A few years ago, I attended a seminar on how to start an online church for kids. In it, I got an earful about all the negative press that “traditional” churches have gotten lately. It’s not my fault; although the media has done a good job of making us think that our children will be safer if we have a brick and mortar church, the statistics don’t back this up. Churches are under more scrutiny now than they have ever been in the past ten years. Yet, the key factor to any church is the Word of God, and that’s why it remains so vital.
So, what do you do when you are trying to establish a church online? First, you need to get it established. To that end, you’ll need a website, a blog, and possibly a forum or maybe a newsletter. If you want your church to grow beyond just a neighborhood, you can also set up shop in a shopping mall, in other people’s front yards, or just anywhere else that will bring in new members.
How do you find people to invite to your church? Well, one way is to use social networking sites. Facebook and MySpace both have kid-friendly versions already set up. Or maybe you could set up an account with Twitter or Digg and post a link to your site’s home page. The important thing is that you get to know the real people behind the online community to know who to invite to your church.
Second, you need to figure out how to interact with the people interested in your religion. What will they like or what will make them want to come to your church? Will they post their comments or maybe even join your mailing list? The answer is: it depends. The bottom line is: no one knows your church better than you do.
Third, what kind of music do you want for your church website? Christian songs or pop songs? Classic hymns or current Top 40 hits? You must know your audience so that you can create content that resonates with them.
You can also use graphics on your church website. That’s why churches are starting to look more like websites instead of brick and mortar buildings. But you still have to provide quality content, including links to your blog and newsletter. Don’t forget to add photos to share your faith. Using the tools available to create an online church for kids, you can easily keep your children inspired while learning about Jesus and the Holy Bible.