Who would have thought that broadcasting your sermons so people don’t have to actually come to your church would instead make more people come to your church? Steve Evans of Bridge Chapel Christian church in Liverpool says podcasts work:
“Large numbers of new people are coming down to the church and joining our congregation simply because of the internet downloads and podcasts.
“The sermons are playing a huge role in attracting people of all ages, especially youngsters who are searching for their spirituality.
“People talk about church numbers falling, but those who are making efforts to connect with people through things like podcasting are experiencing rapid growth.
Rev. Dr. Shannon Ledbetter of St Mary’s Church in Knowsley Village (who appeared in the 1997 James Bond flick Tomorrow Never Dies, according to the article!?) doesn’t think podcasting will encourage people to skip church:
“This will bring church numbers up, because people who tune in will want to experience the full spectrum of worship, the interaction with other parishioners, the singing of hymns and the experience of the building.
“We wouldn’t want people to rely solely on an iPod.”
(link via Blogging Church)
James Higginbotham
January 5, 2006
I would be interested in the statistics of the unchurched vs. those church-hopping. As a member of a church who has been streaming audio for several years over the web and using the more traditional FM/AM radio station broadcasts, we see more transplants than lost souls coming to our church through these methods. We still believe in streaming (and now podcasts) for offering edification, just not as a first line outreach. We have been slowly been refocusing our attention and resources on reaching the unchurched by targeting them directly through ads and other marketing techniques, though podcasts and streaming will continue to be used.
jessica
January 5, 2006
That’s encouraging :) We are getting ready to launch some new features on our website, including streaming services and podcasting and I hope we’ll have good results from it!
Michael
January 6, 2006
Well and this makes sense doesn’t it? Sure we may initially put up sermons so that people who can’t attend can listen (or we do it because someone told us we should do it)…but free samples have always worked. Give them a taste and that draws them in.
I’m not so against transplants. Chances are they were leaving that church anyway and probably not getting much out of their current church (not neccessarily due to the churches fault) and were frustrated. I’d rather them jump ship to a different ship than jump ship into the cold water.
How else can we give people a taste? The most simple (but seemingly difficult) is to live as an example.
Go get em!