In my last blog post I began listing six ways that Bible study groups can become more “phygital” in 2021. If you missed that post, click here to read it and catch up!

Today, let’s consider the other three ways that becoming more phygital in 2021 might be a good idea for your group and for your church:

1. Introduce new digital leadership roles. On-campus Bible study groups that have organized themselves for ministry have roles that group members are encouraged to fulfill. These roles include teacher, prayer leader, Care Group leader, service project leader, fellowship leader, and others. Now that groups have moved online, some to stay, it makes sense to introduce new roles in addition to the ones we’ve had around for decades. Lifeway’s Ministry Grid team have developed a whole new set of digital roles that somewhat mirror the current roles that people fill in on-campus groups. Digital group directors lead in the implementation of biblically-focused online communities for adults, students, and kids. Digital group leaders facilitate biblically-focused online community for a group of adults, students, or kids. Digital group hosts provide a welcoming environment to all group participants, establish online group guidelines, and control online meeting permissions to provide an orderly environment for the group discussion. Digital group member care leaders organize and facilitate care for online group members. Digital group support team members provides training, support, and troubleshooting for the online meeting platform the church uses. Porch drop-off coordinators organize and facilitate delivery of Bible study materials to group participants. Porch drop-off volunteers assist with assembly and delivery of Bible study materials to group participants. To get an extensive list of responsibilities for the new digital roles, click here to jump over to Ministry Grid where you can get a complete set of job descriptions for these roles. You’ll need to set up a free account if you don’t already have one, but it only takes a minute!
2. Continue to improve your online worship and other digital experiences. More people are going to find your church online than will visit your campus, at least initially. Consider your online website, online worship experience, and online Bible study groups – they are your new front door. People expect things to work seamlessly online – yes, we’ve been spoiled by Amazon, Google, Apple, and other companies whose online experiences are fast and efficient. People now bring those expectations into the world of church, so don’t look like a dinosaur in a digital age!
3. Recruit a volunteer or hire someone to lead your digital ministries. You may not be a digital expert, but I bet you have someone in your congregation who is! That person may be in their early twenties, or they may be a bit older with some great experience under their belt. The way to find them? Just ask! Let your congregation know you need help with your digital ministries, and see who the Lord provides. If your church has the financial means, hiring a part-time or full-time person to oversee your digital ministries is going to be a great move that will pay dividends now and into the future.