DIGITAL EVANGELISM (DIGITAL MEDIA AND THE CHURCH IN THE 21ST CENTURY): DEACON BOLAJI ADEOLA, AYC 2020

RCCG NATIONAL YOUNG ADULT AND YOUTH AFFAIRS (YAYA) VIRTUAL CONVENTION 2020.

THEME: THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR

MINISTERING: DEACON BOLAJI ADEOLA (PASTOR, LIVING SEED CHURCH, OMOLE LAGOS STATE NIGERIA)

TOPIC (DAY 2 MORNING SESSION TALK 2): DIGITAL EVANGELISM (DIGITAL MEDIA AND THE CHURCH IN THE 21ST CENTURY).

DATE: 29TH SEPTEMBER, 2020.

Thank You for joining us once again and it has been an amazing Session in the Presence of God during the RCCG Youth Convention 2020.

And now, we will be talking about: “DIGITAL MEDIA AND THE CHURCH IN THE 21ST CENTURY”.

And really, it is a Topic that is very important for us to discuss about at this Point in time because the Church and the world at large is going through the “Biggest Communication Shift” that is going on in the world that has ever happened in the History of Mankind; is happening now!

Usually, we used to have People come to a Physical Gathering, People come as one to have Meetings, to Study, to have Official or Unofficial duties.

But now, we are in a fix, we are in a Position whereby the whole world has to come into a Smaller Environment but in a more Global Audience.

And that is why we are talking about: “DIGITAL MEDIA” today.

But let us Pray!

OPENING PRAYER

Our Heavenly Father: King of Glory; our El Shaddai – We worship You because You are Good.

We Thank You because of this moment; we Thank You even for the opportunity even to be able to gather here at this time.

We Thank You for the Life of everyone that is watching us right now or reading on the Label of DMC. We Thank You for all the Youths around the world at large.

Your Name shall be exalted now and forever more in Jesus Name.

My God, as we go into Your Words that You have for us today – Oh God, let it be Zero Percent (0%) of the flesh and one hundred Percent (100%) of the Spirit in the Name of Jesus.

I will not talk from the Position of a “Man of God” but I will talk from the Position of “A Man Helped by God”.

Thank You Lord for answering our Prayers.

For in Jesus Name we Pray – Amen!

Like I said earlier on, the Previous Generation, they grew up in the Church.

Everybody grew up in the four (4) Corners of the Church, Offices and we are trained to have Set Ups where someone Stand and People regardless of the Social Distance.

But now, we have come into a realm where: From the comfort of my room, from the comfort of my office, from the comfort of wherever I am; I can reach millions of People across the world without any barrier, without any issue, without any Problem because the world has been compartmentalized into something smaller than what we had before.

Also listen to the audio here: Digital Evangelism – Deacon Adeola Bolaji

So, what is the Role of the Church in this time that we are facing?

How does the Church fit into what we have now?

The Church can fit into every facets and every departments of what is going on now.

I call it departments because I take the world as a company, I take the world as an Office.

So, when we have an Office, the Church can fit into every departments, the Church can into every Strata of what we have right here now.

What is the Most important thing that we should understand as a Church and as a People is that: You cannot excel with Social Media or Digital Media without the Help of the Holy Spirit.

… You think that: I can excel, I can just go on Posting Things Online; I can say Things that I want to say; I can do whatever I want to do; but without the Help of the Holy Spirit, you cannot excel in these Places that we want to be into if we do not come into the realm that we understand.

The Rule of Social Media now, the Greatest Commission in the Bible in Matthew 28:19 – The Greatest Commission there that Jesus Christ said: Go ye therefore into the world and teach all Nations; baptizing them in the Name of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

God has given us the empowerment to go into all the Nations.

And how do you want to go into all the Nations – Even those that have Private Jets, all those that have all the resources and the amenities; it is still difficult sometimes because there are some Regions that you cannot get into if you are of certain Religion; there are some certain Regions you cannot get to because they are so remote.

How do we get to those Uttermost Parts of the Earth?

The only way you can get into the Uttermost Part of the Earth right now as the case may be with respect to the Level of Technology that is available is by the use of “Data Communication”.

And “Data Communications” whether you like it or not is something like I said earlier on that everybody regardless of the Industry of where you find yourself, everybody has to delve into.

And we have to understand the Peculiarity of the Places that we are going into.

So as a Church, as a Youth Body, as whatever Religious Body that with respect to Christians that we are; how do we now harness the Places? How do we harness the Platform that are available for us?

So, I take for instance: The Social Media.

Social Media is the biggest Platform that is available on Digital for us to actualised all our Goals as Christians, for us to do things that we want to do.

The Greatest Commission that He gave to us is that we should go ye into the world and baptise People in the Name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

From the comfort of your Sitting Room; a Pastor can reach via Phone calls, via chats, via anything; can reach out to somebody regardless of wherever they are, regardless of wherever they are, regardless of the corner they find themselves in the world.

And the sad thing that we have now is that so many Churches, so many Social Media Managers, so many Head of Department in respect to Social Media in Churches are going about it the wrong way.

We have turned our Social Media Platforms to just “Dumping Ground” – Where we just Post Pictures, where we just Post Videos, where we just dump all sorts of things without any concrete intent behind it.

So why am I Posting a video? Why am i Posting a Picture? Why am I Posting this Sound? Why am I this?

Is it because I just want People to see that I’m there? Or there is it because there is an understanding that you are having out there and that there must be a conversation?

It is just like in a Marketing where you have a Marketing Funnel and you know that this thing must convert to money or sales.

It is the same way we should take Social Media because Social Media is just like Marketing – We are like reaching out to People is just like Marketing.

If People cannot buy Jesus from you, if you cannot sell Jesus effectively; then the Salvation is free but you have to be able to sell it well to People.

And it goes beyond just meeting People and saying: “Oh, accept Jesus today”.

Yes, there is a Place for that one, but there is another level where you can get to where the way you Present Jesus to them will make them feel that this Jesus is very important.

So, bringing it down to Social Media, yes it is understandable that you want to Post the activities about your Church, you want to Post activities about the things that you are doing

You want to tell the People about what you are doing but how is that converting to Souls?

How are you winning Souls? How are you reaching People for Christ? How are you bringing more People into the kingdom?

There should be a Strategy that should be in Place:

1. Number One (1) Strategy is the Stop Scroll Strategy.

What is Stop Scroll Strategy?

It means that when someone goes through his or her own timeline; he or she should be able to stop and look at what you are Posting.

The content you are Posting must be as engaging as Possible.

It should not just be a random Pictures around the Church.

How is the Caption? Is it Provocation?

Is it making People to talk? Is it making People to ask Questions about what these Picture with respect to my Church is all about?

Also we should avoid repeating because repeat equals defeat on Social Media.

When you keep repeating things; the Algorithm that has been set in Motion and in Place by most of these Social Media Companies already inhibits what we are doing because the Software will see it as something that is just coming up again that there is not something New – So, we just keep Pushing it down.

That is why you realised that there are so many Churches regardless of numbers of followers, regardless of the number of Likes, regardless of the number of connections that they have on Social Media; you will still realised that they have two (2) or three (3) Likes or maximum ten (10) Likes.

Why? – Because the Algorithm has been put in such a way that if it is the same thing you are Posting over and over again and it is very Predictable, the Algorithm just hides it and makes other People’s own visible.

And like I said earlier on, you must be able to engage People on Social Media

The Bible says: One shall chase one (1) thousand (1000), two (2) shall chase ten thousand (10,000)

So, if you as the Social Media Manager of a Church has Probably a thousand (1,000) Followers on your Social Media account.

If another Member is resharing what you are doing; it Biblical already – The fan base of the People that Like the Page; or the People that are Following the Page also see it and there is a “Multiplication Factor” of ten (10) – And it is very realistic.

But if People are even scared, if People are ashamed to share what you are talking about or doing; then there is already a Problem as well.

Then you should also Provoke Spiritual Practice on your Social Media Page.

Like I said earlier on; it should not be that on Monday; I’m Posting about this; Tuesday, Digging Deep and the next time I will Post; I’m Posting awareness for Thursday Faith Clinic again.

The next time you are Posting; Come to our Church on Sunday.

How are you meeting People on your Social Media Platforms?

Even God spoke in Exodus – He spoke about the fact that there is a Place whereby you meet Him above the Cherubim and above the Mercy Seat and those things.

So, there is a Place whereby you can meet People as well on Social Media; where you can attend to their Needs.

People may not even need to come to your Church, but everything that there need to be known is there on your Digital Media Platforms.

And you must have an End to End Solutions, an End to End Process and an End to End Systems that can convert Non Believer to a Believer, and even a Member of your department in Church without coming to Church.

How will you do these things?

For instance: You are very active on Instagram or Facebook and the Person says: God bless you. Or your Monday Motivation says: Something at random and that thing Provokes engagement on the Church Page, it is now in your own Place to come and say: Okay, this Person, this question that you are asking; this thing that you are saying: How can I move further?

So, by the time you are engaging with the Person – You are asking the Person: Okay, how can we be of help? What is going on with you? What is going on in your life?

You have not even tell the Person to come to your Church on Sunday

Why? – Because I cannot just meet someone today on the Street and say come to my house on Sunday; I will see you and tell you everything about me.

No, but there and there on the Social Media Platform; you must be able to engage the Person effectively.

So, while you go on that Platform or Facebook or Instagram whatsoever and you Post that thing there; the Person says: Okay, I want to know more about you.

You will give the Person more information there, you keep the Person there and if it’s the information that cannot stay on Social Media Platform, then it should be information that should be information that should be available on your Website.

So, you drop your link there and so it takes the Person directly to what he or she wants to see or what he or she wants to know.

Everything that is Pertaining to your Church should be replicated on your Church Website or your Church Social Media Page as well.

It should not be a case where people will start asking you: Where is the address of your Church?

The address of your Church should already be in your Bio, it should be in your know “About Us”,

… All these things are already there for us.

And also, we must understand the Peculiarity of each Social Media Platforms – What you Post on Facebook cannot be what you will Post on LinkedIn and cannot be what you Post on Twitter.

Even Apostle Paul said something in 1 Corinthians 9:20-22 – He said to the Jews: I became a Jew, to those that were under the Law I became under the Law even if I myself is not under the Law.

So, you have on Twitter where you have a lot of People, as Youths will say: “Gba’s”; “GBO’s” – They want to give you back to back like that.

You must be able to understand the language that People are speaking Per time.

You must be able to understand that: Ha, this Place has a Particular kind of understanding People have when it comes to this Social Media Channel.

So, I cannot go on Monday morning and go and be Posting on LinkedIn that: Oh, come to my Church on Sunday.

You won’t come on a Monday morning and hit on Professionals – People that are in the business world, People that are Career People.

So, you must understand the Peculiarity of each Channel.

If I’m going to be Posting on LinkedIn for instance about my Church; I will be Posting for instance Job opportunities.

If I’m going to Post things on Twitter; you should look at what is trending today and be able to adapt that as the Strategy of your Evangelism, or as your Strategy of Winning Souls to God.

Also like I said about the Greatest Commission, so that the Greatest Commission will not become the Greatest Omission of our life.

We as Young People, we as Pastors, we as Church we must be able and we must consciously be able to adapt everything that we are doing to an audience that is Virtual.

I guarantee you that when you have one hundred (100) Members in your Church or two hundred (200) Members; there is a multiplying effect of them that can be your Member on Social Media Channel.

There is this amplifying effects that a Proper Social Media Strategy does for a Church because you realised that there are so many People this kind of Message you are Preaching – There are some People who are out of the Country where you are might even be attending their own Church Service but because of the disparity in the time Zone; you have somebody in Canada that also goes to Church on Sunday but he loves your Message, he loves the way your Church Ambient is, he loves the way you do things in your Church – So definitely Provided your contents are Good.

It is not when you are Streaming, everything including Audio is Poor. The Person now becomes your Virtual Member and the Person feels like I’m Part of the family of this Church wherever I am.

And we must also understand that everything that we do on Social Media should be done with utmost Precision as well.

We should not say because it is Social Media, it has now become a dumping ground.

No; there are so many Churches that I have attended that when I see them on Social Media; the Church looks like Heaven already but when you get to the Church; you are like: “So, this is the way you guys are?”

Because there is this level of Packaging they have put into it on their Social Media Platform that you will even enjoy Particularly on their Social Media than even be there in the Live Services because there is this intentionality that they have put into it.

And that is what we as Christians, we as children of God should also set the Bar, set the Standards.

We all watch the English Premiership, we watch the Champion’s League, we watch Award Shows – We watch all of these things; why can’t we allow our own Live Streaming to maintain these Standards as well.

Yes, these things are expensive, these things are Capital Intensive, they consume a lot of equipments and data and all of these things but there is a way you can start and Progressively improve on what you have.

For instance, you want to set up Live Streaming in your Church, it is not compulsory you get all the HD Cameras and all the Mixers and all those Fix Stuffs. You can start with a Proper Phone and with a Proper Settings, the Proper Arrangements and Proper Sound and Lightning; you will get at least you can get an HD or SD Streaming.

These things are readily available on YouTube – And very easy and straight to the Point,

You can use a Normal Phone – An Android or iPhone and just download all these Apps that are User friendly and does not involve all of these Technicalities for you to Proceed with your HD Live Streaming as the case may be.

So many Pastors, so many Social Media Leaders or Heads, feel that: Oh, for me to achieve this level, I must break the bank.

Yes, there is a level to achieve to break the bank but there is also a level that you can start with that you don’t have to break the bank for when it comes to Social Media.

There are some things that you can do with your “Ordinary Cam Holder” that when People see outside with Proper Lightning, People will be amazed at the level of Professionalism that you have put into it.

And if you are a Person that don’t even have a Church yet but you are looking at Digital Evangelism; you are looking at Social Media Evangelism; God has created the Greatest Light for us – God gave us the Greatest Light, infact the Greatest Equipment.

… Everything has been Provided by God.

You will understand that: Oh, if I’m in the house I must not sit down backing the Sun – God has Provided the Sun there as the Most important form of Light.

So, when I face the Sun already; it already gives me that kind of ambience that I already want instead of going to look for a Canoe flow Light or Parkers or whatever.

… Yes, that level you will get there!

But when you start in God and you look inside of you; you will find all of the things that you want there and then you will achieve your Social Media Objectives.

Deacon Bolaji Adeola

Oh, you will say: I don’t want my face to look burnt I just want my face to look cool; then look for a very quiet Garden – Go under the tree, you will get that field, even that amazing effect that you want on your Video.

You can try it out if you think that it is something that is so far fetched.

But they are basic – Very simple things you can do.

Also you run a Broadcast, you run Audio Live Streaming – Yes, there is a level you get to when you get your Sound Card and all of these things. But there is a level you can start with your basic Phone and you put your Phone down in a quite environment go inside your wardrobe that has clothes – The clothes there will absorb the Sound that is coming in.

And you will say whatever you want to say, you will go Live, do whatever you want to do there and there without the effect of noise.

And there are Apps that you can download that are Noise Cancellers – A lot of Apps free of charge that can cancel noise. You need to take out all of these things.

And from then, that is where you start Progressing.

The Bible says: The Part of the Righteous will get Brighter and Brighter until the Perfect Day.

.. So until you get that Perfect Day, there will always be improvement.

When you look at the best Church today and you say: Their Media is so on Point, their Media is Top Notch; but there are some People in the Church, in the Media Department that will be saying: Oh Pastor, we need to get these Equipments. But you outside, you are saying this Church media is very Perfect.

You must have to understand that the Part where you have to keep working, keep striving but you have to take things not at your own Pace but at the Pace of God.

Also we need to understand that you cannot do Social Media alone – When it comes to Social Media and Digital Media and Evangelism; you cannot do it alone regardless of how much you feel you have, the expertise, regardless of all the knowledge or whatever the case may be. You need People to actualize some of the Goals that you are trying to achieve with respect to your Social Media.

You need Graphic Designers, you need Photographers, you need Video Editors, you need Content Writers, you need Directors – You need all of these things.

But the sweetest thing about all of these People is that within that sphere of the small Church, within the sphere of your family you can get them.

How? – Your Photographer can just be your sister that can just handle your Phone and you show her how to take Pictures well with your Android Phone

Your Cinematographer might just be your brother that you buy a Tripod for and you say put this Phone on the tripod and this is the way it should go.

Your Sound Engineer might just be your cousin that you say: Take this Phone and download this App for the Noise Canceller.

.. And all of these and before you know what is happening; you develop all of these People.

I will give you a short story: I for once never study anything in respect to Media or Computer Science – I studied Biochemistry in my First Degree.

But I realised that there is a Need in my Church back home for Media and we started then with our basic “Easy Worship” and all of these things.

But at some Point, I felt that we need to improve, we needed to get things done; so I started researching Online.

I found New Softwares that we could use.

When all of those were done; People in Church were saying: Oh, this is nice, Media Department is doing well.

And we moved on and continue trying to look for ways by which we could improve the Media Department and while I was doing that I didn’t know I was training myself – I was learning. And all the knowledge I was getting to help the Church, to have the Media Department that was so on Point was also being embedded in me .

All those knowledge and the wisdom, they became the bedrock of what I will start my own Media Journey by and with.

So, I want to encourage somebody there: You might feel that you don’t have all the equipments yet, you might feel these things are too expensive but regardless of what you have, no matter how small that equipment is – Start Small; no matter how big that equipment is – Start Small also.

You might think like and say: Pastor, you don’t have the Likes and the Followership on Social Media; but I tell you that the day you have the Likes; the day you have that thousands of People that are Following you; those things that you Posted the day that you have two (2) People Liking your Pictures, People will still come back to it and look at it.

You have to understand that the things that you do in the days of “Little Beginning”, the things that you sow when you started that Social Media Page – Those Pictures that were looking so Old, those Pictures that were looking so Unprofessional that you Posted then; People will still come back and make reference to it.

And those things now become Part of the content for ten (10) Years time.

So for instance; you want to Participate in Throwback Challenge; you will go back to those Pictures that you posted five (5) Years ago.

And even the Good things is that Facebook will remind you – Facebook will bring back that Picture and it will now become content and still will become Part of your Testimonies.

… And you will say: God Thank You for how far You have brought us because you might have changed Phones, you might changed Systems, you might have changed whatever as the case may be.

So, the Algorithms now bring those ones back for you – So you have to understand that you must Start Small.

And as I close you might have felt that you have wasted times with respect to your Social/Digital Media Goals, you felt that these things that I’m doing is a waste of time.

Or you felt that Pastor I have wasted five (5) Years in Digital Media Department, I have wasted two (2) Years in Digital Media Department but there is an Institute in Heaven that is able to bring back all of the Years that you have wasted.

That institute is called the “Institute of Restoration.

He said: I have restored all the years that the locust, cankerworm and the caterpillar has eaten.

So, Probably you have wasted money, you have done Posters and there are no results; God is saying He will restore all those years back in the Name of Jesus – Amen.

Let us Pray!

CLOSING PRAYER

And so our Heavenly Father in Heaven; we Thank You and Worship You because you are God.

We Thank You for this time out with Your children; we Thank You for this time out with Your People.

We Thank You for the fact that they are determined what their Goals will be with respect and in alignment to the kingdom in the name of Jesus.

We Pray that at the end of the day, we will not do all of these things on Digital Media unto ourselves but everything that we will do will be done unto You in the Name of Jesus.

Thank You Lord for answering our Prayers.

For in Jesus Name we Pray – Amen!!!

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