The Future of Video Church: The Small Town Model

When Jesus gave his followers the Great Commission, he said,

I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The church is the vehicle Jesus created to fulfill this Commission.

This week I've been discussing the video church movement, which takes existing and new technologies to advance the message of Christ into the world. I have intentionally used the words and examples of some of America's most prominent and successful Christian leaders to point out the pros and cons of video campuses.

The truth is that it's too early to know the full impact the video church will have on Christianity. Early results have proven that video church is a valid vehicle to spread the Gospel, and people come to a salvation relationship with Jesus whether the pastor is live or video.

I am a supporter of video church, and think it is a very good use of resources for a church to expand beyond the four walls. Video allows a church to potentially impact many communities in it's area, and this brings me to an idea that churches interested in video campuses should consider. It's a small town concept that involves one main campus in a town, and video campuses in surrounding communities.

This small town concept might have campuses roughly 20-30 miles apart from one another, providing opportunities for people to attend the church closer to home. Additionally, the campuses serve as a vehicle for the whole church to minister to many different communities instead of just a single one or few.

Since the video church concept is still relatively new, small towns will probably be the last to welcome the idea, so it might take some effort for a church to pull off the small town strategy. However, once it takes hold in a community, the idea will be better welcomed.

Tell me what you think.