. How exactly are we supposed to do that again? Lay the groundwork for your digital strategy to complement your phygital church.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We are launching a new show over here at THECHURCH.DIGITAL. But we need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta02-pushing-church-online-while-managing-reopening-transitions">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>How do we pastor people phygitally? How do we care for people in digital space? Great question, and I honestly thought I had an answer to that until I heard from Korey in a Facebook Group. “Well, 25 people in my church have died as a result of COVID.”</p> <p>Korey, from Grace Community Church, has experienced a whole other perspective than I (and most of you) probably have had in this COVID season. As a Campus Pastor in New York, he has seen his church lose 25 people to coronavirus. How do you pastor a church that you can’t hug? How do you care for a church that you can’t be in physical space together?</p> <p>These are the issues that Korey and other pastors across the country are wrestling with daily. Let’s learn from stories like Korey and get a glimpse of the Church’s future.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-099-korey-deck-shepherding-pastoral-care-mourning-digitally">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Wrestling with your church's PHYGITAL approach to online + physical services? Jeff &amp; Rey are diving in, answering YOUR QUESTIONS on how to get more impact on your PHYGITAL church services. Got questions? Text them to 484/324-8724.</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We are launching a new show over here at THECHURCH.DIGITAL. But we need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta01-get-more-value-from-your-online-church-services?hs_preview=mMFjMNDF-35808795156">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

Episode 97 was incredible! We did a deep dive into Creative Online Services with lead creative Craig Dockery at Crossroads Church. Incredible conversation, but man, Crossroads has a ton of resources and staffing to make their incredibly creative worship services happen. Most churches today don’t have large creative teams or financial resources to do creative services. So while there are applicable lessons in from Crossroads there may not have been much practical. So, let’s start to have some practical conversations on Church Online Services. We’re bringing in Patrick Hudson, Lead Pastor at Nuvo Church. Nuvo’s got one of the most creative worship services I’ve ever seen… and he’s still in Church Plant mode (still operating digitally, not yet launched physically). There’s an incredible opportunity we have today. Mid-COVID, or even Post-COVID, we’ve got an opportunity to look with fresh eyes on our corporate worship services. Don’t recreate. Reimagine. COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.

<p>You got questions. You're new to this whole digital church thing, and you need some help. You're heading back to the building, but 50-70% of your attenders are staying home. What are you going to do? That's the topic on the inaugural episode of The Church Digital's BETA Show. Pre-COVID we were doing the whole physical church service thing. COVID hit, physical shut down, and we poured all our resources into Online. Now, how do we do physical and digital at the same time, without more resources? This is the question we're answering here on BETA000.&nbsp;</p> <p>Answering Your Questions: THE BETA SHOW<br> We are launching a new show over here at THECHURCH.DIGITAL. But we need your help. Text your questions to 4THECHURCH (484/324-8724) and we'll answer them here on THE BETA SHOW. Seriously. Grab the phone. Text 484/324-8724 and tell us your questions. Where you're stuck. What questions you're asking of leadership. What questions leadership is asking of you... and let TCD help your church take some practical next steps, and give you some advice on how to BETA the situation at your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/beta000-how-do-we-do-creative-digital-church-services-physical-church-services-at-the-same-time">Complete Show Notes and Online Video Available at THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p>

<p>As churches start to head back into their buildings, Pastor, we have the opportunity to continue to blur the lines of Phygital. We have an incredible resource available to us. Creatively, what if we embraced the idea of creative services online, even as we went physical. What if we grabbed hold of these digital resources and really thought digital first... how can physical and digital services benefit from the creativity we could do?</p> <p>To this end, we’re bringing in Craig Dockery from Crossroads Church in Cincinnati. Arguably, one of the most creative online services right now, Craig and his team have taken a fresh look even going back to the liturgy of their Church Services as they’re producing these online services. In the end, the Online Services greatly benefit from these creative elements, and now as Crossroads is going back to the building they’re wrestling with the physical impact of these elements.</p> <p>Love the idea of experimenting, and Crossroads is a great example of a church wrestling with the idea of a Phygital Church Service.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-097-craig-dockery-crossroads-creative-church-services-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Pre-COVID I don’t think I heard much about the idea of a church becoming the “Christian Netflix”… but thank you very much Coronavirus for once again providing Your Church opportunities that it didn’t have before?</p> <p>So is there merit to the content-heavy “Church as Christian Netflix?” model? How does it complement your church’s mission and vision? Does it assist in your disciple-making strategies?</p> <p>In this COVID season, I’ve heard more and more churches asking questions about going this way. So why not do an episode about it? We’re bringing back Andy Mage from Bay Hope Church in Tampa, FL into the conversation. Andy, as well as, Cinematographer Andres Aquino have been working hard building Bay Hope TV, a content engagement platform that feeds into a discipleship process. Phenomenal stuff.</p> <p>So, what does it take for your church to be the next Christian Netflix? Find out in this episode of The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-096-churches-that-want-to-be-the-next-christian-netflix">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p> <p><br></p>

<p>COVID is teaching us, the church, many lessons. Obviously, there are many lessons about the value of Church Online or Discipleship Online. But why stop there? Church Communications Directors have been working overtime in this COVID season, managing the chaos that has been 2020.</p> <p>While we don’t talk about Communications much here at THECHURCH.DIGITAL, let’s pause and ask some questions. To that end, we’ve pulled in three church communication experts from around the country to ask them some simple questions… what have you learned in this COVID season? What are you currently experimenting with? How can communication help your church go PHYGITAL? All sorts of fun questions that can help your church take the next steps in communications.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-095-launching-elevating-church-communication-teams">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>This is not going to be your typical The Church Digital Podcast. What does church discipline look like at your church? I want to be clear with the question. I’m not necessarily talking about spiritual disciplines here. Not digging into discipleship. Wikipedia defines Church Discipline as: “the practice of censuring church members when they are perceived to have sinned in hope that the offender will repent and be reconciled to God and the church. It is also intended to protect other church members from the influence of sin.”</p> <p>I was recently interviewed by Ed Stetzer over at <a href="http://newchurches.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">NewChurches.com</a>, and Ed asked me the question: “How do Digital-Only Churches handle Church Discipline?” It’s a great question, and one that I wanted to not speak only philosophically to, but bring to the table some active digital-only church planters, and talk through their experiences. What are they seeing and experiencing? How have they handled these issues?</p> <p>The following conversation is a great example of the separation, the misunderstanding, that some have of Digital Churches. While some view digital expressions of church as unhealthy, people living their lives in isolation... those doing ministry in these digital communities tell quite a different story.</p> <p>So, take a bit here and dive into these stories of how digital churches use the power of relationships to connect, and restore, people to God.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-094-the-challenge-of-church-discipline-in-digital-spaces">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>The idea of Church as Platform has been resonating for a while here at The Church Digital. Through recent blogs &amp; podcasts we’ve been unpacking this idea of the church (not providing a service, but instead finding success in empowering others to do ministry). It’s not about our organizations reaching people, but about our organizations training disciple-makers to reach people.</p> <p>Today on the podcast we’re bringing in Rick Rusaw, former Lead Pastor at LifeBridge and one of the early innovators in this idea of Church as Platform. Rick gives some of the history, some of the backstory, behind the idea of Church as Platform.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-093-rick-rusaw-the-standard-of-church-as-platform?hs_preview=lsuNyPru-34678672330">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Most churches shut down for the summer… global pandemic and all. Weekend services are “essential” operations, but the majority of churches have struggled to anything otherwise.</p> <p>This is what makes the story of SOFLO camp so interesting to me. While other churches are pausing ministry, or struggling to put the pieces together, two or three churches from the Church United Network started a movement. Dozens of churches across multiple cities worked together to create a movement of students in South Florida that would not have been otherwise possible if not for COVID.</p> <p>What are the challenges of living on-brand as opposed to on-mission? This is just the start of the conversation here at The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-091-tyler-sansom-building-using-influence-as-a-digital-missionary" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>To do digital ministry you need to think outside the box. What works in the building won’t necessarily work online. We know this. But oftentimes our ministry digitally looks a lot like our physical ministry.</p> <p>But, what if we did think outside the box. Enter Tyler Sansom into the conversation. Tyler is Lead Digital Pastor of Church Anywhere, a Digital-Only Church, who is taking a unique approach to reaching ones… building authentic relationships with people via social media influence. What sounds like a crazy idea, well, isn’t that crazy when you hear the stories and see the results from this influencer approach.</p> <p>Looking to think outside the box in Digital Church? Start here.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-091-tyler-sansom-building-using-influence-as-a-digital-missionary" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Hey, it’s my birthday podcast! And for the second year in a row, we’re bringing in a special guest to celebrate my birthday. Last year it was my mom, talking about how she leads her two online small groups. Mom wasn’t available this year, so instead we got Greg Nettle, President of Stadia Church Planting to jump on the podcast.</p> <p>What I love about Greg Nettle is the man is passionate about Digital Church. Oftentimes when I meet influential people in the church world, I have to cast vision to what a digital church can be. Truthfully, even before COVID, Greg was on the road to discovery, and has done an incredible job championing the Digital Church (and the Phygital Church) through Stadia Churches and beyond.</p> <p>Greg has been featuring churches with phygital and digital mindset on his podcast, “The Church Planting Podcast”. Season 3 has been exclusively Digital: I even kicked off the season with an introduction to Digital.</p> <p>So I’m bringing Greg on my podcast, for my birthday, and ask him what lessons he’s learning thru the podcast? Digital Church, Leading a National Organization, Race… so many challenges in this COVID season. Here’s your opportunity to learn from Greg, directly, on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-090-greg-nettle-digital-lessons-learned-in-this-global-pandemic">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>As we get further and further into this COVID season, how are we finding new people? It’s so easy to default back to our 99s and to forget about our ones. In the push to get back to whatever we think normalcy is, words like evangelism or sharing faith seem to be lost from our vernacular.</p> <p>On the show we talk a lot about the church helping others find their individual ones. But how can we, in this season, find our organizational ones?</p> <p>A different approach to connecting with people, through Search… what if we marketed church differently? Steven Fogg, founder of The Church Online Summit and Digital Marketing Guru, shares some insight that will help your church in big ways… and it doesn’t cost you a penny.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-089-steve-fogg-ministering-to-people-on-googles-dime">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Thank you very much, COVID. That long-term vision? That playbook? Your church’s strategy? It’s all trash. Every church is in startup mode, and we’re reimagining the idea of church moving forward. Reimagining is going to require some experimentation.</p> <p>Is your church capable of experimenting? Do they have the vision? The resources? The ability to experiment. Often churches staff for the needs of today, not to experiment for tomorrow. Even in the midst of COVID, with the economical issues many churches are facing, the idea of hiring, restructuring, or restaffing is challenging to most.</p> <p>Enter Matt Lombardi from Shaar.work, an organization that connects creatives, designers, and video editors to churches. Church, looking to experiment in an area? Matt explores how churches can experiment utilizing freelancing resources to discover what tomorrow’s ministry can look like today.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-088-matt-lombardi-what-do-you-mean-your-church-wont-experiment">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Thanks to COVID, lots of churches are operating digitally. They’re broadcasting their services online. Trying to start up Online Small Groups. As a general rule, they’re moving their physical ministry digital, or even learning how to do ministry phygitally (combining physical + digital).</p> <p>I’m suggesting there’s a whole other category… digital-only churches. What would it be like to do church, to be the church, in a digital community? Something like Facebook, Virtual Reality? The idea is not copying the physical model of church and doing it digitally. The idea is to be the church digitally, in environments where people are, and relationally connect with people for the cause of Christ.</p> <p>Fun stuff, especially considering some of these digital-only expressions of church already exist. And for this podcast we’re putting together a panel of people who are involved in digital-only churches. Planters and volunteers who buy into the vision of creating a church in digital community for people in those digital communities.</p> <p>So, come hear the stories… the ministry… the vision behind these digital-only expression of church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-087-stories-strategy-of-a-digital-only-expression-of-church">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>I’ve talked with hundreds of Pastors in this COVID season. Easily. Not an exaggeration. If I count emails, texts, social media, direct messages, pings… geez, may be over a thousand. Never, never, NEVER have I heard a Pastor tell me this: “Our Church is healthier because of COVID.”</p> <p>Enter Ali Roohi, Pastor of CenterSet Church in California. In this COVID season, he’s seen online attendance drop. Most churches have, after all. At the same time, though, he’s seen Online Groups triple in size and giving increase substantially.</p> <p>How’d he do this? A major philosophical shift of his church… and you’re going to want to hear him say it… here on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-086-ali-roohi-my-church-is-healthier-because-of-covid">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://stadiachurchplanting.org/phygital" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stadia’s Phygital Church Learning Communities</a>: Helping Physical Churches learn to Thrive, Grow, and Multiply Digitally.</p> <p><a href="http://stadiachurchplanting.org/digital" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stadia’s Digital-Only Church Planting Cohort</a>: Stadia’s looking for Church Planters who are looking to plant a Church digitally… with no physical footprint. Is this you? Check it out <a href="http://stadiachurchplanting.org/digital" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

<p>What can we, the Church, learn from Uber? AirBNB?</p> <p>We’re 100+ days into this COVID thing. Our buildings aren’t getting much usage. In some areas (like where I am in Florida) we’re actually worse now than ever. In that same vein, I had a pastor tell me recently, “Jeff, we really can’t pause the ministry of the Church any longer. We’ve been in slow motion since COVID started, and we’ve got to ramp up again.”</p> <p>I love the idea of the Church doing ministry in this season, and while the perceived technological limitations of Church in COVID season may be limiting us, what it’s actually doing is giving us… the Church… a prime opportunity to work on what’s next: Church As Platform.</p> <p>The fourth in a series of, well, intentional podcasts meant to help you reshape your view of Church. Jeff and Rey bring in Doug Parks, Co-Author of Intentional Churches and Executive Pastor of Canyon Ridge in Las Vegas. Topic?</p> <p>Uber owns no taxi’s, yet revolutionized ride-sharing. AirBNB owns no property, yet is going toe-to-toe with hotels around the world? Why? Because these businesses learned that property is a lid of growth… they lifted the lid by giving the business to the people.</p> <p>Church, what if we gave the church's ministry exclusively to the people? This is the conversation we’re beginning here, on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-085-doug-parks-church-as-platform-and-moving-beyond-the-institutional-model">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://stadiachurchplanting.org/phygital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Stadia’s Phygital Church Learning Communities</a>: Helping Physical Churches learn to Thrive, Grow, and Multiply Digitally.</p> <p><a href="http://stadiachurchplanting.org/digital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Stadia’s Digital-Only Church Planting Cohort</a>: Stadia’s looking for Church Planters who are looking to plant a Church digitally… with no physical footprint. Is this you? Check it out <a href="http://stadiachurchplanting.org/digital" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

<p>What does the future hold for Virtual Reality?... for Artificial Intelligence? Talk to the business world and they're chomping at the bit to take advantage of disruptions like these. But what of the church world? As a general rule, we're&nbsp;more skeptical of these innovations.</p> <p>Is the skepticism warranted? Or are we missing an opportunity? This is where Christopher Benek comes in. As Lead Pastor at First Presbyterian Miami, he understands the value of our buildings. A Historical Landmark in the heart of Downtown Miami (located right on Biscayne Bay), First Pres' is one of the highest valued church properties in all of Miami. But is the property effective in making disciples tomorrow? Today?</p> <p>This is where the conversation takes us. Christopher waxes theoretic a bit, and tells us about some of the new developments coming out of the ChVRch+ platform, and how churches of today need to prepare for tomorrow's challenges.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-084-christopher-benek-virtual-reality-and-moving-beyond-todays-buildings">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p>

<p>YouTube is powerful. Incredibly powerful... if you use it right. In this COVID-19 season, churches have been jumping onboard the YouTube bandwagon. But there's more to YouTube than just storing video.</p> <p>This is the heart of the podcast here. Dave Adamson is passionate about YouTube. An Online Pastor for over a decade now, Dave has been very vocal in recent years, helping churches figure out how to better do YouTube.</p> <p>Our conversation here hits the basics of YouTube for Churches... building a foundation for bigger and better things to come.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-083-dave-adamson-ten-commandments-of-church-youtube">SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p>

<p>As reports show COVID-19 is spiking, churches are starting to engage more and more with the idea of micro-locations as a short-term solution. It's important to notice that even with the idea of micro-locations, there's different ways these locations can look. The main difference really lies in the expectations of the volunteer leader.</p> <p>The two extremes are basically the "Watch Party" and the "House Church"... two extremes that show what a distributed model of smaller churches can look like. Whether micro-locations fill a short-term need or solve a long-term problem makes a huge difference, and churches that are wrestling with how to implement micro-locations need to listen here as we wrestle with the different flavors of micro-locations.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-82-stan-rodda-tyler-sansom-the-different-flavors-of-microsites">SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p>

<p>How do you start a church movement? Sure, there's probably different ways we can answer that question. If we looked at Christ's example, well, he started with 12 guys. Not a massive movement. He started with individuals and took three years to groom, grow, and disciple them. (Interestingly, one of them tried to kill Jesus, which just goes to show how difficult disciple-making actually is!)</p> <p>When we look at our churches today, do we see organizations who are capable of multiplication? Do we see disciple-making happening in our organizations? What would a movement look like that started with individuals and grew... are we better off abandoning our services? What role should our services play?</p> <p>These are just some of the questions we're wrestling with here on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-80-craig-whitney-and-moving-beyond-the-church-service-business?hs_preview=cqvkPlLw-31086280901">SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p>

The idea of a Digital-Only Church was quite controversial pre-COVID. Truthfully, it's still controversial today. What we're discovering, though, is there are pioneers out there who are testing these waters... paving the way for the settlers to come in later. Angela is one of those pioneers. In 2017, she launched a Social Media Church on Facebook... Pursuit Church Live is a digital-only church (with no physical footprint) that does ministry on Facebook. More than broadcasts and flashy content, Pursuit Church Live's goal is authentic relationships, which is quite a challenge in 2020. Through the podcast, Angela's got stories to tell, and through Stadia we're not only excited to hear Angela's stories, but to help others follow after Angela and launch more Digital-Only expressions of church. Digital Church Planting Cohorts are coming very soon. If you're interested in planting a Digital-Only Church, let's talk. SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL

<p>I love the Internet.</p> <p>Dave Ferguson, Leader of the Exponential Conference/Movement and Lead Pastor at Community Christian Church in Chicago... over the years I've been influenced by Dave. Hero Maker had a big impact in my life, and Exponential as a tribe has felt like home in recent years.</p> <p>So, imagine my surprise when Tanys, a faithful Church Digital Podcast listener from Canada, tags Dave Ferguson and I on Twitter, telling Dave that he should talk with me about creating a Digital Disciple-making Micro-location movement. Dave agreed, and here's Episode 79, focusing on Digital Multiplication.</p> <p>We've also celebrated our 10,000th Podcast Play this week at The Church Digital. In honor of you, the listeners, we want to hear from you. Swing by <a href="http://thechurch.digital/10k" rel="noopener" target="_blank">http://thechurch.digital/10k</a> and let us know how we, THECHURCH.DIGITAL, are helping your church grow... Pre-COVID, Mid-COVID, we want to hear some stories! We're randomly pulling three entries, and you'll be getting a $10 Starbucks giftcard. We'll do a drawing Monday, June 22, 2020.</p> <p>Digital Multiplication, Physical Micro-locations, and the 10,000th Celebration. All this in one episode of The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-079-dave-ferguson-multiplication-micro-locations-tcds-10000th-play">SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Church, we are content beasts... I actually had a friend of mine tell me once, "The only people that create more content than Churches is the Porn." He wasn't a Christ-follower and I'm going to have to take his word on the porn side...</p> <p>That being said, our weekend services take a massive amount of work to create. That's nice and all, but we need to move beyond creating content to consume and continue the journey to move to community, towards relationships. How does that happen?</p> <p>Enter Kristel Acevedo, Content Creator at Transformation Church in the Charlotte. Kristel speaks to the heart of Transformation Church to not just create content for people, but to connect with these people, digitally, in community. And through that community, impact lives.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-078-kristel-acevedo-womens-ministry-online-creating-community-around-content">SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Church, why do we do this? Why do we do 'church'? I don't mean physical church, or digital church. I don't mean weekend services, or small groups. I simply mean, why is it that we do what we do?</p> <p>Our buildings, our online... Pastor, there are times that pride gets to us and we think that our physical or digital footprint are the endgame. I've been guilty of this, I admit it. Chances are, if you're honest, you have been to.</p> <p>That being said, the digital/physical representations of our church are actually the means to the end... meaning they're important, but not the focus. Our focus, our endgame? Well, Matthew 28 lays that out pretty clear.</p> <p>Church, we may have lost our way here, and a clear and honest refocusing of your church may be necessary. Let's better understand the idea of the "one"... not only for your organization, but the importance of helping your attenders find their "one".</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-077-tim-celek-defining-matthew-28-by-focusing-on-the-one">SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>So, who are these people who are watching our Churches Online and what are we supposed to do with them? COVID-19 has brought us tons of traffic, and maybe for the first time we, as a church, are understanding the potential of the reach of Church Online. But here's a hard truth: people are not going to stay at your church because of content.</p> <p>Why do people stay? Because of community, vision, being on mission... The COVID-19 lesson for Church Online, if nothing else, is integral to your vision into Church Online. Cause if people are only watching online for content, well... Netflix cost $9. They don't sell vision, but they do a great job at making a consumer. Don't even get me started at Disney+.</p> <p>So, what's the process to get people engaged, activated online? While we're talking, what's that even look like in the physical building? Can Physical + Digital work together, for the benefit of our people? These are the conversations we're having here on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-076-lee-coate-digital-engagement-pathway-for-your-church">SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Depending on your location, gathering restrictions are starting to loosen, and churches are considering meeting together again. Some restrictions remain in place limiting size of gathering, wearing of masks, and appropriate social distancing. And while some churches are rushing to get back to the building, and the perceived normal... what if there's another way.</p> <p>Enter Adrienne Feldmann, Online Pastor at Northeast Community Church. Rather than rushing into the building, NECC is taking the approach of gathering their people in Watch Parties, in order to stair-step back to the building. In fact, they are launching this week with about 100 watch party locations.</p> <p>With a "build the plane while it's flying" approach, the watch parties serve to gather, as well as, create physical community, within the church. How can your church take this approach? Gain some practical insight from Adrienne and a church who pivoted quickly, and effectively, in order to make this happen.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-075-adrienne-feldmann-launching-watch-parties-quickly">SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Pastor, if there's one thing you've learned in this COVID-19 season, it's that you want to have influence online. For most churches, that means putting your sermons online. For Scot Mendenhall, though, that means something completely different.</p> <p>Scot, a pastor at Unlock Church in Minnesota, took to YouTube to gain influence on One Wheels... a motorized scooter of sorts. An incredible story, Scot uses YouTube to connect not only with his family, but then relationally connect with the digital community found in YouTube centered on these One Wheel Scooters - building friendships with people that eventually point them to Christ. He's literally bringing people to Christ in no small part due to motorized scooters on YouTube.</p> <p>Told you this was crazy. Check out the lesson and dig in to find out how you too can become a digital influencer like this for Christ.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-074-scot-mendenhall-gaining-using-influence-on-youtube">SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Well, we're going back into the building. Or at least a small percentage of us are. Many, though, are opting to take a slower approach heading back into the space. Is there a different approach?</p> <p>Churches like Saddleback and Elevation have been experimenting with Micro-locations for a while now, and this week we're having a conversation with another church who has been doing micro-church for almost five years now.</p> <p>Greg Aukerman has served as the Director of Online Community for Crossroads Church (Cincinnati) off and on for a while now, and on his watch Crossroads built a rather effective micro-church strategy, enabling the Priesthood of All Believers to effectively reach their towns and neighborhood.</p> <p>How can these lessons be leveraged in this COVID-19 season? That's the question we're asking, here on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-073-greg-aukerman-microchurches-stairstepping-back-to-buildings">SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>If there's a lesson the church needs to learn in this Global Pandemic: Physical Church &amp; Church Online need to learn to play together nicely. In the pre-COVID season of our life (that was merely two months ago) Physical Church was king of the hill, leaving Church Online as the red-headed stepchild. In the midst of COVID, Church Online is the only game in town as the Physical Church doors are literally locked, and let's be real... no one knows what's coming next.</p> <p>What we do know is there's digital fatigue, which is understandable. We, humans of 2020, are both physical and digital people, and we need to exist physically as well as digitally. We're using our proverbial digital passport daily... Zoom calls, Netflix... but we're showing fatigue not because we're annoyed with digital, but because there's no physical in our lives.</p> <p>This is the conversation we're having with Greg Atkinson. Greg was one of the early pioneers of Church Online, and a guy who has seen his share of changes within the church. A man who's literal job is to help churches do physical church better, but also being one of the earliest supporters of the Church Online movement, Greg provides a unique perspective of how physical and digital need each other in order to survive post-COVID.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-072-greg-atkinson-physical-church-church-online"><strong>SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</strong></a>.</p>

<p>In the midst of this pandemic, we're taking a moment to talk with one of the pioneers of the Church Online movement. Nils Smith was there from practically day one, diving into Church Online when the social media platform of choice was MySpace (yes, Myspace). This conversation is unique in that Nils isn't a a technology expert, at his own declaration.</p> <p>Nils is really good at reading, anticipating culture... and where he ends up in this conversation is a rich, deep view of the past while setting up churches (big and small) with a strong opportunity for the future.</p> <p>How can a small church compete with the big churches? What could a Digital Church Planter look like? All this centered around a virtual coffeeshop conversation on the past, and the future, of church online.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-71-nils-smith-a-futurists-view-of-an-innovative-entrepreneurial-church">COMPLETE SHOW NOTE AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>COVID-19 has brought a lot of confusion into the church. It's hard enough to be an existing church navigating this season. Try being a church that hasn't even launched yet.</p> <p>That's where Ray Hudson found himself. A Church Plant slated to launch Fall 2020, Ray launched early, digital only. And this is what makes Ray interesting. Ray is running a digital only church, but not wanting to limit himself digitally. Ray's church, Our City Center, is passionate about reaching Berkeley, CA. Even in its digital state, the church desires to connect with people in the physical space.</p> <p>That's really the point. If our only desire is to connect with people digitally, we run the risk of creating consumers. Ray, though, is making us ask questions like, "How can this content impact people physically? How can we love people to the point that it impacts the physical world?" This is the standard that our Digital Churches, as well as, our Physical Churches, should hold themselves to.</p> <p>Thus, the point of this conversation. Not sure if Ray's a Digital-Only Church or not. That doesn't matter, really. By thinking digital first, even as a Church Plant, he is impacting his community in a big way... even though he has no physical footprint<em>.</em></p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-70-ray-hudson-church-planting-digital-first">COMPLETE SHOW NOTE AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>When we look at the idea of a Phygital Church, one that truly utilizes digital and physical, there is going to be a tension of who is priority? The majority of churches spun up their Church Online quickly in order to do ministry in this COVID-19 season. Did we learn anything in this season? Or are we attempting to go back to status quo?</p> <p>The idea of a digital first mentality is challenging to some, if not most. In this theoretical world that COVID-19 has created for us, I believe this wholeheartedly: <em>in this post-COVID-19 society, those who prioritize digital first will pay off dividends in the months and years to come.</em></p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-69-thinking-digital-first-even-when-we-get-back-to-the-building">COMPLETE SHOW NOTE AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>What does a church look like in Virtual Reality? Greg Nettle, President of Stadia Church Planting and DJ Soto, Lead Pastor of VR Church... who's discipling and shepherding people in the digital community of Altspace VR (and Rec Room)... jump in on a conversation helping to redefine what the digital church looks like tomorrow... scratch that... what the digital church looks like today.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-68-greg-nettle-dj-soto-and-the-foundation-of-a-virtual-reality-church">COMPLETE SHOW NOTE AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>In the hectic-ness to build a Church Online, we often forget the biggest part... okay, Jesus is the biggest part. Didn't mean to Jesus juke you there. So let's call it the second biggest part, and no I'm not talking sermons. Church, we are in the people business. Oftentimes that gets forgotten among all the hectic-ness of COVID-19, or life in general. Church, we cannot automate away discipleship. These relationships, online, are the strength of Church Online, and should be valued above all, save Christ.</p> <p>That's the heart of this conversation... how to be relational thru Church Online. Don't make it about the number of views or the nameless IP addresses that clicked through for a brief moment. Make it about the relationships you're building and the opportunity you have to impact a life, online.</p> <p>Tyler excels at this. Rey as well. So, what comes out of this is a solid conversation on how to approach Church Online from a relational vantage point... a lesson we all need to learn.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-67-tyler-sansom-the-relational-approach-to-church-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTE AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

We're wrapping up here on our our 3rd part of the Biblical Functions of a Digital Church. We've covered the easy stuff coming into this episode. What's left is the hard stuff. Justice. Compassion. Mission. Body Ministry. How do you do these things digitally? Global Mission? Local Mission? All of a sudden, there's a challenge to Digital-Only church. I'm not saying that it's impossible. I am saying that it's not easy.  And there's the challenge. Even in context of what we, the Church, are doing in this COVID-19 season. A digital church does not recreate a physical church model. It reimagines the model. As you're listening to Part 3 here, or even Part 1 or Part 2... remember that a digital church is a reimagining of Church, but still grounded in scripture. So jump in with us, and help us reimagine what a Digital Only Church can be. COMPLETE SHOW NOTES ARE AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL

<p>What is a Digital-Only Church? Well, thanks to COVID-19 we've got maybe a couple hundred thousand of them right now in America. Pre COVID-19, though, the idea was quite controversial.</p> <p>Stadia is passionate about planting Digital-Only Churches, and even still in this COVID-19 season we're still wrestling with how to make Digital-Only churches effective. To that end, I want to present this conversation to you. Biblical Functions of a Digital Church, Part 2 was actually recorded before COVID-19 happened, and as a result of the COVID-19 crisis I delayed releasing the content as other topics were more critical to discuss. This is a great time to continue the Digital-Only conversation, and I'm excited to assemble these Online/Digital Pastors together and wrestle with the simple context of how a Digital-Only Church can fellowship online.</p> <p>Fellowship. That's all we covered. What was supposed to be a simple conversation ended up being anything but simple, but it's a solid conversation that has implications for future Digital-Only churches, but also for Phygital Churches today who are figuring out how to better create community digitally.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-065-fellowshipping-digitally-or-biblical-functions-of-a-digital-church-part-2">COMPLETE SHOW NOTE AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>The hardest thing in Church Online is meeting people. I recently had an online pastor tell me that he had over 500,000 people attend Easter services online and thru television, but only collected 11 connect cards over the entire weekend. Meeting people through our Online Services can be a difficult thing to do.</p> <p>I've been learning something with this new Stadia relationship... Rather than going big to connect with individuals, sometimes it's better to start with the individuals... but how do you meet individuals, online?</p> <p>Enter Patrick. He's in the process of planting a physical church in Columbus, OH, but he's not letting this COVID-19 season slow him down. Even though Patrick is living in Michigan, a completely different state than where he's preaching, he's working out a process where he meeting and mobilizing people in Columbus. This system is completely free, by the way. Completely relational. Completely inspirational. Church plant, small church, big church... there's something in this podcast for you.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-064-patrick-holden-meeting-mobilizing-people-on-facebook">COMPLETE SHOW NOTE AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Covid-19 is challenging, stretching the Church. As we've discussed... the Church has responded well, but at what cost? Our newfound love of Digital Church in this season of Coronavirus has churches growing at incredible rates, but the consensus of many of our pastors and staff is that this environment, at the pace and expectation we're executing, is becoming unmanageable.</p> <p>There are pending philosophy questions we need to eventually have. This is not that conversation. Let's focus on this: As Pastors, as Church Staff, how do we manage ourselves? How do we care for our souls? If the first step of leadership is leading self, then what are we doing in this season to properly care for us as we lead others? I myself have made this mistake: Covid-19 is a marathon, not a sprint. It's not going away anytime soon. How do we effectively care for ourselves in this season?</p> <p>This is the question I asked Mindy Caliguire. Mindy is a former Willow Creek staffer, who has written a number of books on Soulcare, is President and Co-founder of an organization called Soul Care, who's literal purpose is to help churches/organizations answer questions like these.</p> <p>This is really the heart of our podcast here. No techy stuff. No strategy. No philosophy. Let's just focus on a simple question of how can we keep pastors emotionally and spiritually healthy in this Covid-19 season.</p> <p><a href="be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-063-mindy-caliguire-soulcare-the-freedom-of-letting-go"><strong>SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</strong></a></p>

<p>Church, you should be celebrated. You survived Easter 2020 Church Online. A month ago most of you weren't even broadcasting online, and now you just completed the biggest Sunday of the year. Congratulations!!!</p> <p>Well, what now? As we continue the learning experience that is this Coronavirus season, there's a word we all need to learn... PHYGITAL: the combination of Physical and Digital. You see, we all know how to do Church Services physically. The Church has been doing physical services for centuries. And now, with Covid-19 staring us in the face, we've figured out how to do a digital church service.</p> <p>But, we really haven't figured out how to do both yet. How do you do a phygital church? Herein lies the future... it's not physical, it's not digital... it's both. So, what should tomorrow's phygital church look like? Let's find out.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-062-jay-kranda-tomorrows-phygital-strategy">COMPLETE SHOW NOTE AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Don't forget about the Kids &amp; Students. In the midst of the Coronavirus season, with the pressure of Easter looming, what are we doing with Kids and Student ministry? Like everything else in the church world today, everything is new. All the playbooks, all the strategies are done. While we're reinventing church for adults, don't forget we need to reinvent church for kids and students.</p> <p>Enter into the conversation Ileana Siljee and Tony Cobb, two staffers over at Christ Fellowship in Miami. Co-workers with Rey, Ileana and Tony are reimagining the Kids and Students spaces respectively. With an attitude of newness, experimenting, and learning from success and failures, CF is working through this process of how to redefine Student and Kids ministry.</p> <p>Along the way we talk big church and small church... one-way versus two-way communication... all around a solid conversation with a heartfelt reference to Christian Music's Legend: Steven Curtis Chapman. Geez, you gotta hear that.</p> <p>So don't forget about the kids! Take time to not only figure out how to reach them with content, but with conversation as well.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-061-kids-students-and-church-online"><strong>COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</strong></a></p>

<p>My favorite part of this podcast episode is that it is everything I expected it to be, and I had set the standard very, very high.. Larry Walkmeeyer is the Lead Pastor of Light and Life Christian Fellowship in Long Beach, CA. Larry is also author of one of my favorite books of 2020, <em>The Mobilization Flywheel.</em></p> <p>The heart of this episode with Larry is centered around multiplication, disciple-making, leading people to be on mission for the kingdom. Notice we didn't say "on mission for the church", but "for the kingom." It's interesting how those two get confused sometimes.</p> <p>As Larry and I dig into the conversation, hopefully you'll begin to see that "normal" as we knew it February 2020 is gone, and that's okay, cause I believe God has something better in store for His bride.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-060-larry-walkemeyer-getting-people-on-kingdom-mission">COMPLETE SHOW NOTE AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p>

<p>You know that playbook you had? The strategy that you built for your church? For the foreseeable future it's trash. Not to mention, when the dust settles on this COVID-19 season, I don't think we'll recognize the world we'll see.</p> <p>So, in the midst of this new season, how does the church find its voice? This is the heart of this podcast, bringing in friend of the pod, Ben Stapley, one of the lead church communication guys in the country. Ben shares some great insight in how it's time for the church to PIVOT! PIVOT! (Insert "Friends" couch jokes here.)</p> <p>An excellent podcast talking about how your church needs to communicate to your staff, to your congregation, and to your community... this is a podcast you'll not want to miss.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-059-ben-stapley-church-communication-during-coronavirus">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>What is the role of the Church? In this Coronavirus season, that is a difficult question.</p> <p>How do we broadcast our church service online? By far this is the most popular question the church is asking in this Coronavirus season. While it's a valid question to ask, for me a much more interesting question is: How do we stay on mission? Better yet, in this new Coronavirus Season, has our mission, has our methods, changed?</p> <p>Software vendors have bugs. Internet Service Providers will fail. Any given week we will need to experiment with new methods. What if our services are just a front-door to what's next, and we haven't figured out what's next in the midst of Coronavirus?</p> <p>Jump in this podcast and learn how your church, how your staff, how your people can stay on mission during Coronavirus. We've been too dependent on the Queen in recent years. It's time to be dependent on some other pieces during this season.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-058-what-does-it-mean-to-be-on-mission-during-coronavirus">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Evidently, even the Easter Bunny has to worry about Social Distancing.</p> <p>So, have you come to the realization yet that Easter is only going to be online yet? Or are you still holding out hope that the world will somehow miraculously solve a global pandemic in the next couple weeks?</p> <p>It's time to embrace the facts. Easter is going to be online. What we do with Easter in the midst of Coronavirus? How do we pivot? How do we prepare? How are we effective? For this conversation Jeff and Rey bring in an old friend, Heredes Ribeiro, into a conversation about creativity in this Coronavirus season, and how your church can not only survive, but thrive online.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-057-heredes-ribeiro-and-easter-services-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Need a break from coronavirus? I hear you. Hopefully this podcast is what you're looking for.</p> <p>My favorite book so far in 2020 has been Daniel Im's <a href="https://amzn.to/2UzHDo6" rel="noopener" target="_blank">No Silver Bullets</a>. Yes, it was written 5 years ago and I'm late to the party, but the book hit me with the right message at the right time. Discipleship, Disciple-making, Multiplication, On-Mission... whatever the term is... I've been noticing that a lot of our churches, a lot of our church onlines, are missing this. And the more I delved into the book No Silver Bullets, the more it resonated with me.</p> <p>So, I did what any normal online geek would do... I tweeted the author, thanking him for the book. Next thing I know Daniel Im's on my podcast talking intentional discipleship, flipping the classroom, even discipleship online.</p> <p>Literally one of my favorite conversations to date, Daniel is a necessary break from the noise of Coronavirus while still providing relevant answers we need in today's Coronavirus season.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-056-daniel-im-no-silver-bullets-how-to-disciple-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>The Church [Office] has left the building as well. But how do we office, how do we as a church staff function digitally? This is the heart of today's conversation. And we brought in experts: Janie Mehaffey and Heidy Tandy.</p> <p>Janie and Heidy work with Stadia Church Planting, a 100% virtual office company with 50+ employees scattered across 20+ states. How do you lead people when they're not gathered physically? How do you keep vision aligned? In this Coronavirus season, how do you put boundaries in place for workplace and family? These are great questions, and this podcast brings you the answers you need.</p> <p>So join Jeff, Janie and Heidy while we discuss the finer details of Virtual Office in this Coronavirus season.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-055-stadia-church-planting-virtual-officing">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Well, church, we survived. Coronavirus took its shot at us, and we made it. We survived. We figured out how to stream the service. How awesome. We did it!</p> <p>Wait, so it's not just one week? We have to do this again? Two weeks? Three? August? Are you kidding me?!?!</p> <p>Church, we survived. Church Appreciation Sunday is a fact. Church Online Platform reports over 10,000 new accounts created. Countless more of you streamed on Facebook and other social media. Congratulations.</p> <p>Remember there's more to church than this one hour on Sunday? In this coronavirus season, what are we doing for discipleship? How is your church keeping people on mission?</p> <p>Streaming is a necessary piece, but it's just a piece. In this episode Rey is joined by Andy Mage from Bay Hope Church, as well as, Mark Brandt from Lutheran Church of Hope for a detailed conversation in what's the next steps for all these new Churches Online.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-054-i-streamed-a-church-service-whats-next">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>"Reducing large gatherings." - President Trump said it in his broadcast Wednesday night. Whether Coronavirus gets to a full-fledge pandemic here in America, we are seeing the effects culturally. Virtually, all of us are on lockdown at this point. What's next?</p> <p>Here's our reality. Our world, our culture is being impacted by Coronavirus. How is your church responding? Church Online is part of the solution for your Coronavirus problem. Let’s discover how.</p> <p>Joining Jeff is Greg Nettle, President of Stadia Church Planting, Ben Cachiras from Mountain Christian Church, and Nathan Hawkins, from Stadia in a information conversation surrounding the how to do ministry, how to do Church, how to BE the Church, when locked down.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-053-stadia-and-how-the-church-can-survive-coronavirus-culture">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p> <p><a href="https://stadiachurchplanting.org/churchonline/coronavirusresources/">STADIA RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT STADIACHURCHPLANTING.ORG&nbsp;</a></p>

<p>Whether coronavirus is a legitimate fear or not is not the topic of conversation here. Fact is, we face all sorts of city-wide emergencies on a regular basis. Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Earthquakes, Bitter Cold... Institutional churches face challenges like this on a regular basis in situations that prevent them from gathering.</p> <p>So what's the plan? How would your church respond in a situation where you weren't able to gather? It's 2020. You should probably have a plan.</p> <p>That's where we are with this podcast. Whether coronavirus is a thing or not isn't the point. Your church needs a plan, and we're providing you, well, at least the start of that plan! So join Jeff, Rey, as well as, Kevin Lee from Saddleback Church, Jason Days from Outreach Magazine, and Andrew Statezny from CDF Capital, as we discuss the Church and Preparing for Emergencies.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-052-coronavirus-preparing-for-emergencies">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>What makes a successful Digital Church? Church Online? Church overall? What is it? I'll tell you what it's not: our Sunday morning attendance numbers... yet this is where many of our analytics (and attention, for that matter) stop. A quote from Ed Stetzer years ago has always haunted this line of thought for me: "When you build your churches like theaters, don't be surprised when your parishioners act like show-goers."</p> <p>I don't believe I'm overstating here. We, the Church, we know this is bad. We know the success story to an effective church in 2020 isn't solely found in the pews on Sunday morning... that being said, very few of us are doing anything about it? Why is that?</p> <p>Well, why not ask Ed Stetzer? I almost don't know how to properly announce Ed here. Countless books, sermons, blogs, articles, interviews, conferences... the man is synonymous with Mission &amp; Evangelism in the Church today. What better person to ask, "How did we get here?" Although, maybe the better question to ask is, "We're stuck, where should we go from here?"</p> <p>Is this a Digital Church podcast? Maybe. Church Online? Probably. Really, this podcast episode has implications across your entire church as strategically we all need to acknowledge where we are as a church and how in 2020 we need to shift priorities in order to be a successful church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-051-ed-stetzer-defining-a-successful-church">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Can a digital-only expression of church hold up to the Biblical standard of a church? This is the question that we, here at The Church Digital and Stadia Church Planting, are wrestling with. Can you create community online? Sure! Can you worship? Of course! Can you pray digitally? We do all the time... can you operate as a church exclusively in digital space?</p> <p>Therein lies the topic of the podcast, as we're bringing in a panel of guests from around the country to ask the rather complicated question: Can a digital-only expression of church hold to the Biblical standard of church? What challenges would it face?</p> <p>Jump on the podcast as Jeff Reed, Rey De Armas, Jason Morris, Ian Kirk and Joe Santos wrestle (practically) with the ecclesiology of a Digital Church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-050-biblical-function-of-a-digital-only-church-part-1">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>The hardest lesson I've learned in my technology-based ministry life can be boiled down into five simple words: it's not about the tech. What is it about, you ask?</p> <p>Enter Aaron McClung, President &amp; CEO of AM, a Creative Agency that works with churches, non-profits, and corporations doing, well, creative things. The company pivoted several years ago because it discovered something: its clients didn't understand their why. Through a process of discovering AM's own why, it's developed a process of helping organizations find out their why.</p> <p>It's not just businesses who need to ask the question why. And not just churches. Individuals need to as well. And that's the core of this podcast... two techy guys who have discovered their personal mission talking about how we can help others find their personal mission in Christ.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-049-aaron-mcclung-the-why-of-personal-mission">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>What if we ran Church Online not like a Pastor would run a church, but like a missionary would run a missional movement. Crazy idea, I know. But that's really what we set out to do through Christ Fellowship Miami years ago. To that end, we're introducing Mike Christian to The Church Digital Podcast today.</p> <p>Mike worked with Jeff over at Christ Fellowship Miami as the Online Small Groups director. Mike was a vital part of Christ Fellowship's Online Strategy of Groups and Microchurch movement. The effectiveness of the movement was grounded in a simple-to-say, hard-to-execute philosophy: how can Church Online effectively create disciples for the purpose of multiplication.</p> <p>Honestly, Mike had a little bit of experience in this area before Church Online. Mike served as a missionary in India for a number of years, and was actually had his passport revoked by the Indian government. While India was trying to squash Mike's ability to disciple people in the country, Online Tools (and the Holy Spirit, of course) have allowed Mike's ministry to expand far beyond anyone would think possible. As a result, churches are being planted and multiplied in India, in Nepal, in Kenya... all because of a man's faithfulness to be obedient to make disciples of all nations utilizing Church Online.</p> <p><a href="http://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-048-mike-christian-global-missiologcal-impact-of-church-online">VIEW SHOW NOTES @ THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>It’s 2020. Do churches really need a mobile app? Isn’t my website good enough on mobile devices? The answer for many churches today is, unfortunately, yes. Many churches don’t have an effective strategy for how to utilize mobile app, as well as, mobile web, more effectively.</p> <p>Enter Jon Crabtree into the conversation. Jon works with Subsplash, a company who has helped thousands of churches move their ministry to mobile app and beyond. In episode 047 here, Jon drops some solid strategy for how your church, big or small, can effectively use mobile app in your physical church ministry.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-047-jon-crabtree-why-churches-big-and-small-need-a-mobile-app">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Can a mobile app create community? Most people would accuse the mobile app of tearing down community, at least physical community. But can the mobile app create community? Maybe the better question is how can the Church of 2020 leverage mobile to complement their already existing strategy?</p> <p>Enter Matt Welty, Pastor of Technology at Crossroads Church based in Cincinnati. A large multi-state multisite church, Crossroads, spends a lot of energy is utilizing the mobile app to not just communicate to a person, but to leverage the tools to create community that COMPLEMENT their physical campuses and not COMPETE against them.</p> <p>So jump in the podcast as Jeff, Rey, and Matt dig deep into the philosophy of creating community via mobile app.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-046-matt-welty-creating-community-via-mobile-app">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Sometimes innovation is overly complicated and very costly. Sometimes innovation is just looking at what you have differently.</p> <p>What you’ll discover here in this episode of The Church Digital Podcast is two churches that have done some incredibly innovative things with what they had. So much effort goes into creating the musical worship portion of the worship service each week, what if we did musical worship via video? Churches are doing teaching each week via video… why not musical worship?</p> <p>Enter today’s podcast, where churches have launched in a Bar utilizing video worship… even going as far as launching a multisite campus without having a band on stage for musical worship. Crazy concept, I know. But imagine the scalability and savings if it could work. <a href="https://anchor.fm/blog/podcast-034-jim-tomberlin-trends-of-multisite-church-online" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Remember, not everyone needs to buy into it, but enough need to buy into it to make it worthwhile.</a></p> <p>As an aside, hear me publicly admit that I was wrong! (My wife doesn’t even get that treatment.) All this and more here on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-045-church-in-a-bar-other-innovations">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>This Episode of The Church Digital Podcast may challenge some established norms. If so, that’s cool. They probably need to be challenged. A small, but growing number of physical churches are finally seeing that community can be created in virtual spaces, and now more than ever churches are currently operating small groups online. However, church today views these small groups as complementary to the physical ministry of the church (primarily which happens during that one-hour-on-Sunday service).</p> <p>Enter Jate Earhart. Jate is no stranger to <a href="https://anchor.fm/blog/podcast-013-jate-earhart-creating-disciples-while-playing-video-games" rel="noopener" target="_blank">the podcast</a>, as we talked about his online discipleship ministry for video gamers (called Love Clan) back in the early days of the podcast. Well, Jate is once again challenging status quo, and I for one am grateful. Jate is expanding Love Clan, hoping to grow it into a Digital Church.</p> <p>This is not a flippant decision. As a matter of fact, Jate is driven to validate and verify the ecclesiology of his Digital Church. He’s well grounded when it comes to defining what a church is and is not. As a matter of fact, Jate is studying right now with some church planting cohorts, essentially going through the same process a physical church planter will go through as he’s examining what his potential Digital Church could look like.</p> <p>So, check out this episode where Jate Earhart and Jeff Reed dig into the foundation of Church in hopes of starting to build the Construct of a Digital Church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-044-jate-earhart-constructing-a-digital-church">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>One of the greatest untapped resources in Church Online, I believe, is the Kids Church Online. There’s huge potential here to reach kids in unique ways. Several years ago, while I was Online Pastor, we briefly experimented with the idea of Kids Church Online.</p> <p>Here’s what I know. My kids are digital. I’ve got an 11 year old and a 9 year old. I cut cable almost a decade ago at this point, so any of the content they watch is app based: Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Pokemon App, iTunes… they live in these apps on their iPads or on the Apple TVs.</p> <p>What if my kids were addicted to Church Online instead of Pokemon? Similarly, what if Kids Church Online helped me as a parent disciple my kids? Could Kids Church Online make me the spiritual hero in the lives of my kids?</p> <p>Fun conversations like this, and more, as Rey DeArmas and I get interviewed on our own podcast, here on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-043-kyle-schultz-deconstructing-kids-church-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>One of the things that I (Jeff) love about Church Online is that we are basically learning about all of this, together. Big churches, small churches, traditional churches, charismatic churches… we’re all exploring this same space of being church, digitally. The best part is instead of being territorial, we work together and learn together.</p> <p>Some of the happiest times I’ve had in the past year is sitting at a coffeehouse or restaurant with ministry people, and just learning from each other’s experience. This is the experience that we’re bringing to you with The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p>We’re bringing in five different online ministers from around the country… different denominations, strategies, and sizes… from a gigachurch all the way down to a church plant… all with the goal of learning from one another. And you, listening audience, get to come along for the ride.</p> <p>Interested in jumping into a cohort like this, where we can learn from one another? THECHURCH.DIGITAL is setting up Coaching Cohorts, putting Church Online people together to learn from each other, just like this. For information on our Coaching Cohorts, check out <a href="thechurch.digital/cohort">thechurch.digital/cohort</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-042-church-online-cohort-the-beginning">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>2019 has come and gone, and with it, 40 podcasts recorded on the many different facets of Church Online. Each podcast offering many lessons and insights into how to utilize Church Online more effectively for your church.</p> <p>With so many lessons, Rey and Jeff figured this was a great chance to review the year and pick out our highlights!</p> <p>Did you miss some of these podcasts? Go back and catch some of these lessons to better prepare you for 2020.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-041-six-lessons-learned-from-2019s-the-church-digital-podcast">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>I (Jeff) used to consider myself innovative. Then I met Daniel. While most kids were running away from church, Daniel at age 11 was trying to figure out how to plant a church in a video game platform known as Roblox, and over eight years later his church has impacted over 24,000 lives. Even today, as a 19 year old college student, Daniel is still making strides with how to grow and stabilize his Robloxian Church.</p> <p>Looking for a fresh perspective on Gen Z? Check out The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-040-daniel-herron-the-robloxian-christians-or-doing-gen-z-church-in-a-video-game">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p> <p><br></p>

<p>Hey Church! This is your podcast. Two incredible organizations… Living As One and Leadership Network… got together and created a survey to discover how churches like yours are utilizing Church Online.</p> <p>For churches already doing Church Online, this is a great way to see how churches your size are utilizing the technology. For churches not yet taking advantage of a strategy utilizing Church Online, here’s your chance to see how churches similar to yours are doing it.</p> <p>More than just where we are today, in this episode, we dig into where we are going. These trends that we’re seeing today are going to lead us to where, tomorrow… all this, once again, on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-039-greg-ligon-behind-the-screens-the-state-of-church-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>One of the pioneers of Church Online jumps on the podcast here, Jay Kranda, from a small little SoCal Church called Saddleback. No stranger to the podcast, Jay goes into detail here talking about Saddleback’s relaunch of their micro-model… Saddleback “Home Gatherings”.</p> <p>As always, there’s a ton of value and insight in any of Jay’s podcast so enjoy this one (and go check out EP004 with Jay Kranda as well!)</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-038-jay-kranda-the-natural-way-to-build-microlocations-saddleback">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Stat time, are you ready? Here we go. The average church in America has 73 people attending a week. 80% of churches in America today are under 200 in weekly attendance. These are shocking stats for me. As a guy who spends so much time working with multisite churches, megachurches, even gigachurches… I don’t think I had completely realized how small churches are in America.</p> <p>Joe Radosevich understands this. As a Pastor of a Church Plant in Belgium, Wisconsin, he has a clear view of the reality of pastoring a small church. What makes Joe unique from many of his contemporaries is that Joe embraces technology in a big way to interact with his small church and engage his surrounding community.</p> <p>What does a small church strategy look like for church online? Find out, here on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-037-joe-radosevich-small-church-church-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>I’m (Jeff) going to be honest here. I’ve never really enjoyed chat hosting. Maybe I never did it right. Recently, I had a conversation with Evan Connelly, where he went into detail about how the systems he was rolling out through his Church Online for Chat Hosts and I realized it was true… I never did do chat hosts right. So, we invited Evan on the podcast for a fresh perspective on how to do Chat, right, online.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-036-evan-connelly-redefining-chat-hosts-community">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

I’ve been hearing whispers of this new concept in church. Jeff, you got to talk to these guys. They’re doing Pop-Up Church. Honestly, I had no idea what Pop-Up Church was? My best imagination was something involving Ego Waffles. So, I called a friend of a friend of a friend, and eventually got in touch with Brandon Catoe, Pop-Up Pastor at Christ Fellowship West Palm Beach. To my disappointment, Ego Waffles were not involved. What I did discover, though, is a new way to effectively launch and mature multisite campuses effectively… a new strategy utilizing Church Online to birth new physical locations while extending the reach of your physical location. How effective? Try being ready to launch four new locations in one year… Looking for a fresh, innovative idea for church? Look no further than Brandon Catoe here on EP035 of The Church Digital Podcast. COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL

<p>The idea of the multisite church was born in the 1990s as church attendance was growing faster than the church buildings could sustain. Even in those early days, there were questions about the validity of the Multisite Church Model, Time has worked in multisite’s favor, though, as a “radical” idea 20 years ago has turned into a “cool” idea 10 years ago, transitioning into a widely accepted “mainstream” idea today.</p> <p>Church Online is on a similar path. Early pioneers started making Church Online a reality about 10 years ago. What was a radical concept in 2009 is trending towards the “cool” church thing of 2019. Will it make it to “mainstream” in 2029?</p> <p>This is the question we asked Jim Tomberlin, Chief of Staff at Christ Fellowship Miami and founder of Multisite Solutions. Jim has had a rich history as one of the early pioneers of multisite in the 90s, eventually joining staff at Willow Creek in the mid-2000s, helping them transition to the multisite model. Through his company, Multisite Solutions, Jim has influenced hundreds of churches going multisite. His depth of understanding on multisite strategy is phenomenal.</p> <p>Multisite church has driven a lot of innovation for the church in recent years. What does Church Online need to do to turn the corner and follow in the path of big brother multisite? All this and more on Episode 34 of The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-034-jim-tomberlin-trends-of-multisite-church-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>I (Jeff) believe this to be true: In the future, bigger churches will continue to get bigger; but smaller churches will continue to get smaller. And that may not be a bad thing.</p> <p>The mega churches will find a way to succeed. Despite recent attendance trends, the church-growth formulas will continue to succeed. There are people who will continue to connect with these larger, physical expressions of church. To reach different people, however, maybe we should be thinking about a different model.</p> <p>This is where Micro-church comes in. Micro is a discipleship-oriented movement where the church empowers people to be the shepherd, the campus pastor, to lead smaller movements of church. Rather than paying a pastor to be the spiritual overseer for hundreds or thousands of people, the Micro-movement empowers “normal people” to be the volunteer pastor over dozens of people. A model far easier to scale, and most would say the Micro model is closer to the Biblical account of what the church is.</p> <p>There’s different flavors of the micro model. Through this podcast we talk with churches who are having success with the micro model. So how does Micro complete the ministry of Church Online? How is Micro an effective model for evangelism and discipleship? What are some steps you can take at your church to start a micro movement? Find out in this discussion with Rob Wegner &amp; others here on The Church Digital Podcast.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-033-rob-wegner-the-mission-of-microchurch">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Why do we do Church Online? I’m willing to bet that you’ve asked this question of yourself, and of your church’s leadership… maybe even asking some of your high-level volunteers. I’m also willing to bet that there’s some discrepancy among the three groups.</p> <p>Ten years ago, Church Online was defined as the broadcasting of our church services on online platforms. Arguably, that is no longer a holistic definition of “church” than the person that just attends that one-hour church service on Sunday in your buildings. There’s more to Church than that one-hour on Sunday, both in physical buildings and in digital environments. The strength of Church Online isn’t broadcasting our services around the world… the strength is engaging people to the point they become disciple-makers.</p> <p>So how do you redefine your why of Church Online? How do you talk with leadership? How do you embrace the perceived weaknesses? How do you develop a strategy? This episode is for you.</p> <p>Recorded live from the Church IT Network at Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City, Kansas, “Redefining the Why of Church Online” is a panel of Online Pastors from around the country who have wrestled with reshaping the “why” for their church. This is a great opportunity to learn from their experience, and heed their advice.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-032-citn-redefining-the-why-of-church-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>How do you market Church Online? I used to think SEO, SEM, SMM. Gotta love acronyms! All of these are valid, and helpful in ministry, but at the end of the day I could never shake the idea that God’s called us to something other than writing a check to Google or Facebook!</p> <p>So how do you market Church Online? Or even Church? What are ways to draw attention to this? Let’s dig in with Communications Specialist Jennifer Miles as we discover “how to market Church Online.”</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-031-jennifer-miles-marketing-church-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>I love a church that takes a risk. That’s what Bay Hope Church has done. Evidently, there’s this thing called TikTok. It’s currently the #1 app downloaded from the iOS App Store, and with over 80% of teens currently owning an iPhone, it’s quite obvious there’s a digital mission field in front of us.</p> <p>Enter Andy Mage and Jessica Spivey from Bay Hope Church in Tampa, Florida. They’ve been experimenting with TikTok with some good success thus far. How’d they get started? What does the content look like? How have the responses gone? Find out here on THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-030-andy-mage-the-tiktok-revolution">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>One of my favorite podcasts to date, Mark Venti from Churchome lays it out. “We’re experimenting…” “We’re following the Holy Spirit, but learning from Silicon Valley…” Mark and Churchome are on a mission to impact people in their homes as much as in their church buildings. After all, churches didn’t have buildings for the first 300 years they existed.</p> <p>Churchome has received some notoriety, and my blog posts I’ve written on them have become some of the most-read blogs on my site thanks to Google. In the midst of the criticism, Churchome has been highly effective in creating a digital mobile-app strategy for reaching people who would never go into their physical campuses.</p> <p>Takeaway from this episode? I’ll give you two: 1) Don’t be afraid to experiment. 2) Don’t copy and paste someone else’s strategy.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-029-mark-venti-creating-church-culture-digitally-churchome">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Engagement is one of those words that no longer has meaning. It’s been used and misused so often in recent years that the heart of the word has been lost. However, engagement is the heart of Church Online… it should be the heart of anyone who does ministry online.</p> <p>Enter Seth Muse into the conversation. Seth is Communications Director at Hope Fellowship Church and created a social media post a couple weeks ago that blew me away because in a very simple way Seth drew attention a problem that I think we see too often in our Church Communications, in our Churches Online, and in our Churches overall.</p> <p>Dive into the podcast as Seth and I explore the concept of engaging content in social media, as well as, Church Online. Remember, effectively engaging online has everything to do with our posture.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-028-seth-muse-redefining-engagement">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Working on a Church Staff has been one of the greatest joys and greatest burdens in my life. Confession: I spent many years on staff feeling alone and frustrated. While I was friends with the people I worked with, my ideas in ministry really separated me from those around me. I just thought differently. I’m not saying I’m right or they’re wrong. Fact here is, it’s a lonely place to think different than everyone else around you.<br> <br> Then, I met guys like Matt, Jason and Jason from the Church IT Network. Guys who thought like I thought, who were asking the same questions that I was asking and struggling to communicate to leadership like I was. I quickly realized I wasn’t alone in ministry.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-027-citn-the-community-and-camaraderie-of-ministry">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Remember when Apple was an innovative company? Steve Jobs would be speaking at a keynote, flash that sly grin, and then say to the audience: “Oh, one more thing…” Those days are sadly behind us it would seem. For the entirety of my life, I’ve been Apple Fanboy #1, but after the presentation this September, I am willingly relinquishing my Fanboy status. I will no longer claim to be an Apple Apologist. In search to become the most cash-rich corporation in the world, they’ve lost some of the principles Apple was founded on, innovation.</p> <p>Church, there’s a connection here for you. If you can hold on past my (Jeff’s) tirade against Apple, hopefully, there’s a worthwhile lesson in Church Innovation and new methods needed to reach new people.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-026-tom-pounder-in-apple-innovation-discipleship">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>This episode we’re honored to talk with the organization who essentially created Church Online. Life.Church is one of the pioneering churches out there creating a movement in digital church. Having watched the Life.Church movement grow over the years, I was almost closet fanboy in this conversation, geeking out over methods and systems that Life.Church utilizes.</p> <p>That being said, the thing that surprised me the most was how this megachurch, really this gigachurch, was grounded in reality of the individual. A church with dozens of physical campuses… not including over tens of thousands of people watching online across every major continent… I had imagined attending a church like Life.Church would be easy for an individual to get lost. That’s the hardest part of Church Online, right? Preventing people from attending church in isolation?</p> <p>Ryan and Life.Church in general, have discovered that to grow Church Online you don’t need nameless individuals staring at video displays… The first step to Church Online is realizing that every number, in fact, has a name. Jump in the podcast and discover what’s next.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-025-ryan-sharp-the-value-of-an-individual-life.church">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Church Online definitely has strengths and weaknesses, but the power to train and to equip someone is unparalleled. But why do we struggle with the concept of equipping and discipling someone using Online Technologies?</p> <p>Enter personal friend, Ken Schafer, into the conversation. Ken works with churches around the country helping create equipping scenarios in physical environments, as well as, online… and I (Jeff) credit Ken as being one of those guys who years ago told me, “Jeff, you’re wrong” but years later now says, “Jeff, you’re right.”</p> <p>So when did Ken see the light? What got him to embrace Online? Come find out in EP024 of The Church Digital Podcast!</p> <p><a href="be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-024-ken-schafer-the-challenge-of-equipping-using-online-technologies">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Before my wife and I got married, we were praying about becoming missionaries. Challenges like learning new languages, adapting to new cultures and new food came to mind. We quickly realized that we would be on separate hemispheres from our collective families. And while God didn’t call my wife and I to move to another continent 20+ years ago, we’ve eventually become a missionary in a different context…</p> <p>In EP023, we dig in with Tom Pounder, Online Pastor at New Life Christian Church and creator of Digital Bootcamp on Facebook, not only into the question of what is a “digital disciple”, but also, how can we create one? Can we create a disciple who can utilize online tools to create other disciples? Can we reach into the sub-cultures found on the Internet to meet new people who need Jesus in their lives?</p> <p>I don’t know that this podcast answers all the questions… but we certainly start the conversation with you on how your church can utilize Church Online to disciple Digital Missionaries.</p> <p><a href="be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-023-tom-pounder-and-developing-a-digital-missionary">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>I love hearing stories from people who have been impacted by Church Online. Sometimes it feels like the stuffy shirts and the academics argue about what “church” can and can’t be, meanwhile normal people are just doing it.</p> <p>Thus the point of this week’s podcast. Linda has been leading online small groups for about three years now. While we’ve been sitting around whether Church Online is legitimate on this podcast, Linda’s been busy creating Biblical Community each week, Online.</p> <p>Oh, did I mention that Linda is MY MOM? Proud of LINDA REED (my mom) here, and how she’s adapted to online environments to create lasting, discipleship-oriented relationships.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-022-jeffs-mom-the-heart-of-online-groups">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p>

<p>The challenge before Church Online is that it is guilty of being church in isolation, allowing people to abandon biblical communities. These views are often short-sighted, not realizing that technology is capable of allowing biblical community to still happen using digital platforms, but larger than that Church Online is capable of creating communities. Potentially leaving one community to start another physical community utilizing Church Online. This is the conversation of today.</p> <p>Enter Danielle Hicks, Watch Party Pastor at Elevation Church. Elevation utilizes Church Online to reach thousands and thousands of people. Their strategy doesn’t stop with just broadcasting the service, but challenging those listening to gather together in watch parties… to be missional with the broadcast and use the broadcast as a front door to…</p> <p>Well, tell you what, you’re just going to have to listen to find that out. Jump on in as we explore Elevation’s Watch Parties.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-021-danielle-hicks-elevations-watch-parties"><u><strong>COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</strong></u></a></p>

<p>We’ve talked a lot about Church Online and the potential power that it has to be a strategic force for the church. Today’s church online has many obstacles to overcome. Arguably, in today’s culture, so does the church.</p> <p>The church has an opportunity to create a new ministry model tapping into some biblical truths. After all, there’s nothing new under the sun, right? The issues of today’s Church Online, and largely the Church overall, were written a couple thousand years ago in the Bible. Create Disciples.</p> <p>How do we do this today? Enter Austin Ridge’s Discipleship Pastor, Jeff Moore, as we explore Austin Ridge’s strategy for disciple-making. With Women’s Ministry, Men’s Ministry, Life Groups, Classes… Austin Ridge has a lot going on all the time, but how does disciple-making stand out among the other things? Join us as we dive into the Strategy of Discipleship.</p> <p><a href="be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-020-jeff-moore-the-strategy-of-discipleship"><u><strong>COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</strong></u></a></p>

<p>We’re in Week 3 of this deep dive into the Online Ministry at First Capital Christian Church. Church Anywhere, as it’s called, utilizes its Church Online broadcasts as a way to cluster people together into communities and disciple their members and attenders away from just consuming content towards literally “being” the church in the community.</p> <p>Honestly, is this not the biggest challenge facing the church today? How do we move our attenders away from being consumers and get them to the place where they are disciples who are capable creating other disciples?</p> <p>To that end, we set up this conversation, inviting Tyler Samson back to the podcast. Tyler’s no stranger to THE CHURCH DIGITAL PODCAST (see <a href="https://anchor.fm/blog/podcast-017-stories-from-church-anywhere" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Episode 017: Stories from Church Anywhere</a> &amp; <a href="https://anchor.fm/blog/podcast-018-randy-kirk-church-anywhere-not-my-kingdom" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Episode 018: Randy Kirk, Church Anywhere, &amp; Not My Kingdom</a>) but we added to the Podcast, Jared Kirkwood, one of the Pastors at Mariners Church, as well as, the Pastor overseeing Rooted.</p> <p>Rooted (<a href="http://experiencerooted.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">experiencerooted.com</a>) is a highly effective discipleship material that helps create disciples who in turn are capable of creating disciples… ironically, Rooted is the discipleship material First Capital Christian uses as their discipleship pathway, which made for a fascinating conversation not only on how to make a disciple online, but how to make a disciple in general.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-019-church-anywhere-discipleship"><strong>COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</strong></a></p>

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<p>The world is changing. It’s time for the church to as well. Like it or not, we’re moving into a post-christian society. As a church, we can lament what was, or we can adjust our strategy to better work with the world around us.</p> <p>Church, this digital disruption we’re experiencing is a huge opportunity for us to reach beyond our walls digitally and start assisting people in their personal mission to reach their coworkers for Christ.</p> <p><a href="http://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-015-rey-dearmas-how-to-impact-the-workplace"><u><strong>COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</strong></u></a><a href="be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-015-rey-dearmas-how-to-impact-the-workplace" target="_blank"><u><strong>.</strong></u></a></p>

<p>Here's my question: "Can 'church' work in virtual reality?" To be honest, I (Jeff) went in a skeptic. &nbsp;To find out the truth, we interviewed DJ Soto, the first Church Planter in Virtual Reality, for a conversation on the theology of Virtual Reality. Midway thru the interview, I realized that this was completely the wrong question to be asking. God moves in virtual reality, and DJ's got the stories... the testimonies... to show it!</p> <p>So, seriously, how can Virtual Reality create disciples? Listen to the interview and find out.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-014-dj-soto-planting-a-church-in-virtual-reality">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL.</a></p>

<p>Love video games? Love discipleship? Sharing your faith? Thinking outside the box? This is your episode.</p> <p>Until Jate Earhart, I (Jeff) don't think I've ever seen the words "discipleship" and "video game" in a sentence together. Jate, in his 20s, runs a video game ministry called Love Clan that disciples those involved to share their faith, encouraging those engaged to not only evangelize, but to disciple, on-going relationships for Christ. Powerful stuff right?</p> <p>My favorite part of the episode is talking innovation. While Jate works at a church, his ministry is not directly supported or run by a church. There's no master plan. No funding. No directive. This is a story of a man who is passionate about video games, and Jesus, and wants to bridge them together. Honestly I never thought God could use video games for His glory. After this episode I see how that limits God.</p> <p>Come. Learn. Be encouraged. And ask yourself what are you passionate about that God can use?</p> <p><a href="be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-013-jate-earhart-creating-disciples-while-playing-video-games">SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p>

<p>You've been broadcasting your church services for a while now, but for one reason or another you feel stuck. How do you improve quality? How do you increase engagement? How do expand your reach? In this episode of The Church Digital Podcast, Jeff is joined by Steve Kaminsky from Portable Church Industries as well as Paul Martel &amp; Collin Jones from Living As One discuss in greater detail the production details involved in improving the church's live video broadcast each week. Complete with philosophy, techniques, and practical examples, this is an episode you won't want to miss.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-012-living-as-one-and-advanced-church-broadcast">SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p>

<p>As we've discussed, there's more to Church Online than broadcasting services online, but broadcasting services is a necessary piece. And while technology has become simpler in recent years, most churches out there have no place to start.</p> <p>In this episode of The Church Digital Podcast, Jeff and guest Steve Kaminsky from Portable Church Industries review many of the top technologies for small and medium size churches to begin broadcasting services online.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-011-steve-kaminsky-and-church-broadcasting-101">ACCESS SHOW NOTES AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Plenty of people can see the positives of Church Online, and how Church Online can complement&nbsp;their church's ministry at physical campuses. Some can see of Church Online can even expand&nbsp;their church's influence to disciple a whole new group of people. But while many see the positives, many do not. In 2019, most churches do not have&nbsp;a purpose, or see the why, behind Church Online. We've discussed this in the past: some of&nbsp;Pastors may have theological issues, while others may have practical concerns, with Church Online.&nbsp;Both theological and practical concerns are understandable, but need to be addressed. And that's where we come in. It's up to us to have these conversations. But where do we get started? In this episode, Eric Geiger, Lead Pastor at Mariner's Church in California, explains to us what high-level leaders are looking for and how we can&nbsp;give high level leaders the information they need to make decisions on issues like Church Online.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-010-eric-geiger-talking-to-leadership-about-church-online">SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>What started as a simple podcast with the goal of a strategic conversation on Omnichannel Communication and Unified Commerce quickly went another (and far more interesting) direction. On the podcast Eric Geiger, Lead Pastor at Mariners Church,&nbsp;transitioned quickly to the theological role of Ekklesia biblically, and some of the&nbsp;<strong>perceived&nbsp;</strong>challenges that Church Online faces. A fascinating insight from one of&nbsp;the Church's thought leaders, this podcast is definitely not one to be missed.</p> <p><a href="be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-009-eric-geiger-battling-consumerism-in-church-online">ACCESS SHOW NOTES AT THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a>.</p>

<p>The strength of Online Technology (and Church Online) is in our ability to communicate. But are we communicating effectively?&nbsp; Throughout the service portion of Church Online there are several key&nbsp;positions&nbsp;that communicate volumes to the audience: 1) Teaching Pastor, 2) On-Screen Host, and 3) Chat Hosts. All three positions have VITAL communication that Church Online needs to know in order to effectively help attenders be discipled. Listen to the podcast as Jeff and Ben Stapley, Weekend Experience Director at Christ Fellowship Miami discusses some tips and tricks for these position to best communicate to Church Online.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-008-ben-stapley-and-communicating-thru-church-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>The number one argument we hear about why Church Online isn't Church is that it causes the abandonment of Ekklesia, the gathering together of Church. But what if Church Online isn't the abandoning of Ekklesia... what if it's the birthing of Ekklesia. On the podcast today Kevin Lee, Online Small Groups Pastor&nbsp;at Saddleback, talks about the&nbsp;training Saddleback does for&nbsp;their online volunteers to create Ekklesia opportunities in micro-locations. Communion? Baptism? Pastoral Care? Find out how these biblical ordinances can exist through Church Online.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-007_kevin-lee-biblical-community-and-what-church-online-is-not">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;What does it mean to disciple someone Online? Let's back up and ask another question first... what does it mean to disciple someone? In this Episode we talk with Westside Family Church's Global Innovations Pastor, Jason Morris, in what is one of the most biblically refreshing podcast conversations we've had to date. Westside Family is an incredibly innovative church, but in ways that will certainly surprise you. Through the episode, Jason, Jeff, and Rey will talk about what a Discipleship Pathway is, how it's implemented at Westside Family, and how you can begin to implement one at your church. Remember, online can complement the physical (as well as the physical complement the online).</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-006-jason-morris-creating-a-discipleship-pathway-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>What exactly does an Online Pastor do? This episode explores in greater detail the life and ministry of Online Pastors, people who wrestle with pastoring, shepherding people in different spaces. The skills to properly manage a fully-functioning Church Online is broad... but the&nbsp;goal of an Online Pastor is not creating a church sub-culture for Online, but inviting the entire church to benefit from the Church Service, from Discipleship Online.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-005-david-urzi-pastoring-an-online-church">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>Welcome to The Church Digital Podcast! We'll be hosting an ongoing dialogue here on Church Online, sharing stories and challenges surrounding doing ministry in digital spaces.&nbsp;</p> <p>What is the strength of Church Online? What the Church today perceives at its strength may not be the best use case. Meet Jeff &amp; Rey and join in the conversation as they explore the positive uses for Church Online in your church.</p> <p>The strength of Church Online isn't the big, it's the small.<br> It's not the masses, it's the individual.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-001-rey-dearmas-starting-with-the-why-for-church-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p> <p><br></p>

<p>Can Biblical Community exist in Church Online? We sit down with&nbsp;Jay Kranda, Online Pastor at Saddleback, and asked him that question. He may be a little biased, as Saddleback currently has over 2400 Online Groups meeting regularly meeting is both digital and physical spaces. We had some really interesting dialogue discussing everything from Online Groups meeting in homes, following church leadership while leading your area, working alongside other ministries, and why Lebron James is the GOAT. Well, maybe not the Lebron part.</p> <p>Saddleback didn't always have it together. They've learned along the way, asking many of the questions you're asking right now. Through wisdom, but also through time and experimenting, they've found the beginning of the formula. In this podcast we'll explore&nbsp;what Saddleback is&nbsp;learning in this process, and talk through takeaways for your church.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-003-jay-kranda-creating-healthy-biblical-community">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p>

<p>I (Jeff) first heard of Church Anywhere about a year ago, meeting Tyler on Facebook. I immediately fell in love with his Church. First Capital Christian is many things. Big is not one of them.&nbsp;Cordon, Indiana is a town of about 3000 people, yet the church is reaching 800-900 a week in "an old building on the wrong side of town". Almost 30% of the town attends church. Scary stat right there...</p> <p><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" width="1" height="1"/>How did this happen? According to Tyler Sansom, a digital strategy empowering people with the Gospel through Church Online. First Capital has launched 14 different micro-locations within two hours of their campus, and in the process is discipling leaders with the Gospel to impact their city for Christ.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-004-tyler-samson-church-anywhere-small-church-microsites-and-church-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p> <p><em>Interested in a firsthand experience of Church Anywhere? First Capital Christian is doing one of the first CHURCH ONLINE conferences ever. More information at&nbsp;</em><a href="http://churchonline.me"><em><strong>CHURCHONLINE.ME</strong></em></a> <em>-</em> By the way, Jeff will be one of the keynote speakers at the Conference! So come out and show some support.</p>

<p>There's no way around it... Church Online is a new concept. With the newness comes uneasiness and doubt, especially from people carrying organizational responsibility. How is this going to hurt attendance? Giving? Things right now are good with our church. Are we sure we want to&nbsp;try a massive paradigm shift like Church Online can be?</p> <p>To that end, Rey and I got together and compiled a simple list. <em>Six Things We Wish Pastors Knew About Church Online</em>. Maybe you want to take notes and have this conversation with them. Maybe you want to do the subtle copy/paste, and send this podcast to your pastor. Either way, this podcast is meant to help you start the conversation with your church on the effectiveness of a healthy Church Online.</p> <p><a href="https://be.thechurch.digital/blog/podcast-002-six-things-you-wish-pastors-knew-about-church-online">COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE ON THECHURCH.DIGITAL</a></p> <p><br></p> <p><br></p>