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Ministry in the Digital Age: Strategies and Best Practices for a Post-Website World
"Christianity is fundamentally a communication event. It is God revealing God's self to the world. And God uses a large variety of media to accomplish that revelation." ―Shane Hipps, author of Flickering Pixels Viral videos and retweeted posts fill the air around us. In the midst of constant news feeds and mobile alerts, ministries have unprecedented opportunities to connect with people yearning for community with others and God. But how? In this post-website world, it?s no longer enough to have a static website and hope that people find it. If you want to get your online content in front of your audience, you need to have a digital presence in the streams where they?re already active. David Bourgeois offers a practical step-by-step guide for discerning and implementing a digital strategy for your ministry. He provides an overview of how Christians can use technology and communication media wisely, with concrete ideas for churches and nonprofit organizations. Discover how you can make the most of every opportunity to extend your ministry?s electronic reach and impact.
144 pages, Paperback
First published April 3, 2013
19 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 30, 2013
David T. Bourgeois, Ministry in the Digital Age: Strategies and Best Practices for a Post-Website World (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2013). $15.00, 144 pages.
The purpose of Ministry in the Digital Age is “to provide churches and ministries with the guidance they need to successfully embrace and use digital technologies as means to fulfill their mission” (8). The book identifies three elements of a “digital ministry framework”: technology, people, and process (chapter 4). Too often, churches and ministries make decisions about what digital platforms to use before they take into account who will use them or how their digital ministry will be developed, implemented, and sustained. Chapters 5 and 6 outline a 13-step process for addressing precisely those issues. Because it is short and practical, Ministry in the Digital Age will help your church or ministry quickly begin to match digital means to spiritual ends.
P.S. If you found my review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon.com review page.
The purpose of Ministry in the Digital Age is “to provide churches and ministries with the guidance they need to successfully embrace and use digital technologies as means to fulfill their mission” (8). The book identifies three elements of a “digital ministry framework”: technology, people, and process (chapter 4). Too often, churches and ministries make decisions about what digital platforms to use before they take into account who will use them or how their digital ministry will be developed, implemented, and sustained. Chapters 5 and 6 outline a 13-step process for addressing precisely those issues. Because it is short and practical, Ministry in the Digital Age will help your church or ministry quickly begin to match digital means to spiritual ends.
P.S. If you found my review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon.com review page.
January 26, 2022
Dated but Relevant
Ministry in the Digital Age provides a great framework for developing a digital ministry. The author provides his readers with a thorough understanding of what it means to be involved in ministering online. He also gives resources and strategies for developing an effective online ministry. I gave it four stars because some of the information and stats are probably dated as it was written almost ten years ago. However, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a good foundation to effectively begin a digital ministry.
Ministry in the Digital Age provides a great framework for developing a digital ministry. The author provides his readers with a thorough understanding of what it means to be involved in ministering online. He also gives resources and strategies for developing an effective online ministry. I gave it four stars because some of the information and stats are probably dated as it was written almost ten years ago. However, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a good foundation to effectively begin a digital ministry.
September 21, 2020
Would have rated it higher if I read it 5-6 years ago and it maybe could use revision for the current era, but found it to be loaded with helpful perspective and practical tools for people trying to enter into this world and figure out how to build strategy and infrastructure. A lot in there is highly relevant and helpful.
December 4, 2020
Interesting Book
This is a great book on the basics of strategically planing out a media plan for your organization. Bourgeois breaks down the steps in a simple and understanding way for those who are not tech savvy.
This is a great book on the basics of strategically planing out a media plan for your organization. Bourgeois breaks down the steps in a simple and understanding way for those who are not tech savvy.
May 10, 2022
Another great resource for online ministry
August 13, 2013
A few years ago, a group of pastors and I decided to create a workshop for pastors and church leaders regarding internet tools for pastor's and teachers. We shared about social networking, blogging, some denominational opportunities, and much more. People wondered, how do I get my church online? How do we find an internet presence?
That was a few years back. Today, even more has changed. And things will continue to morph as we go forward in the church and in ministry. To this conversation comes Ministry in the Digital Age, a timely and thoughtful book written by David T. Bourgeois. David contends that we live in a post-website world, and we need to adjust with ideas and strategies to fit our changing digital landscape and our goals and objectives.
One of the most interesting facts that Bourgeois shares is that the number of smartphones people have, and how the smartphones are revolutionizing people's internet habits. It is expected that by 2014 (next year) the number of smartphone subscriptions will match the number of people on the planet (p. 20). It is also very possible that this year, more people will access the internet through their phone more often than they do through PCs (p. 21). There are currently more mobile phone subscriptions in the United States than there are people (p. 40). What does all of this mean? That perhaps your best portal for reaching the online community is not to design an internet presence that clunks around with a slow processor, and is not wireless enabled. Because if you are still thinking that most of your potential church members are sitting down to a laptop and clicking around for a church like yours, you are mistaken.
The next wonderful point that Bourgeois makes is that internet use is now more RELATIONSHIP driven than INFORMATION driven. People go online to connect. They want to find a romantic relationship outside of the people they run into everyday, they find a way to access a digital dating forum. They want to shop, they go to Amazon or Craigslist. Shopping is a business relationship. Facebook has more time spent on it than any other website in the world.
All this doesn't mean that websites are bad, and that everyone should just have a Facebook page. Far from it. What it does mean is that ministries, churches, and organizations need to orient their entire digital presence toward answering the question: how do we build relationships with people through the web. One's internet presence should not be thought of like an advertisement in the paper. Instead, it should be thought of as a place to connect, interact, and partner with people to share the good news and do the work of the gospel.
The rest of the book does a great jobs with nuts and bolts ideas of building an internet presence that fits any one organizations goals and objectives. Pitfalls are identified, and some creative ways of looking at one's digital strategy are shared. This is a great resource for a church and its leadership board, as well as a myriad of other Christian organizations or ministry groups. Ministry in the Digital Age should be a textbook in seminaries and a guidebook for church leadership boards.
That was a few years back. Today, even more has changed. And things will continue to morph as we go forward in the church and in ministry. To this conversation comes Ministry in the Digital Age, a timely and thoughtful book written by David T. Bourgeois. David contends that we live in a post-website world, and we need to adjust with ideas and strategies to fit our changing digital landscape and our goals and objectives.
One of the most interesting facts that Bourgeois shares is that the number of smartphones people have, and how the smartphones are revolutionizing people's internet habits. It is expected that by 2014 (next year) the number of smartphone subscriptions will match the number of people on the planet (p. 20). It is also very possible that this year, more people will access the internet through their phone more often than they do through PCs (p. 21). There are currently more mobile phone subscriptions in the United States than there are people (p. 40). What does all of this mean? That perhaps your best portal for reaching the online community is not to design an internet presence that clunks around with a slow processor, and is not wireless enabled. Because if you are still thinking that most of your potential church members are sitting down to a laptop and clicking around for a church like yours, you are mistaken.
The next wonderful point that Bourgeois makes is that internet use is now more RELATIONSHIP driven than INFORMATION driven. People go online to connect. They want to find a romantic relationship outside of the people they run into everyday, they find a way to access a digital dating forum. They want to shop, they go to Amazon or Craigslist. Shopping is a business relationship. Facebook has more time spent on it than any other website in the world.
All this doesn't mean that websites are bad, and that everyone should just have a Facebook page. Far from it. What it does mean is that ministries, churches, and organizations need to orient their entire digital presence toward answering the question: how do we build relationships with people through the web. One's internet presence should not be thought of like an advertisement in the paper. Instead, it should be thought of as a place to connect, interact, and partner with people to share the good news and do the work of the gospel.
The rest of the book does a great jobs with nuts and bolts ideas of building an internet presence that fits any one organizations goals and objectives. Pitfalls are identified, and some creative ways of looking at one's digital strategy are shared. This is a great resource for a church and its leadership board, as well as a myriad of other Christian organizations or ministry groups. Ministry in the Digital Age should be a textbook in seminaries and a guidebook for church leadership boards.
October 24, 2018
Overall this book is great. He has written the important parts, such as strategy, in such a way that it is timeless. Some of his data is outdated, as there is no mention of Instagram and Snapchat (though perhaps this one shouldn't be mentioned), both of which have grown in popularity since the publishing of this book. However, his premise, that we live in a post-website world, is becoming more and more true, which makes this book still extremely relevant.
Great read for those who wish to start an internet presence, and especially good for those who are also doing it for a ministry of some sort.
Great read for those who wish to start an internet presence, and especially good for those who are also doing it for a ministry of some sort.
February 4, 2016
Pretty Good Primer
This is a helpful primer on putting together a digital strategy for your church. It has all the questions you want to ask and things to consider. It assumes this is for a large church when it talks about teams of 5-7 with only 1 or 2 non paid staff. As usual, those in small congregations with small (or no) staff will have to make adjustments. Nevertheless still helpful
This is a helpful primer on putting together a digital strategy for your church. It has all the questions you want to ask and things to consider. It assumes this is for a large church when it talks about teams of 5-7 with only 1 or 2 non paid staff. As usual, those in small congregations with small (or no) staff will have to make adjustments. Nevertheless still helpful
January 4, 2015
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Absolutely wonderful book on what the church could (and should) be doing in the world of #digitalmarketing. From website builds to church wifi, this book was insightful ... Though was written more for beginners.
Absolutely wonderful book on what the church could (and should) be doing in the world of #digitalmarketing. From website builds to church wifi, this book was insightful ... Though was written more for beginners.
February 19, 2014
For the most part, good advice & tips. Not really helpful for my purposes.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews