You're trained in seminary and throughout your internship as a pastor never to send people away. A person comes into your doors, and our job is to keep them connected to the church. After that first modem came online, the game changed. People could tune in from anywhere in the world. The online attendee isn't just down the street. Your reachable audience is broader, which means your methodology needs a good old fashion upgrade. Unfortunately, most seminaries are still operating on those AOL CDs.

Every week people on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and your website are digesting your messages and digitally desiring the next step. Heres the problem. They can't always walk into your building the following Sunday. Your assimilation strategy needs to have an onramp to your church or help the person find a great church in their city. The average pastor doesn't need to qualify a persons' IP address, but you as the online pastor need to evaluate their location. It's okay to lose them to another church. A leaky funnel is a result of a more connected world.