Through online church, you have an incredible opportunity to reach people beyond your physical walls. But simply having an online service is just the start—you need a strategy to engage, connect, and disciple people effectively.

‍

Online ministry isn’t just about streaming content; it’s about building the church online. 

‍

Here are four key strategies for growing your online church:

1. Consistently Produce Great Content

Your weekly sermon is one of the most important factors in reaching more people online. 

‍

When you preach messages that are Holy Spirit-driven, engaging, and biblically sound, your attenders are more likely to share those messages with their friends and family. 

‍

When this happens, you’re leveraging word-of-mouth marketing to reach more people with the gospel.

‍

It’s also important to have quality audio and video recordings of your messages. When your online attenders can easily see your face, hear what you’re saying, and connect with worship, they’re more likely to stay engaged with your online services. 

‍

Pro Tip: You can access free, high-quality sermon outlines, graphics, and videos on Life.Church Open Network.

2. Broadcast on an Engaging Channel

Creating great content is just the first step—you need to share it on the right channels to reach your community.

‍

At Life.Church, we have four live and four on-demand channels where we broadcast our content. 

‍

The four live channels are: 

• Church Online Platform
• Youtube Live
• Facebook Live
• Instagram Live

‍

These channels receive a digital version of our full, in-person services, including worship, five minutes with our Life.Church Online communicators, and the message. 

‍

The four on-demand channels are: 

• The Life.Church YouTube Channel
• The Life.Church Messages Podcast
• The Life.Church Media Page
• The Pando App 

‍

These channels only receive the message portion of our service. We’ve found that we reach more people when we remove announcements and worship from these channels. 

‍

Your church doesn’t need to post everywhere, but if you want to increase your reach, it might be worth strategically adding one or two to your selection. 

3. Lead Attenders into Community

The most effective churches don’t just stream services—they create community. Your goal isn’t just attendance; it’s engagement.

‍

Here are four ways to foster connection with your online attenders:

‍

1. Engage in Live Chat & Prayer Requests. It’s helpful to have dedicated hosts who welcome people, answer questions, and pray with guests during your services. (The Church Online Platform makes this incredibly easy.)
2. Invite Attenders To Join or Lead a Small Group. Have in-person or virtual small groups ready to welcome new members.
3. Follow Up with First-Time Guests. A personal message, email, or video greeting makes a lasting impact and encourages new viewers to stay connected.
4. Empower Digital Volunteers. Your online church needs hosts, chat moderators, and prayer leaders. Here at Life.Church, some of the most impactful stories we hear come from our online volunteers. The same could be true for you! Learn some tips on building an online Host team in this article.

‍

‍

Pro Tip: Train your team to ask engaging questions in the chat, like “Where are you watching from?” or “What’s one thing that stood out to you from today’s message?” This encourages conversation and keeps people engaged.

4. Connect with Attenders Throughout the Week

Your church’s online presence shouldn’t be limited to Sundays. The best online ministries create intentional, ongoing touchpoints throughout the week.

‍

Here are two strategic ways Life.Church engages with online attenders throughout the week here:

‍

• Create, Repurpose, & Repost Content on Social Media. One of the best ways to help your attenders apply your sermon is to remind them of the main points throughout the week. We do this by sharing current sermon clips, quotes, and key takeaways across our social media platforms.
• Stay in Touch with Emails. Emails are one of the best ways to send encouragement, prayer prompts, and upcoming event reminders to your congregation during the week.

‍

Remember: Consistency is key. Schedule posts out in advance and plan your email calendar ahead of time so that you’re consistently showing up for your online community.

Some Final Thoughts … 

Building a strong online presence isn’t about growing numbers—it’s about reaching people, fostering relationships, and leading them closer to Jesus.

‍

By focusing on the four keys in this post, you can cultivate an online ministry that goes beyond a Sunday broadcast and transforms lives throughout the week.

So What’s Next? 

Almost everyone you’re trying to reach spends time online. And hosting online services is a great way for your church to reach them where they’re at. 

‍

The problem? Many online church solutions are expensive and siloed to one social media platform, or they don’t have an easy way to invite people to take their next step. 

‍

The Church Online Platform from Life.Church has solved all of those problems. It … 

• Is completely free
• Makes it easy to invite your attenders from any platform
• Has a built-in system for leading people to take their next step.
   

You can create your account and schedule your first service here: https://churchonlineplatform.com/