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Why Connect Church Online?

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“We want to continue connecting online after we regather!” That’s been the repeated message from church leaders who have found the reach of their online worship to exceed their usual church attendance. Since normal resumption of gathered worship has yet to happen, now is a good time to work on what it might mean to connect with people beyond our programmed times of gathering.

Why would we try to do it in the first place?

1. Some people lead busy lives
When we limit ministry and mission to the times and places that suit us, we implicitly require people to fit in with our schedule. We ignore their work hours, family activities, and extra-curricular activities. We even blame them for lack of commitment to us! Online activity can happen anytime and anywhere – when it suits them.

2. Some people have difficulty attending
Whether you are elderly, a single parent, disabled, ill or on holidays, there are plenty of reasons why attendance at church activities can be difficult. Lack of transport. No baby-sitter. Your mental health isn’t great at the moment. Or you’re just plain exhausted. Not everyone is busy all the time. Some people can’t bring themselves or get themselves to church on any given day. Or they’d still like to connect when they’re on their winter sojourn to North Queensland.

3. Some people are checking us out
Who are all those extra people who have been online? Some are already part of our wider community – former members, friends of friends, people who are part of our weekly programs yet who’ve never attended worship. Others are, for whatever reason, just touching base for now – seeking a contemplative experience, a hopeful word, a prayer for troubled times. Some have faith questions, others are wondering about our beliefs or how friendly we are. We already know that people who want to check out a church first go to their website (yes, get it up to date and looking good!). A next step is to see us “live”.

4. Some people feel that they wouldn’t fit in
While we may pride ourselves on being an inclusive, welcoming church, no community is perfect. Besides, others’ perceptions of church are shaped by experience, negative as well as positive. Whether because of sexual orientation or identity, financial status, cultural or language difference, family life, mental health or a host of other factors, people may fear misunderstanding or worse, rejection. They may have experienced Christians who are judgemental and even abusive. More than this, they may have views or questions about God and religion that they would never voice in public. Some people prefer to be with us, to listen to us, and to learn with us from a distance.

5. Most people have home internet
Yes, there are people without the internet, or computers, or electricity, or running water. But Australians have a high level of computer ownership and internet access. If anything these times have proven than many of our older members can get online, and in this time of isolation they’ve deeply valued the face to face connection. In fact, it’s been preferable to going out in the evening. My guess is that over the winter this will continue voluntarily. More people will be online more often, just because they can.

6. Most people have mobile devices
Again, Australians have a high rate of smartphone and tablet ownership. This means 24/7 access to stuff and people. Synchronous connection means at the same time – “live” worship. Asynchronous means something is sent at one time and accessed at another time, or any time – a web page, a sermon video, a Bible study to download, a prayer resource. People use their smart devices to read, listen, watch, pray, chat, etc. Not only are there multiple mobile apps to aid spiritual growth, there are multiple ways that churches can be present online AND curate (collect or point to) worthwhile resources. Whether it’s at 6am, lunchtime or late at night, sitting outdoors or (sometime maybe) travelling on public transport, there’s a spiritual growth opportunity waiting.

If we want faith to be embedded in people’s everyday lives, then it needs to be embedded in their daily habits.

If the church is people and not a place, then connecting church is about connecting people.

If faith is invitational, then the invitation shouldn’t begin when people enter the building.

  • Do we want to encourage people to be online 24/7? I don’t think so. But what they do is their choice.
  • Do we want to meet people where they are at? Yes.
  • Is this the only way for people to grow spiritually? Not at all. However online offers a wide range of ways to engage spiritually
  • Is this encouraging individualism? Well, spiritual growth is partly individual. However online can also mean greater connection, not less.
  • What about those who can’t connect? Any church needs multiple options for people to engage in faith formation.
  • Is this time consuming or expensive for church leaders? As little or as much as you choose to invest.

In the next post I’ll describe a continuum of participation choices in blended faith formation.

Action Learning and Action Research

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Today I’ve been working on how to incorporate action learning into action research. We’re running a Mission Pilot Project which was put on hold briefly because of the COVID-19 situation. I already had a broad research design, but the action research process needed more work. The challenge is how to integrate practical theological reflection within the learning processes of the various stakeholders in such a way that it is part of the action research.

I’ve been really helped by Danny Burns’ Systemic Action Research which I picked up on sale for $10 some time ago. His focus is on learning in action, not just learning from action. He recognises that in action research there is the primary researcher, those with whom they are engaged in action, and the larger system within which they live or work. [“System” here is seen as perceptual and fluid rather than institutional and rigid.] Burns’ focus is on how systemic change happens, and he questions a number of assumptions about change as a planned, linear process.

What did I learn from him?

To work on how people attend to their experience, and to help them express this in aesthetic ways before jumping to propositional knowledge.

To pay attention to the group dynamics that allow or support improvisation. Burns uses the metaphor of theatre to discuss improvisation. I’ve read and used other work in a similar vein. More on this later.

To encourage multiple, parallel experiments rather than requiring consensus on one way forward. “Creativity emerges more through travelling alongside and interacting with difference than through premature integration.” Change can come through seemingly contradictory actions that can reinforce each other in non-linear ways.

To focus on resonance more than representation. Improvisation relies on people joining in an emerging direction because it resonates with them, not because they are required to participate in some way. They get it. They’re energised. Importantly, “change is fired by the passion of people who are motivated to act on what they believe in. More people will do more things, more insight will be generated, and more possibilities emerge where passion is at the heart of the process.”

Burns also talks about improvisation and action learning being narrative, hence action learning loops back to earlier experiences and understandings in order to make sense and move forward.

I didn’t quite find the methodical answers I was looking for, but these insights are super helpful for my thinking about design. Burns has a lot to say, and lots of examples, about large scale systemic change through action research.

Mission Pilot Project

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Our Presbytery Mission Pilot Project kicked off last weekend with a training intensive weekend led by Phil McCredden, Duncan Macleod and myself with teams from the two participating churches plus others in our presbytery team. We had a stimulating weekend of getting to know one another, exploring changes in church and society, and reflecting on discernment in mission.

So what is the Mission Pilot? It is a twelve month partnership where the presbytery helps congregations to do two things:

1. Discern and take up a new Mission Experiment

This is about learning mission by doing it.
– seeing their local community with fresh eyes
– building new or deeper relationships with people
– seeking the hospitality of strangers
– discerning where the Spirit is at work and seeking to join in
– partnering or collaborating in creating a missional initiative

2. Help their congregation develop a Mission Posture
– sharing learnings from the mission experiment with the congregation
– seek to reshape the culture of the congregation and its leaders towards mission

The elements of the weekend included the following:

* Exploring Acts 2 and Luke 10 as early church narratives about Christian community and being sent in mission. We discussed the early church as being both a spiritual and a social transformation.

* Looking at changes in church attendance and participation in recent decades and reflecting on the challenges and opportunities for the church in a post-Christendom era.

* Phil introduced the Three Zone model by Alan Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk as described in The Missional Leader. I’ve since discovered videos of Mark Lau Branson describing the zones in a series of short videos starting here.

* Reflecting on the breadth of mission and gospel and the multiple dimensions of these.

* Examining change processes and how to lead change.

* Exploring the nature of discernment and how we being to look and listen both to our communities and the Holy Spirit.

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Forming Disciples in a Missional Church – Workshops

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Early next year I’m planning to run my first ever workshops based on my recent doctoral research into faith formation and education in the Uniting Church. These are hosted by Port Phillip East Presbytery at two locations in Melbourne.

The focus is on congregations as lifelong learning communities of missional discipleship – connecting how we grow in faith with how we live for God’s purposes. The research is based on visits to 13 churches around Australia, a sub-sample of what began as 21 churches. Lots of great examples of church ‘culture’, leadership, programs and activities, and the dynamics of faith development.

Thursday 5 March, 10am-3pm

Glen Waverley Uniting Church, cnr Bogong Ave & Kingsway

Thursday 19 March, 10am-3pm

Centre for Theology & Ministry, 29 College Cres, Parkville

  • Stories from Uniting Churches across Australia
  • Insights from recent research
  • Congregational practices for growing disciples
  • Guides for intentional leadership of learning

Cost is $20 which covers lunch and morning tea.

Registration details will be available soon on our Presbytery website. In the meantime, download a flyer.

Download Forming_Disciples_PDF

Resources for Exploring Christian Faith

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Yesterday I led a workshop on preparing young people and adults for baptism and confirmation. Here’s a list of resources that may be helpful. It is important to say that learners vary considerably, from those who have no Christian background to those who have grown up in the church, from teenagers to older adults. You need to find resources that work for your setting.

Also, stay tuned for an announcement about the forthcoming “We are the Uniting Church: Our Faith” series of six vidoes plus discussion guide.

Belonging Kit by Cheryl Lawrie (editor)
Uniting Church Press, 1998
Available from Mediacom

This is a modular approach featuring twelve sessions and a flexible range of teaching a learning options – group discussion sessions, mentor sessions, teaching notes, action learning activities, Bible studies and journaling. The themes combine exploration of belief with exploring discipleship.

The kit may be photocopied for local use (ie. you only need to purchase one copy). Includes a double CD of music and stories.

Session titles: Belonging to God; Belonging to God’s People; Belonging to God’s World; Believing in God; Believing in Jesus Christ; Believing the Good News; Growing in Worship; Growing in the Spirit; Growing with Scripture; Sharing Our Gifts; Sharing Our Faith; Sharing Our World.Continue Reading