After the Stream: From the Speakers to the Heart
It’s so easy to shut the computer down after watching the Church service and find ourselves getting on with the day. Then, before we know it, a week has passed and we’re back in front of the screen again. Maybe you’re fortunate enough to be able to gather physically in the Church building, but with social interaction discouraged, listening rather than worshipping along to our favourite hymns, and smiles from a distance behind masks remind us of how different things are. How we long for the day we can stick around after a service, to be able to greet our beloved siblings in Christ with a hug and catch up on the week past as we used to! Unfortunately, we can’t do that just yet, though we pray that we can again one day soon! Until then, “Let us not neglect meeting together” as the writer of Hebrews instructs us (Heb 10:25), and do all we can to keep in fellowship with our Church family, using the means that we do have available. Below are five practical ways we can do that.
Zoom Meetings
Consider scheduling a Zoom meeting for after the service. Leave a little time for those who attended the service to get home so they can also join. Zoom is the leader in modern video communications, is easy to use and has a free plan available. Zoom can also be used for midweek catch ups for teams or community groups. This is a great way to see faces without masks! This can be promoted in your notices, internal communucation and of couse, on your webite!
Text Message
Text Messages are more likely to be read than an email, and don’t require internet access. Consider sending an encouraging Text Message to your entire congregation with just a few clicks using the Communication Suite on iKnow Church, our sister product.
Call
Catch up via a personal telephone call, and hear the emotion behind their voice. The progress of struggles of a person's faith can also be recorded on their profile through iKnow Church using your own personal notes to keep track, and also set reminders on important dates like the first time they attended Church or were Baptised.
Letters
How about a good ol’ fashioned letter which can often carry more weight than an email. You can include words of encouragement and the Churches newsletter. Letters can also be produced and easily printed using the iKnow Communication Suite.
Forums
Forums are a great way for Members who are signed up to your Website to interact and discuss content that has been uploaded, and also do things like keep up to date with any rotas they may be included on. The simplicity of using Church Edit means Forums can be added in just a few simple steps. Tutorials can be found on the Church Edit Website, and support is always available.
Like the early Church, let us “devote ourselves to fellowship” (Acts 2:42) in the best ways that we can in this present time.