23 Apr Leveraging Online Influence by Chuck Tate
There’s no substitute for the power of gathering in person. I firmly believe that digital platforms are not in competition with the church; they are a tool for the church. We know Jesus used boats and mountain sides. He used dinner tables to reach people where they were. And now we use live streams, Instagram reels, TikTok, webinars, podcasts—it’s the same message but a different method.
One of the core values of our church is the phrase “same message, different language.” We want to communicate the gospel with love in a way that people can understand. Sometimes that means we have to be willing to change our methods or to find new methods. When it comes to digital media, it’s simply a new method to preach the same message.
What I’ve noticed is most of the criticism that comes about online ministry usually comes from people wanting depth or wanting to force people to gather in person. I see digital media as the new window of the church. It’s where people peak inside. Many of our first-time guests tell us that they drove by several times before they visited Rock Church. Then they say, “Then I started watching online. I’ve been watching online for weeks, months and I decided to give it a chance and step inside.” Sometimes they’ve seen a clip of me on TikTok or Instagram just throwing out a heap of hope, speaking to people’s pain, and eventually it connects with them. So social media is a digital on-ramp.
Start With Value, Not Just Visibility
Digital ministry is not just about pushing content; it’s about connecting, which is what pastoring is all about. It’s about connecting with people through empathy, seeing them, in a sense, right where they are. Hearing them. Valuing them.
I believe people who are receiving ministry online are looking for three things:
1. Authenticity. They don’t need polished; they need real. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be professional. We should. But we have to be willing to be vulnerable. So whether it’s a message, a reel, a story, if we’re vulnerable and real, we’re going to build trust
2. Hope. In a world full of noise and negativity, people are looking for something that’s going to encourage them, something that’s going to lift them up. It goes beyond information for them. I think sometimes I’ve been guilty of just throwing out information, information, information instead of communicating to the person who’s scrolling, to give them the hope that I have. The gospel is good news!
3. Accessibility. Whether it’s a single mom watching in the middle of the night or somebody sitting in their truck on their lunch break, they want truth delivered in a way that’s relatable. I think bite-sized info is more effective and makes it easy for people to engage with us. Rick Warren said, “If you will speak to people’s pain, you’re always going to connect with somebody because everybody’s either in a storm, getting ready to go into a storm, or coming out of a storm.”
It’s important not to view online ministry as a side hustle; it’s a front-line outreach. Use your platform. Use your voice because you have something to share and people need it.
Engage More Than You Broadcast
Content gets attention. Connection builds trust. Consistency changes lives. Start with value, not just visibility. We don’t post to post. We share something that’s going to help people, whether it’s hope, truth, encouragement, or clarity. When somebody who’s scrolling feels seen or helped by what you post, they’ll lean in and want more.
And engage more than you broadcast. I have been guilty of doing the opposite of that. Sometimes I’m just trying to post every day to post every day. I’ve had to slow down and make sure that I am taking the time to connect with people, to respond to comments and direct messages. I want to take the time to message them back, especially when they’re hurting or broken.
I do a live TikTok Bible study every Thursday night from 9 to 10 PM. I have a co-host and one of our pastors to help monitor and engage. We’ve become a community, and obviously we want to lead people to find and connect with a local church and to gather in person so they can have a support system that’s near them, but some of these people haven’t done that. They’re just scrolling, lying in bed or sitting in their living room. A couple months ago, we had the opportunity to lead somebody to Jesus during our Bible study time. That’s why it’s important to engage, not just broadcast, and use storytelling. Jesus did this.
Be Present and Personal
You don’t need the best camera to start speaking into people’s lives through social media. You can use your phone. I use mine! I built my TikTok audience significantly, up to close to 100,000 followers, simply by posting hope regularly, and I used my iPhone a lot of the time! You don’t have to have any equipment but your phone. That’s really all you need. There are some apps that can help make things easier, but ultimately it’s just setting up your phone, talking to somebody, and giving them hope. Obviously, we have the best news that anybody can have. And people respond to it! In fact, there have been people in my community who have watched my videos and come to our church.
Our online presence increases traction in our community and multiplies connection in our church. What do I mean by this?
1. Increases Traction. Because I want to be approachable, I don’t preach at people; I talk to them. I use language that feels real, not pastoral, if that makes sense. I let people know that I see them, and then they open up. I stay consistent even when life and ministry get busy. Why? Because I want to keep showing up.
Practical Tips
Some online content coaches will say that you need to post three to five times a day. I don’t think anybody has time for that! My goal was to post once a day Monday through Friday at least. I wasn’t always posting on the weekends, but I think if somebody is posting three to five times a week, that’s a good place to start.
Not every post takes a long time to prepare. Some are done on the fly. Sometimes a verse will pop into my head or I will hear or see something and write it down. When it comes to TikTok and Instagram, one-to-two-minute reels work best. Now YouTube has shorts. I keep them under three minutes as well so I don’t lose people with longer posts. With Tik Tok you can go up to 10 minutes but you usually lose people with longer posts. Most pastors or leaders can take a scripture and talk about it for 60 seconds. It’s just a matter of taking the time to set up your phone and record it, and then you can edit. CapCut is a great, practical tool. I would recommend CapCut for adding captions to your videos. I found when I add captions, it seems to extend your reach a little bit because there are a lot of times when people will lie in bed with their phone muted and read captions. If you have captions, they’re not going to skip over yours. I can record, edit and post a video within ten to fifteen minutes tops. The time is worth it to help people, to engage and build community, to develop a relationship with somebody who may be in your area.
Pastor, you know that in 1 Corinthians 9, Paul says, “I become all things to all people that by all possible means I might save some.” That’s why social media is a vehicle that you can’t ignore when sharing the gospel in your community and beyond. It is the only way we will reach some people, and it’s the first place some people will look to find hope for the problems and pain they’re facing. You don’t have to have it all together to get started. Use what you have, speak with authenticity, and make time to be accessible to those who respond to your posts. God will show you how social media can become a digital on-ramp to greater relationships and community reach for you and your church.
This blog was created using content from the webinar Leveraging Online Influence.