How We Do Digital Ministry

Episode 53 of the How We Do Digital Ministry podcast features Pastor Jon Pyle, host of Better on the Inside and associate pastor at CityChurch. Jon and Charlotte Elia discuss serving Jesus without burning out, attending to personal and social grief, and finding joy in some of their favorite podcasts.

"People are defining church by where they get their care and not their content." - Pastor Jon Pyle

Listen to the full episode as Jon talks about these topics:

Better on the Inside [1:05] 
Changing Church Landscape [5:52]
Why a Podcast? [13:01]
Unattended Grief [19:31]
A Little Podcast Joy [31:49]

You can find Pastor Jon Pyle online here:

Episode 52 of the How We Do Digital Ministry podcast features Dr. Karen-Marie Yust and Dr. Erin Reibel from Real Kids Real Faith. Karen-Marie, Erin, and Charlotte Elia discuss nurturing children's spirituality online, growing in faith through questions rather than dogma, and seizing this opportunity for innovation. 

"The combination of the diminishing Sunday school and the reliance on online resources means that children's ministry needs to move toward providing those more direct resources to families, even if families are still intersecting with the church. Because on a Tuesday afternoon, when a parent is thinking, 'My child is asking this question and I don't know how to explore this issue with them,' they're not going to wait until the next Sunday they're in church to ask their pastor about that. They're going to Google it." - Dr. Karen-Marie Yust

"Your traditional Sunday school lesson is about putting information into a child, and what we are opting to do instead is to open up an avenue for them to explore their own spirituality." - Dr. Erin Reibel

Listen to the full episode as Karen-Marie and Erin talk about these topics:  

Growing Spiritually Through Exploring Questions [2:55] 
Changing Landscape of Children's Ministry [6:12]
The Innovation Hub [9:53]
Children's Ministry in the Digital Space [13:39]
A Word to Congregations [18:26]

You can find Real Kids Real Faith online here:

Episode 51 of the How We Do Digital Ministry podcast features Rev. Ryan Dunn, Minister of Online Engagement with United Methodist Communications. Ryan and Charlotte Elia discuss creating digital content for seekers, focusing on your particular audience, and discerning which tools and tactics best suit your congregation.

"The future of the church is niche, and that doesn't mean all of our congregations are gonna be like very focused on one segment of the population. But I think ministry as a whole is going to be niche, that we're leaning more into a time where the way that we make meaning and create meaning for ourselves is very individualized." - Rev. Ryan Dunn

Listen to the full episode as Ryan talks about these topics:

Platform vs. Engagement [5:45]
Digital First Culture [9:23]
Leading Through Conflict [14:02]
Working With Limited Resources [21:24]
The Future is Niche [29:30]

You can find Rev. Ryan Dunn online here:

Episode 50 of the How We Do Digital Ministry podcast features Pastor Nathan Webb from Checkpoint Church. Pastor Nate and Charlotte Elia discuss the origin of this online ministry for "nerds, geeks, and gamers," finding and building your community online, and the value of streaming for digital ministries. 

"That's the redemption happening is that I'm taking this media that's already being seen in a negative light and allowing even that media to point towards some kind of relationship with God or some kind of betterment with ourselves." - Pastor Nathan Webb

Listen to the full episode as Pastor Nate talks about these topics:

A Three-Platform Approach [3:04]
Introduction to Discord [11:48]
Building a Niche Community [15:32]
A Collaborative Future [19:41]
Work/Life Boundaries [26:10]
Experimenting with Streaming [31:05]

You can find Pastor Nate Webb online here:

Episode 49 of the How We Do Digital Ministry podcast features The Rt. Rev. Dr. Shannon MacVean-Brown, Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Vermont. Bishop Shannon and Charlotte Elia discuss praying with The Green Mountain Online Abbey, facilitating difficult conversations on Zoom, discerning the future of the church through loss, and using digital tools to make the wide world a bit more intimate.  

"As a church, I think we need to do some work around loss. What does it mean to let go of things? And that will also ultimately help us understand how we are going to be the church in the future." - The Rt. Rev. Dr. Shannon MacVean-Brown

Listen to the full episode as Bishop Shannon talks about these topics:

First Experiments in Digital Ministry [1:08]
Having Hard Conversations Through Zoom [5:31]
The Green Mountain Online Abbey [13:47]
Grieving Loss to Find the Future [24:18]
Experimentation and Collaboration [29:37]
Words of Encouragement [34:42]

You can find Bishop Shannon online here:

Episode 48 of the How We Do Digital Ministry podcast features The Rev. Dr. Karyn Wiseman, Professor of homiletics at United Lutheran Seminary and Lead Pastor at Gloria Dei Church in Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania. Karyn and Charlotte Elia discuss congregational vitality through entrepreneurial ministry, the importance of public witness, and the urgency of preaching in this moment.

"A church has to be permission givers, and church leadership have to be permission givers. So when somebody comes in and says, I have this great idea, it's like, go for it. It doesn't have to go to six committees. It doesn't have to be approved in the budget a year from now. It's go for it. We'll find the money and the resources. Let's do it. Let's try it. That's what I wanna see in the church. And I think those are the churches that are being successful right now. They've just been giving permission to these new ways to be church." - Rev. Dr. Karyn Wiseman

Listen to the full episode as Karyn talks about these topics:

Training Pastors for the Church That Will Be [0:50]
Importance of Public Ministry [5:54]
Congregational Vitality and Viability [11:16]
Being a Christian Without Being a Jerk [15:16]
Witnessing Online [19:51]
The Urgency of Preaching Now [24:04]
Listening While Challenging [32:56]

You can find Karyn online here:

Episode 47 of the How We Do Digital Ministry podcast features Rev. Dr. Rachel Kessler, Harcourt Parish Rector, Kenyon College Chaplain, and @nerdypriest on TikTok. Rachel and Charlotte Elia discuss the phenomenon of her TikTok popularity, the challenges of navigating negativity, and the perceived demands of being a female pastor online.

"It's fairly easy to block people, and it's fairly easy to know what is not going be productive engagement. I think what's a lot more challenging is when is it worth time to really invest in the energy in engaging with someone, trying to figure out whether they are a troll or not?" - Rev. Dr. Rachel Kessler

Listen to the full episode as Rachel talks about these topics:

(1:30) From Shrove Tuesday to 45K Followers
(5:08) Managing Time on Social Media (8:49)
NerdyPriest’s FYP
(13:53) Navigating Negativity
(29:48) Supporting Others on TikTok
(31:10) The Gift of Just Being Yourself

You can find Rachel online here:

Episode 46 of the How We Do Digital Ministry podcast features Tom Trenney, Minister of Music to First-Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln, Nebraska and Assistant Professor of Music and Conductor of Choirs at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Tom and Charlotte Elia discuss music ministry in the hybrid environment, the impact of the digital sphere on sacred song, and encouragement for our future together.

"It doesn't have to be perfect to be good, and it sure doesn't have to be perfect to be meaningful and heartfelt." - Tom Trenney

Listen to the full episode as Tom talks about these topics:

(0:54) Checking in with Church Musicians
(6:25) Affirmations from a Broader Reach
(10:54) Singing Apart and Singing Together
(20:09) Expanded Access to Sacred Music
(23:28) Recent Lessons for Musicians
(28:35) Encouragement for This Moment

You can find Tom online here:

Episode 45 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Dr. Heidi Campbell, Professor of Communication and an affiliate faculty in Religious Studies at Texas A&M University. Heidi and Charlotte Elia discuss reflecting on our identity to discern the path forward, moving from a transfer model to a transformative stage, and reassessing who and what we want to be as a church.

"The things I was most excited about in the early days of the pandemic, as well as now, are those that moved onto what I call the transformation stage, where they're saying, okay, we're not just going to broadcast what was on the offline version and we're not just gonna adapt it to the online culture and features, but we're really going to look at what is the nature of church and the nature of mission that we're called to, and then change, not just the content or the holder, but also the practice as well." - Dr. Heidi Campbell

Listen to the full episode as Dr. Heidi talks about these topics:

(4:00) Continued Adaptability
(9:58) From Transfer to Transformative
(13:54) Ubiquitous Digital Culture
(17:14) Inward vs. Outward Focus
(22:46) Reflecting on Identity

You can find Dr. Campbell online here:

• https://www.drheidicampbell.com
• https://www.techinchurches.org

Episode 44 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Rev. Solomon Missouri, pastor at Kyles Temple AME Zion Church in Durham, NC. Solomon and Charlotte Elia discuss Twitter as a mission field, finding and using your voice, challenging preconceptions of the faith, and cultivating the vulnerability that creates community and promotes engagements.

"I am intentionally using the tool of Twitter to foster community to look at how we intersect the ideas of faith and life, the things we are looking to accomplish as Christians. I am introducing the ideas of progressivism into faith to understand, and to make a place for, individuals who are trying to bridge both the politics and the practices of faith life." - Rev. Solomon Missouri

Listen to the full episode as Solomon talks about these topics:

(2:28) Finding Your Voice on Twitter
(6:57) Caring for Yourself on Twitter
(9:58) Challenging and Being Challenged
(13:19) Perception vs. Reality of Pastoring
(19:46) Using Twitter Threads
(21:24) Going Live on Twitter

You can find Rev. Missouri online here:

• https://twitter.com/solomonmissouri
• https://www.kylestempleamez.com
• https://linktr.ee/solomonM

Episode 43 of How We Do Digital Ministry features a classic HWDDM episode! This episode features Ryan Panzer, a leadership developer for digital culture and author of Grace and Gigabytes: Being Church in a Tech-Shaped Culture and The Holy and The Hybrid: Navigating the Church’s Digital Reformation. Ryan talks with Christopher Harris about going beyond using technology for just one-way communication, and starting to focus on conversation and collaboration.

"Churches should be thinking about, when it comes to using technology, not just how good we can build lots of shiny and flashy tools, but how we can convene conversations to bring communities together, to ask questions, to share stories, to articulate experiences of faith and how God has been acting in our lives in our world." - Ryan Panzer

Listen to the full episode as Ryan talks about these topics:

(5:58) faith.facebook.com
(11:30) Narratives that shape our faith
(15:24) 15-second clips
(18:32) 2 places to find God online
(20:33) Saint & sinner
(21:24) Is this sustainable?
(26:01) Recommended resource

Episode 42 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Ryan Panzer, author of “The Holy and The Hybrid: Navigating the Church’s Digital Reformation.” Ryan and Charlotte Elia discuss his new book, the values of digital culture, anxieties around attendance and feasibility, and strategies for creating and sustaining a hybrid ministry in a specific context.

“The digital age is perhaps best understood not through the apps and technologies that come and go, but through some of the prevailing themes and the values that you'll find within our culture. There's an increased desire to want to connect in many different ways, online and offline synchronously and asynchronously, to collaborate, to have experiences that are more conversational rather than consumption focused and to learn in ways that allow us to create and express the contours of our unique faith journeys rather than just to sit and listen.” - Ryan Panzer

Listen to the full episode as Ryan talks about these topics:

(1:06) This Hybrid Moment
(5:35) The Values of the Digital Culture
(7:31) Neighbors We Never See
(11:46) A Front Row Experience
(16:10) The Return That Didn’t Happen
(20:49) Thinking Through Your Hybrid Context

You can find Ryan Panzer online here:

Episode 41 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Rev. Bosco Peters, creator of Liturgy.co.nz. Rev. Peters and Charlotte Elia discuss the origins and future of his popular website, the need to make Christian spirituality more visible and accessible, and the experience of being a global phenomenon.

“One of the things I did was I only did everything from my laptop, so I didn't do things during the day from my phone. That sort of surprised some people that I wasn't doing things from my phone, but that was part of my personal discipline.” - Rev. Bosco Peters

Listen to the full episode as Rev. Bosco talks about these topics:

(0:36) How Liturgy.co.nz Started
(5:06) Structuring Time Online
(8:06) The Future of Liturgy.co.nz
(14:38) A Search for Christian Spirituality
(20:27) The Experience of Global Popularity
(24:14) Opportunities for the Future

You can find Rev. Bosco Peters online here:

Episode 40 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Minister Karen Downing, Executive Ministerial Assistant at Jerusalem Baptist Church in Temperanceville, VA. Minister Downing and Charlotte Elia discuss what it takes to make things happen behind the scenes, centering God in digital ministry, and the challenges of broadband access in rural communities.

“We wanted to be sure that God was at the center of the messages, that in the preaching and the teaching, that we were lifting up the scriptures that people would come to know and have a relationship.” - Minister Karen Downing

Listen to the full episode as Karen talks about these topics:

(2:05) The Media Ministry Team
(8:57) Daily Prayer and More by Teleconference
(11:52) Broadband Access as a Justice Issue
(25:17) Keeping God Centered Online

You can find Karen Downing online here:

Episode 39 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Chris Burton, co-creator and co-host of the Cross Streets podcast and the “Baddest Chaplain” on other social platforms. Chris and Charlotte Elia discuss the joys of spreading love online and the ways that digital tools can facilitate conversations around race, culture, and soul care.

“How is God calling me to be a part of the repair? I think that's the opportunity that we have right now. Every crisis births its opportunity, and I think this is the opportunity we have: How can we really confess the mess we've made and be a part of the repair?” - Chris Burton

Listen to the full episode as Chris talks about these topics:

(4:28) Telling Our Stories as Theology
(7:11) Co-Creating Digital Projects Digitally
(8:57) Witnessing to the Gospel on TikTok
(17:55) A Changing Church and Changing Careers
(21:59) God in Our Vulnerability and Honesty

You can find Chris Burton online here:

• www.baddestchaplain.com
• https://twitter.com/baddestchaplain
• https://www.instagram.com/baddestchaplain/
• https://www.tiktok.com/@baddestchaplain
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/290357335696541
• https://www.instagram.com/crossstreetspodcast/

Episode 38 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Reverend Beth Wyndham, founding Pastor of St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Bulverde, Texas. Rev. Beth and Charlotte Elia discuss the challenges and opportunities of planting a church moments before the pandemic, pairing old school ministry techniques with online tools, and empowering children to share their faith through digital ministry.

“Who knows who might be inspired online that may never come to a church, may never be part of our community, but might find something hopeful and something joyous and something loving in what has been presented.” - Rev. Beth Wyndham

Listen to the full episode as Rev. Beth talks about these topics:

(1:26) Planting a Church During the Pandemic
(8:41) Old School Tools Pairing with Digital Ministry
(12:32) Involving Children in Outreach Online
(23:42) Discerning the Way Forward
(30:39) Encouragement for the Future

You can find Beth Wyndham online here:

• https://stnickshillcountry.org
• https://www.facebook.com/stnickshillcountry
• https://www.instagram.com/stnickshillcountry/
• https://www.twitter.com/stnickshillctry
• revbeth@stnickshillcountry.org

Episode 37 of How We Do Digital Ministry features John Hamer, pastor at Centre Place, the downtown Toronto congregation of Community of Christ. During the pandemic, Pastor Hamer and his staff developed digital ministry resources that proved vital to their global denomination, and they have chosen to commit to this new leadership role rather than refocus on local gatherings. Pastor Hamer and Charlotte Elia discuss the challenges of global outreach, maintaining a full load of online offerings, and living into this new, digital-first calling.

"We're seeing a future that's going to be like a partnership where there are some pillar congregations that are content creators, and there are others that are doing fellowship locally together in person, and that can somehow make a hybrid experience that creates a kind of full fellowship and allows people to do a mission locally." - Pastor John Hamer

Listen to the full episode as Pastor John talks about these topics:

(3:31) A Fully Digital Ministry
(7:53) Cultivating Global Participation
(12:03) Growing a Congregation Online
(16:16) Online Music Ministry
(20:02) Challenges of Hybrid Ministry
(22:53) Online and Local Partnerships

Episode 36 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Pastor Brianna Heida, founder of Painted Prayers. Brianna and Charlotte Elia discuss the use of art to engage faith conversations, the potential of digital ministry to reach those excluded from other communities, and God’s hand in the Facebook algorithm.

"The majority of people we serve are either unable or unwilling to go to an actual church building. By opening the doors with creativity and community, we start to build relationships and make connections and help people see the truth of connecting with God..." - Pastor Brianna Heida

Listen to the full episode as Pastor Brianna talks about these topics:

(5:47) Engaging Faith Through Art
(13:27) The Digital Call to Prayer
(20:33) The Myth of Scarcity
(23:59) Building the Community You Want to Join

Episode 35 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Christopher Harris, Executive Director of Faith Growth, introducing a new host, Charlotte Elia, who turns the tables to interview Christopher. Listen as Christopher shares his perspective on the current challenges and opportunities faced by leaders co-creating the future of the church through digital ministry.

"This conversation around digital ministry is so important because it's both an opportunity to draw people in who haven't been engaged with the Church before and an opportunity to broaden, to experiment, with how the Christian life is shaped." - Charlotte Elia

Listen to the full episode as Christopher & Charlotte talk about these topics:

(8:49) Prioritizing Digital Ministry
(13:19) Digital Ministry as Evangelism
(21:37) Geography Doesn't Matter; Being Together Does
(28:19) Co-Creating Whatever is Next
(30:20) An Online Lifeline

Episode 34 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Christen Kinard, a communications and marketing professional walking alongside churches as a consultant and teacher for digital ministry. Christen and Christopher Harris discuss the many ways congregations are managing their digital presence, and how they can evolve with the changing ministry landscape.

"We got very comfortable with the doing of church, but it's not the doing of church that we're called to, it's the being of church. And I believe that what is happening right now is a deconstruction of the doing so we can focus on the being." - Christen Kinard

Listen to the full episode as Christen talks about these topics:

(4:36) Divine presence in the digital space
(10:30) Sustainable and manageable
(18:03) Two parts of a congregation
(24:45) Being church vs. Doing church

Episode 33 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Bishop Megan Rohrer, Bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod (ELCA). The first openly transgender Bishop in a major Christian denomination, Megan is an award winning filmmaker, musician and historian as well. Bishop Megan and Christopher Harris discuss ways to make digital ministry approachable and accessible to all.

"The more you're able to have a public presence, the more you're able to shine a light on the many different ways that it's possible to be faithful. And that, in and of itself, sort of changes the world." - Bishop Megan Rohrer

Listen to the full episode as Bishop Megan talks about these topics:

(4:33) Choose your Background
(5:55) Like a Children's Sermon"
(10:42) Approachable Content
(15:30) Different Ways to be Faithful
(19:04) What time is your online worship?

Episode 32 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Pastor Jennifer Shaw of St. John's Lutheran Church in Palm Desert, California. This episode is a Faith Growth client success story - Pastor Jen talks with Christopher Harris about how St. John's has further developed its digital ministries and how it has benefited from Faith Growth's guidance.

"Remember the mission and then when you're launching something new, keep in mind how this serves. And I do believe online is a mission field. A lot of people are on Facebook and YouTube and Instagram and Tik Tok and all those other places. So, if that's a mission field, how do we fulfill our mission?" - Pastor Jennifer Shaw

Listen to the full episode as Pastor Jen talks about these topics:

(3:50) Snowbirds
(6:51) Visioning
(17:55) Learning from Failures
(22:13) Unique Gifts

Episode 31 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Pastor Charlotte Elia, Commissioned Pastor of Holmes Presbyterian Church in Cheriton, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Pastor Charlotte and Christopher Harris talk about digital ministry within a small, rural church and all of the challenges and yes, even some advantages that entails.

"We're comparing ourselves to churches with multiple staff and multi-million dollar budgets ... what's authentic for our context? That's not our context, and that's not who we are, either. So what is it, how do we define that?" - Pastor Charlotte Elia

Listen to the full episode as Pastor Charlotte talks about these topics:

(1:20) Rural challenges
(8:36) Inside peoples' homes
(13:09) "Geek Squad"
(20:56) Staying virtual
(26:07) Advice for right now

Episode 30 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Rev. Jim Keat, Digital Minister at The Riverside Church in New York City and the Director of Online Innovation at the Convergence Network. He is also a Digital Consultant to various progressive faith agencies and organizations. Rev. Jim and Christopher Harris talk about what it means to be a digital minister at a large church, as well as how those practices can be applied to churches of any size.

"Digital ministry is not a vertical silo in the church. It's a horizontal slab that covers every single thing. What is the digital ministry of worship, of stewardship, of education, of pastoral care, of social justice? It can't stand separate from those, but it has to be embedded in all of those." - Rev. Jim Keat

Listen to the full episode as Rev. Jim talks about these topics:

(6:27) Real Connection
(9:21) Campfires and Conversations
(12:26) What is a digital minister?
(14:50) Social Networks and Content
(19:56) Getting to Know Online Congregants

Episode 29 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Rev. Kyle Oliver, an Episcopal priest and an EdD student in the Communications, Media, and Learning Technologies Design Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Rev. Kyle and Christopher Harris talk about apps, leadership in digital communities, failures and much more in this episode.

"The convening of faith formation really needs to be rallied around passion and energy. How are we taking the pulse of the people we serve and helping to identify what are people genuinely excited about, passionate about, fed by -  right now?" - Rev. Kyle Oliver

Listen to the full episode as Rev. Kyle talks about these topics:

(1:57) Thoughtful apps
(7:30) Digital Community Conveners
(15:50) Navigating the Tools
(23:17) Failure: digital badging

Episode 28 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Rev. Daniel Brereton, priest of St. John the Baptist Anglican Church (“St. John’s Dixie”) in Mississauga, Ontario. Rev. Daniel and Christopher Harris discuss Twitter ministry, setting boundaries and what the future of the church may look like.

"Digital ministry provides opportunities that you would never know are out there. There are people out there looking for you --  looking for exactly what you and your community offer  -- and digital ministry just allows you to put it out there for people to find you." - Rev. Daniel Brereton

Listen to the full episode as Rev. Daniel talks about these topics:

(2:02) Twitter ministry
(8:56) Bridges
(13:23) Worship trailers
(20:58) Boundaries
(28:04) Future of the Church

Episode 27 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Shamika Klassen, founder and head tech chaplain at the Tech Chaplaincy Institute, which serves mission-driven and social justice oriented organizations and leaders by sharing the fruits of the spirit to bring joy, peace, and hope with their technological experiences.

"We have had centuries worth of time to cultivate the practices, traditions, and ways of liturgy that we have used up until today. And we've only had a couple of decades, maybe, to incorporate technology into our liturgy." - Shamika Klassen

Listen to the full episode as Shamika talks about these topics:

(2:43) God in breakout rooms
(5:30) The opposite of virtual
(6:44) All things hybrid
(11:58) Church online vs. online church
(19:32) Buildings
(22:14) Future of faith

Episode 26 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Pastor Danielle Miller, senior pastor at Advent Lutheran Church in New York City, and director of Pinecrest Lutheran Leadership Ministries. Pastor Danielle talks with Christopher Harris about who digital ministry is for, why it is real and necessary, and the end of Christendom.

"We're called to be fundamentally who God has called us to be. We're not called to be social clubs. We're not called to be convenient, or nice, or comfortable for folks.

We're called to be people rooted and grounded in the gospel, which means love, which means justice, which means speaking hard truths in love." - Pastor Danielle Miller

Listen to the full episode as Pastor Danielle talks about these topics:

(3:11) Who this message is for
(14:43) Digital ministry is real
(20:19) Christendom’s end

Episode 25 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Father Cathie Caimano, an Episcopal priest also known as the Free Range Priest. She is dedicated to helping clergy and congregations navigate the 21st century church - and world - through Creative, Sustainable, and Digital Ministry.

"We are going into the wilderness, my friends, we are creating new communities. We are on fire with the love of God and how we are sharing it. And those first disciples? They had to figure it out, right? There was no blueprint. There was no church planting guideline. There were no denominational oversights.

They were people who were sharing the love of God with the technology that they had available to them at the time. And we are doing exactly the same thing." - Father Cathie Caimano

Listen to the full episode as Father Cathie talks about these topics:

(1:24) Online is like Outside
(4:36) Reimagining membership
(19:03) Use what you have
(21:41) How to reach people
(28:06) Two minutes of good news

Episode 24 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Julie Klock, who does Children & Family Faith Formation at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Northfield, Minnesota. Julie talks with Christopher Harris about reaching families and kids with authenticity and humility in the digital age.

"Just trust in the goodwill of the people to whom you're speaking. Don't don't feel like you have to be perfect. Don't feel like this is theater. Make it relational." - Julie Klock

Listen to the full episode as Julie talks about these topics:

(5:49) Digital children’s messages
(10:55) Generational parenting and faith
(15:35) A “fail”
(18:52) Over-scheduled kids’ faith solutions

Episode 23 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Ryan Panzer, a leadership developer for digital culture and author of Grace and Gigabytes: Being Church in a Tech-Shaped Culture. Ryan talks with Christopher Harris about going beyond using technology for just one-way communication, and starting to focus on conversation and collaboration.

"Churches should be thinking about, when it comes to using technology, not just how good we can build lots of shiny and flashy tools, but how we can convene conversations to bring communities together, to ask questions, to share stories, to articulate experiences of faith and how God has been acting in our lives in our world." - Ryan Panzer

Listen to the full episode as Ryan talks about these topics:

(4:58) faith.facebook.com
(10:30) Narratives that shape our faith
(14:24) 15-second clips
(16:21) 2 places to find God online
(18:22) Saint & sinner
(19:13) Is this sustainable?
(23:49) Recommended resource

Episode 22 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Sammy Kelly of Digivangelism, an organization whose mission is to help progressive leaders of spiritual communities reach people online with hope, healing, and light. Sammy talks with Christopher Harris about reaching people online, especially through social media, including “going viral,” failing, and everything in between.

"It's easy to try to make it about the church or the community at large, which it is, but people connect with people. And so when your staff shows up, when your leadership, your volunteers show up, when your pastor shows up online and shows their face and connects with people, there's something very valuable that happens. And I think real connection can form there." - Sammy Kelly

Listen to the full episode as Sammy talks about these topics:

(3:35) Where your people are
(7:04) Meeting God online
(9:50) Going online vs. Existing online
(13:45) Capitalizing on virality
(19:07) Failing and learning

Episode 21 of How We Do Digital Ministry features the Rev. Dr. Kathi Johnson, associate pastor at Zion Lutheran Church, San Antonio. Rev. Kathi holds a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching and launched Digital Gathering, an online ministry that is a place to explore spirituality through Scripture, prayer, and reflection. She talks with Christopher Harris about being hospitable in the online space and offers encouragement to those serving in this area of ministry.

"We live in a world that is in desperate need of hope. And that is something that we can offer. It doesn't have to be fancy, it just needs to be there and be present with people in their online lives." - Rev. Dr. Kathi Johnson

Listen to the full episode as Rev. Kathi talks about these topics:

(2:04) Online hospitality
(9:02) The car can be a chapel
(12:41) Online non-streamed services
(19:02) Hospitality hot tip
(29:15) Encouragement

Episode 20 of How We Do Digital Ministry features Pastor Bruce Reyes-Chow, an author, speaker, parent, consultant, coach, podcaster, and pastor. He speaks and writes on issues of faith, technology, race, parenting, and church culture and is pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto, California. Bruce dishes some fantastic practical advice and talks with Christopher Harris about using technology in more than just the worship space.

"I've been really pushing on folks to think thoughtfully about what kind of online presence they can offer so that they can do it well. … And I think many of our congregations feel like it's a survival strategy versus an expression of the gospel strategy." - Pastor Bruce Reyes-Chow

Listen to the full episode as Pastor Bruce talks about these topics:

(5:47) Hybrid church
(10:28) Digital Storyteller
(15:41) Top expert tips for digital ministry
(20:07) The case for Zoom worship
(22:11) How to NOT center everything on one experience
(28:46) Best tools

In episode 19 of How We Do Digital Ministry, the Rev. David Hansen, pastor of Spirit of Joy! Lutheran church in The Woodlands, Texas, talks with Christopher Harris about his hope for the church to become healthier, clearer about who we are and about how the power of gospel transforms communities and individuals.

"Online worship gives us the opportunity for people to have this window into the in-person experience and into the heart of our congregation and how we proclaim the gospel. How do we take what we were doing for the year of the pandemic and integrate it with who we want to be?" - Pastor David Hansen

Listen to the full episode as Rev. David talks about these topics:

(4:56) Relationships
(6:07) Being welcoming without being overwhelming
(11:06) Online boundaries
(12:15) Relationships online and in person
(24:57) Sustainable tactics

You can find Rev. David and link to all his various media via his site, https://digitalpastor.org/

In episode 18 of How We Do Digital Ministry, the Rev. Tim Schenck, rector of The Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist in Hingham, MA, talks with Christopher Harris about the communal journey in digital ministry over the past year plus, and what could be up next.

"Parishioners during this time were particularly forgiving, which helps. I hope that they keep some of that too. It was very easy to shut the doors, at one level. It's a lot harder and more challenging to open them." - Rev. Tim Schenck

Listen to the full episode as Rev. Tim talks about these topics:

(4:30) Connecting with a virtual audience
(10:11) Spirit of innovation
(12:36) Communal journey: Be Faithful and Be Flexible
(14:22) Vessel broken open
(19:56) Crowdsourced pastoral care

You can find Rev. Tim via:

In episode 17 of How We Do Digital Ministry, Robin McCants, Assistant to the Bishop for Advocacy and Urban Ministry at the Southeast Michigan Synod of the ELCA, talks with Christopher Harris about how digital ministry provides evidence of God’s presence in our lives, outside of the church building.

"We talk a lot about church as this thing we have to go to ... we have to be inside this building in order to meet God or to learn about the path that Jesus has put us on. (But) God was showing up and showing out while we were in our homes... it didn't matter where we were. God was present." - Robin McCants

Listen to the full episode as Robin talks about these topics:

(2:00) Options for those with limited accessibility
(7:44) God is present
(10:27) Moving forward together
(17:43) The value of a team

You can find Robin via:

In episode 16 of How We Do Digital Ministry, Rev. Veronika Travis, shared rector of St. Martin’s Church, Radnor and Christ Church, Ithan (Pa.), talks with Christopher Harris about how digital ministry can extend the boundaries of the church in our everyday lives.

"Getting into people's daily lives (via digital ministry) is how I think we invite them into connection with God. Getting to where they are rather than trying to get them to come to us." - Rev. Veronika Travis

Listen to the full episode as Rev. Veronika talks about these topics:

(3:43) Creating hospitality online
(8:07) Connecting people back in
(16:14) Extending boundaries of church in summer
(23:15) One tool that helps

You can find Rev. Veronika Travis via:

In the episode 15 of How We Do Digital Ministry, Swen Swenson, Cross+Generational Director at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, Minnesota, shares about how his church has connected with children and families online, with innovation and flexibility.

"Every week we had a child submit a prayer that went along with our theme. And then every once in a while, I tossed the prayer and I got out there (online). ‘Cause you never know where the internet waves are gonna land it into somebody’s soul or spirit." - Swen Swenson

Listen to the full episode as Swen Swenson talks about these topics:

(2:11) 4th/5th Leadership
(5:15) Parent Producers
(10:05) Facebook vs. YouTube
(11:39) Service Length
(12:54) Learnings
(23:04) Nuggets
(27:18) Online Service Host

In the episode 14 of How We Do Digital Ministry, José Aenlle, creative director at Spirit of Joy church in Orlando, Florida, talks tech - lots of tech - with Christopher Harris of Faith Growth. José’s extensive background in audio, music and digital production offers a plethora of tips and recommendations - get ready to take some notes!

"The camera is very special to us because we use it for more than just streaming. We use it to connect with a wider audience. For example, we get so many kids that continue to watch VBS even after our VBS week is over through the videos." - José Aenlle

Listen to the full episode as José Aenlle discusses these topics:

2:22 Digital Ministry through comedy
4:38 God is present in digital
7:51 Equipment - editing, camera, lighting
15:10 Local resource tip
17:22 The Don'ts of digital worship production
23:32 Mixing software recommendation
26:26 VBS vlogs

In episode 13 of How We Do Digital Ministry, Rev. Brenda Bos, Assistant to the Bishop for Rostered Leadership and soon to be Bishop of the Southwestern California Synod of the ELCA, discusses digital ministry at the Synod level and brings television production background (and advice!) into the conversation with Christopher Harris of Faith Growth.

"God did not bring COVID to stir up churches, but this is a side benefit. So let's do something about it. The best version of the church going forward will have a digital presence. And that is a gift as opposed to a burden." - Rev. Brenda Bos

Listen to the full episode as Rev. Brenda Bos discusses these topics:

(0:52) Digital Leadership from the Synod level
(3:54) Democratization of technology
(14:12) Finding out what matters most
(16:14) Camera and Sound
(20:48) Video 101
(22:37) A gift, not a burden

In the twelfth episode of How We Do Digital Ministry, Pastor Ernie Hinojosa, senior pastor of Rejoice Lutheran Church in Coppell, Texas, talks about the intersection of change, loss, grief and technology with Christopher Harris of Faith Growth.

"We're being challenged to orient and to innovate at a time when a lot of us don't have a lot of juice in the tank. We're already kind of tired. And you don't want to be tired when you're birthing something new." - Pastor Ernie Hinojosa

Listen to the full episode as Rev. Dr. Ernie Hinojosa discusses these topics:

(5:16) Connecting in meaningful ways with non-local people
(8:36) Change, loss and grief
(11:24) Which things to let go
(15:27) No one is 100 percent
(17:31) Hope when days are a 3 on a scale of 10
(22:11) Technology kit

In the eleventh episode of How We Do Digital Ministry, Rev. Dr. Joelle Colville-Hanson, the ELCA director for Evangelical Mission for the Northeastern Iowa Synod, is one of the “early adopters” of digital ministry and shares with us what digital ministry was like early on, and what it is like now and into the future.

"Now, the time has come to start to have a strategy. And that starts with your mission statement. That starts with knowing your community, knowing, Who are you reaching? Who do you want to reach?" - Rev. Dr. Joelle Colville-Hanson

Listen to the full episode as Rev. Dr. Joelle Colville-Hanson discusses these topics:

(2:21) Early Entry to Digital Ministry
(6:18) Technology accommodating different worship preferences
(9:04) What is the toll on our clergy?
(14:10) Do online services need to look professional?
(15:56) Leadership shortage
(20:45) Advice on moving forward
(22:59) "Theology of the selfie"

In the tenth episode of How We Do Digital Ministry, Paul Schmidt, owner and Creative Video Strategist of Uno Duece Media in Lansing, Michigan, dishes out a bit of expert advice on video production.

"Try to get used to being on camera and addressing the camera appropriately -- it will carry over because this situation is not going to stop and you don't want to lose that momentum that you have built." - Paul Schmidt

Listen to the full episode as Paul and Christopher discuss these topics:

2:04 Pandemic Surprise
5:29 Don't Lose Momentum
9:41 Media Team
12:06 Same Message, New Medium
14:47 Don't Stop Here

In the ninth episode of How We Do Digital Ministry, Pastor Richard Hong, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Englewood, outside NYC, covers many timely topics with Christopher Harris, including church attendance, mission work and data-based decision making.

"One of the models that I like to think about is watching a baseball game, in the stadium or at home on TV. They’re two very different ways of experiencing the same event at the same time. One of the questions is, what is the optimal in-person experience, what is the optimal online experience?" - Pastor Richard Hong

Listen to the full episode as Pastor Richard discusses these topics:

(2:26) What was learned from COVID times
(3:22) Two deficient areas
(5:56) Why church is like a baseball game
(9:31) Fluidity between online and in-person attendance
(11:57) Collaborative interests
(13:37) Driving mission work
(17:01) Churches as community hubs
(18:35) Boutique churches
(19:35) Church plants
(22:41) Data-based decisions

Visit @FPCEnglewood on Facebook or Instagram to connect with Pastor Richard.

In the eighth episode of How We Do Digital Ministry, Pastor Angela Shannon, pastor of All Saints Lutheran Church in Bowie, Maryland, talks with Christopher Harris about digital community, change and how we’re not going back to the way things were pre-pandemic.

"We're going to have to figure out how to engage everybody in this new reality. And it's not just, 'Let's go out and get some people.' But it's, 'How do we engage everyone?'" - Angela Shannon

Listen to the full episode as Pastor Angela discusses these topics:

(6:55) Today’s version of knocking on doors

(10:04) What is digital community?

(15:16) Online Spaces

(18:59) Change

(21:50) We're not going back

In the seventh episode of How We Do Digital Ministry, the Rev. Dr. Erin Cox-Holmes, Executive Presbyter of the Donegal Presbytery in Pennsylvania, talks with Christopher Harris about her specialty, film and art in preaching, and about experiences faced in the past year and a half of pandemic times.

“That incredible resilience in the middle of exhaustion and having to suddenly acquire a mass of skills that (pastors) had never had to have before is a real sign of the Holy Spirit, just moving and nudging and keeping the Word going forward.”

Listen to the full episode as Rev. Dr. Erin discusses current issues facing preachers in these transitional times, options for worship, some considerations for the future and one great piece of advice for pastors to take today!

(1:54) Inserting Film Clips into Sermons
(12:35) Seeing God Online
(15:29) How Churches are Proceeding Now
(17:25) Copyright Considerations
(21:50) What Pastors Need Right Now
(26:45) Best Advice to Pastors

In the sixth episode of How We Do Digital Ministry, Pastor Paul Amlin of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Dubuque, Iowa shares news ideas and examples of how digital ministry “tries” have been received in his congregation and beyond.

“We have to be willing to say, ‘our expectations for people can’t necessarily be that everybody is going to follow our rubric’ and be there on Sunday morning at whatever time … how do we nurture the gift of faith in people, and continue to engage people throughout the week, where they are.”

Listen to the full episode as Pastor Paul talks about trying new things, shares how authentic community online can be (and needs to be) nurtured, and dreams up possibilities for the future. Prepare to be inspired!

(2:24) Helping other Congregations
(4:39) Best Lessons Learned
(9:05) Authentic Digital Community
(10:54) Digital Ambassadors
(11:37) A New Pentecost
(15:36) Future of the Church
(19:16) Collective Learning and Resource Sharing

In the fifth episode of How We Do Digital Ministry, Pastor Wesley Menke from Grace Lutheran in Upland, California, talks through a few ways he and his team have made digital ministry easier for themselves and dreams up a better structure for the church and social media.

“I don’t know that the church is called to be a central structure for the Internet, but we can at least be a place that provides structure and a way of interacting online that is compassionate and caring and available to all.”

Listen to the full episode to hear as Pr Wesley discusses his last year in ministry, connecting with text messages, an idea for the intersection of church and social media, and more.

• (4:48) Volunteers
• (9:21) Streamlining Prayer Requests
• (14:18) Church Social Network
• (20:03) Being Online In Two Languages
• (22:14) Teaching Tech Skills At The Church

In the fourth episode of How We Do Digital Ministry, Dawn Trautman from Big Picture Big Purpose addresses a common misconception with online worship and provides actionable tips and strategies to optimize the viewer experience.

“The key with all digital ministry is not to have a lesser version of what’s happening live but to leverage what can only be done online.”