In today’s blog post, we are discussing the difference between church ministry and online ministry. I would like to share with you, from my personal experience, the pros and cons of each. It’s been a few years since I’ve been involved in online ministry, and I’ll briefly tell you how it happened.
I was involved, yes, in church ministry for most of my life, where I was actively used and invited to share the Word because I always had a desire to share what God gave me. What I had didn’t seem much to some. I did not have the gift of preaching long or impressive sermons. But even if what I had was small, even if it was only one talent I had received, I knew it still had value. For that reason, I knew I needed to share it.
Even though I was often invited to share God’s Word in that ministry, there were times when I received messages that I could not share with the audience present. I began to wonder, “Who am I supposed to share this with?” Yes, I could perhaps share it with one person there, but then I started asking myself, “Is that all?” Should I share it only with that one person? Of course, there are messages from God that are meant to be shared personally with someone, but I believed that what I had received had to be shared.
So that led me to take the step that prompted me to get involved in online ministry, and I started writing blog posts; later, I also started making videos, with the desire to share what God gave me. That was what I personally felt I had to do, and as time went by, I got better and learned new things. Even though it was something personal, later on, I also shared it with the pastor I had at that time.
I would compare online ministry to the personal calling someone has received from God about what they need to do, something God has placed in their heart. At times, it might be a ministry that is not directly connected to the church. I believe we always have God’s calling to share His Word, in season and out of season.
When you encounter someone, such as your neighbor or a colleague, you still participate in Jesus' Great Commission and are called to share the Word of God with them. You don’t necessarily need to be involved in a church ministry or hold a specific position in a church to do so. That’s a universal calling given by God to all believers. You may belong to a church, but what you do at that moment is something personal. You share the Word of God with that person. You may not be together with another believer, as when Jesus sent His disciples two by two, but you are still commissioned by Him to share His Word with that person because they need it.
This situation could be compared to online ministry. It’s something personal that someone does. Yes, you may let other believers know what you’re doing because you are still part of the body of Christ. This is how I see online ministry. When I began being involved in that, I just thought that what I had received had to be shared.
But if you ask me which one is according to God’s perfect vision and plan, I mean, according to how He sees ministry and which is the best way to do it, I think that it is the church ministry. Of course, God’s vision also includes our personal ministry, but if you ask me which is more spiritually satisfying for me, I would say church ministry. God has established for us believers to function as a body. Maybe the key to enriching your personal ministry (I mean your online ministry or any other personal ministry you do by yourself) is to involve other believers in it.
Even though not all of us may be given the opportunity to be involved in a local church ministry, we still need to have the desire to serve and to serve according to how God has given us to serve.
We might not be like other people, or because of circumstances, we might not have a higher position in church or the opportunity to share the Word of God in a church service, but we still need to serve with what we can. Sharing the Word is not the only way to serve. If we have received something from God, we have to, in a way, let other members of the church know our availability and our desire to serve with our gift. We need to do that according to His way. If He gives us a way to serve in the church, we need to give priority to that.
So, if we need to prioritize one ministry over another, that’s the church ministry. There is no doubt about it. But still, if God gave you a personal calling with which you can glorify Him, you need to obey. What is really essential is that we receive that calling from Him. There shouldn’t be anything a person does out of ego or vainglory (Philippians 2:3).
This is something you do in your free time, separately from the ministry of the church. You are accountable to the church elders for the ministry you carry out within the church, but for any other calling you may have, you are accountable before God, which is no small thing. Still, if you behave improperly or do something that does not bring glory to God, the church still can hold you accountable.
Even if we are not directly involved in a church ministry, whether because we are new members or for any other reason, we are still commissioned by Jesus to share the gospel with anyone.
“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)
This is also what online ministry looks like. Of course, you are seen by more people, and you carry responsibility. We are always accountable, and we must be responsible for the way we share the Word of God in any place, with a single person only, in online ministry, or in the church. If you ask me personally which is more valuable and spiritually satisfying, it is church ministry. Of course, I carry on with the online ministry as we all have to do with any ministry God has entrusted us, but I just think that God has established us believers to work as a body, and in such a way to accomplish His will. This is actually the most effective way to do that, as we all complete each other as believers. There are, though, separate cases in which a person is alone, and God also uses them, as we already said. There are such examples in the Bible as the prophet Elijah or John the Baptist, who we already mentioned, who found themselves pretty much alone when performing God’s will. These examples show that we could also be found in such situations. Still, we need to always desire to have communion with other believers.
I don’t know if you have been given an opportunity to serve in your local church. If you have, it is a blessing, and you need to do it wholeheartedly, as we are all called to serve the Lord in this way. Most people, though, are not directly involved in the church ministry, but still, they are called to serve and participate in the body of believers there. We are all called to participate as one body. Whether through prayer or by serving, even through the simplest acts of service, we can be a blessing to others. We need to make good and proper use of the gifts God gave us. Each one of us has a particular gift, and we need to use it for others’ benefit and serve them with that gift. This is how the work of the body of Christ is accomplished.
While online ministry is something personal that you might do, or even do together with someone, it is not the same as when you serve together with the rest of the body of Christ. Here, the manifold Grace of God is manifested, and it is most effective (1 Peter 4:10-11). That’s why the Bible urges us to serve together!
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore. (Psalms 133:1-3)
By saying this, I don’t mean that you should underestimate your online or any other personal ministry. Of course that, if someone has that calling, they need to pursue it. Yes, they need to respond to the call given to them by God, as He called them to do, but they still need to desire to serve with other believers in the body of Christ and give that priority.
And yet, as we already said, maybe you’re not given an opportunity to be directly involved in a church ministry, maybe people don’t notice you at your church for some reason, but you need to express in a way your desire and disposition to serve in your local church. We need to underline that a church ministry is not always directly involved with having a high position or preaching the Word. There might be many other ways to serve in unity and fellowship with other believers. We need to serve with whatever we’ve got – one, two, or five talents (Matthew 25:14-30).
Serving together with others and fellowship in church is needed as it strengthens us.
As I already said, I was involved in a mission ministry where I was more active in sharing the Word of God with a wider audience. At the same time, however, I also received messages from God that I knew I had to share with a different kind of audience. That was what prompted me to begin sharing my messages with the online community. It was difficult to make that decision because it was something new to me at the time, but I believed God was guiding me to do it.
So yes, we need to differentiate between these two kinds of ministries and approach both with great responsibility, as both are services to God. Still, we need to know that God had established the church to function as a body. Why? Because when the believers are together, they can accomplish God’s will more effectively through the variety of gifts they have. That is the purpose of the variety of gifts – to accomplish more effectively God’s will as they complement each other. The differences among the body are not there as a reason for division, but for a fulfillment of God’s work. This is the beauty of church ministry.
If we have received something from God to serve the community, we need to be open with our church leaders or pastors about it. So, the conclusion of this reflection is that we can define online ministry as a personal ministry a person receives from God, similar to street preaching or simply testifying to someone we meet. Whatever kind of ministry we might be entrusted with by God, we need to do it wholeheartedly. We can compare the personal ministry to that of John the Baptist. He had a calling from God in his life and had begun that ministry alone, as he definitely couldn’t fit into the circle of the religious leaders of that time. He was never accepted by them. This is one of the reasons someone might start an online ministry. Nowadays we have the opportunity to have internet and use it for a sound reason. Still, in this case, they need to see clearly if they separate from a certain group for a sound reason or just because they don’t want to be in the light and have communion with other believers. My personal advice is that even being involved in a personal call, that person still needs to seek communion with other believers and be involved in a sound local church. From my personal experience, I feel more spiritually fulfilled when I serve in a church using the gifts I have received from Christ. Saying this, I still have the desire to continue sharing the Word online.
Even though I repeat it, it’s much more satisfying to be together and present with people to share the Word of God with them.
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