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'Doing' Church the Online way
The 21st century church is faced with a number of changing factors that always need decisions to be made quickly and effectively for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be preached to all human kind as tasked by Jesus Christ our LORD and Savior in Matthew 28:18-20.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
One of those decisions that has to be made is to find appropriate channels and mediums to spread the good news to all people. Some people are so mobile due to a plethora of factors, yet others have commitments to an extent that on a normal Sunday service they cannot be physically present in the four corners of the Church building but still need the word to reach to them.
Brethren in Christ Church Lobengula is no exception in this modern church decisions and this feat has been catalyzed by the global pandemic known as the COVID 19 which has also forced some businesses to close and governments to issue directions to try and contain it in form of lockdowns and doing daily routines at home. Thus making it hard for physical meetings. In March 2019, when the President of Zimbabwe His Excellency ED Mnangagwa announced the first major lockdown in Zimbabwe, BICC Lobengula made emphatic efforts to make sure that the church is afloat in the midst of this turmoil.
The church identified various social media platforms that can be used to reach out to all our members. Thus far we adopted services on WhatsApp, YouTube and Facebook. We also have just opened an Instagram account. The church website https://www.bicclobengula.com which was launched at the close of 2020 is one major move the church has made towards embracing the concept of doing church the online way.
The platforms we use
The church is gradually growing into embracing the Online Ministry as a medium that is relevant and necessary especially at a time like this when gatherings continue to be suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the 6th of June 2021, the Social Media Team hosted a Training for Church Ministers that included Pastors, Deacons, Church Leaders and Lay Ministers. Three presentations were made that gave an overview of the already functional online ministry we have as a congregation, key skills on sermon/lesson presentation and ways that we can use to capture our online audience.
In the first presentation, Maqhawenkosi Mhlanga gave an Overview of the church Online Ministry. In his presentation, he highlighted the following;
Social Media Platforms we have as a church are WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, Website and have currently added Instagram
Through our WhatsApp platform, we conduct online Sunday service, daily (Mon – Frid) devotions, Saturday Empowerment sessions, communicate official announcements like funerals
We have a Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/bicclobengulachurch/ 1000+followers and a Facebook Group (Brethren In Christ Church Lobengula) with 1400 members. We upload our regular programmes and activities and receive feedback timeously.
YOUTUBE
Our YouTube channel complements the Facebook platform. It is steadily growing in subscription and the target is that before the end of the year, we have reached more than 500 subscribers.
Our Instagram page is https://Instagram.com/bicclobengula1.com. Currently, we have 120 followers and growing. Through this platform we share daily devotions, motivational nuggets and short videos snippets from sermons and teachings from the church Ministers.
WEBSITE
Those that visit our website get to interact with us through the feedback section and through the donation section where they can give to the church from anywhere in the world. The website gives us a platform where we can further propagate the gospel through articles, stories, sermons, poems, pictures and more.
In conclusion Mhlanga encouraged the attendants to take time to interact with these platforms and helped all in attendance to connect to the church Wi-Fi and subscribe to the YouTube channel.
Pst. Maqhawenkosi Mhlanga expresses a point during the presentation whilst Nobubele Dube looks on.
Bheki Mhlanga gave a profound teaching on some basic principles for anyone who is involved in Word-based Ministry. He highlighted the following points;
1. Convictions – we need to work on our convictions, keep growing and learning
Peter calls all of us who present the word of God to others to take it seriously (1 Peter 4:10-11).
He said there is a need to work on our convictions, keep growing and learning. Know that preaching and teaching are some of the means or activities that God has ordained to speak to his people.
2. Content – you must have a sermon or have a biblical message
Preach the word - 2 Timothy 4:2
Preaching is helping people hear from God
Read and understand what the Bible is saying 2 Timothy 2:15
3. Communicate – Present your sermon – work on how you are going to present
While only God can open hearts, the communicator must give great time and thought both to presenting the truth accurately and to bringing it home to the hearts of the hearers.
He concluded his presentation by reading 1 Corinthians 3:6 that says, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow”. Whilst we may preach the word; it is God who causes growth.
Bhekimpilo Mhlanga expressing a point in his presentation on Sermon/Lesson presentation
The third presentation was given by Mthandazo Tshuma, a member of the Social Media Team in the church. Mthandazo’s presentation was on ‘Ways that we can use to capture our online audience’ and it involved practical demonstrations. He gave 5 keys to capturing an online audience which are;
1. Looking at the lens of the camera
2. Voice projection
3. Mastering your tempo
4. Expand your gestures
5. Keep the message short
On the above points, Mthandazo emphasized the need to appreciate that when preaching online the audience has vast options as there are other ministers also preaching at the same time on other channels. Again, the audience is not confined to a seat like they would when they are at a church service. So with that in mind, it is necessary to draw the attention of the listener by making sure you look at the lens of the camera when preaching. Looking at the lens of the camera helps you connect with the viewer on the other side of the camera.
He said: “People easily lose interest when listening to something that they can hardly hear”. So increasing your voice and making sure all the words are audible will help keep the viewer glued to their screen. In connection to voice projection is the Tempo. “This refers to the speed in which a preacher speaks”. It is important to standardize your pace when speaking so that your message becomes clear to the listener.”
Tshuma further explained that when preaching its necessary to be expressive. To be still and stagnant can makes your message monotonous and before long the viewer switches to the next preacher next door. Lastly, he emphasized the need to be short and precise. Online ministry costs and not all viewers can afford to stay connected for a long time so keeping the message short and straight to the point would help capture the audience.
He concluded by saying, “Remember, online viewing is much less polite than an in-person congregation. Ta walk out during a church service takes guts. To log out online preaching takes nothing…and nobody would ever know”.
Some attendants were randomly picked to practise these principles as a way of helping them grasp the concepts.
Compiled by Social Media Team June 2021 ©
Mthandazo Tshuma points to the camera as he explains the point that it is important to always focus