The Identity Crisis of #ChurchOnline
When internet campuses, iCampuses, and online campuses launched fifteen years ago, the digital expression of the church was new. Most online churches started for people far from a physical church. The original vision was to reach people globally and provide a practical resource for anyone traveling or sick. Flash forward to 2019 and online has engulfed the entire world. We are all online. Even your grandma is connected. She might be rocking Microsoft Edge and shares only cooking recipes on Facebook, but she is online.
Today, your prospective attendee, members, and everyone in-between is dependent on technology. Our new vision for online church is bigger than a worship service option for the sick and traveler. I've experienced this with my church. Every week my family and I go to a church service. When I walk into our Worship Center, I get handed a printed program with paper message notes. I prefer Evernote. Digital is my default preference. I'm a local member but prefer a digital experience. I want an online experience while being connected to the local church. Guess what? Most people want some fusion experience of the in-person and digital, but this is causing an issue for the online pastor.
You might say online campuses are having an identity issue. The online pastors audience is mixed. People watch who attend local and from hundreds of miles away. What is the role of an internet campus within your church's overall strategy considering the mixed crowd? Who is your online pastor "pastoring?" Should you rename the online campus? Maybe a restructure is needed? You may need to drop "Online Campus" or "Internet Campus" and have it be your church's name. Like any fifteen year old, puberty causes all sorts of issues. It's a bit uncomfortable, but the conversation will help spur on new growth for your whole church.
I don't have the answer for your church. Every church needs a different solution. Some will eliminate their Online Campus by splitting up the entity. Part one will focus on all members, and part two will provide "church" for watchers non-locally. Other churches will go through a simple name change. A few might not do anything. I do believe with the ever-growing integration of digital in our daily lives that your online strategy needs an honest evaluation frequently. It's okay if things change. Don't hold onto your position for the sake of being safe. Prayerfully push through adolescence into adulthood. At the very least no more iCampuses, please.
