The goal for Christians is always the same: We passionately work to grow the kingdom of God through sharing the good news. The methods are continuously evolving and growing, and we should be curious and knowledgeable of these methods so we can take advantage of every opportunity.
For large churches that have cutting edge equipment and adequate staff to handle new information, it is often less complicated to embrace new strategies, innovations, and new information. For smaller churches, however, these things can be challenging and rather daunting. With new information dropping daily and platforms evolving with new algorithms and new ways of processing data from day to day, most small churches are looking for the best ways to share the love of Christ and disciple people in as efficient a manner as possible.
So, taking all this into consideration, what is “digital outreach”?
Creating content targeted to be consumed by users on cell phones, watches, tablets, computers and other non-analog devices in order to share the gospel of Jesus Christ is what I consider to be digital outreach. This includes social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and communication avenues like email and text messaging. These are all important weapons in every church arsenal, but they are especially effective for small churches who have a smaller footprint [physical and/or digital presence] and lower reach in general.
There are exceptionally practical ways to use these avenues to effectively disciple young converts and reach new people for Christ. I am sharing my three favorite post ideas used to reach the largest audience most efficiently. None of these posts are event posts. We are looking at posts that encourage and teach.
- Post an uplifting graphic or scripture image that reminds people of the power of God to help us overcome darkness. In a world where many individuals live with very little hope, this is a valuable way to reach those who are hurting with the good news. As you caption your post, make sure to remind people that there is hope in the middle of sorrow, and that Jesus is that hope.
- Post a reminder that the enemy is defeated. This can be done through a scripture, a song lyric, or a testimony. In this case, a 30 second reel or video can be remarkably moving. An older saint or a child affirming that Christ has overcome would be terrific. Experience from the older and hope and passion from the younger can be effective tools to drive the message home.
- Post a reel from someone in leadership sharing a favorite scripture, a favorite song, or a favorite church memory. This is always encouraging and can be a lot of fun. Sometimes people just need a break from the everyday drudgery of life. Bringing back memories with a nostalgic post is a great idea. Remind people that God is still the same miracle worker He was back in 1984. He has not changed!
Consider these three questions:
- Do you spend more than 30 minutes per day on social media?
- Do you ever open emails?
- Do you check text messages?
Congratulations! All of these are digital outreach methods.
Now, let’s consider a fourth question. What impact does your digital footprint have on the kingdom of God? Our mission is clear. Jesus quoted Isaiah in Luke 4 saying,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,Because He has anointed MeTo preach the gospel to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captivesAnd recovery of sight to the blind,To set at liberty those who are oppressed;To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
(Luke 4:18–19 NKJV)
If we as Christians are called to follow Christ individually, how much more so should we as the community of believers, the church, follow Christ’s mandate to preach the gospel to the poor? To heal the brokenhearted? To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind? To set at liberty those who are oppressed? To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord?
Here is my best advice, smaller church pastor: Don’t reinvent the wheel. Try the three simple tips to post uplifting content weekly and watch what the Lord can do. If you are willing, He can cause your work to be more fruitful. God is always so much better to us than we deserve. His grace is sufficient for you, and you can do this with His help.
