How to Do Hybrid Church - Part 3

Find Where You Are, Then Move Toward the Middle, Pt. 3 of 4

This is Part 3 of a 4-part series. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4

When we try to re-create our in-person experiences online, we end up with two of everything: two staff teams, two lists of outcomes, two budgets. How can we prevent this from happening?

3. Erase the line that separates the physical from the digital.

Rather than developing your in-person services and your online expression as separate, unique experiences, treat them as one unified, holistic experience. Because…

From your attender’s perspective, that’s what they’re expecting.

Always keep returning to what you’re trying to achieve. Most likely, you want to equip each person you’re serving with whatever they need to grow spiritually, whether that person is a brand-new believer, a mature disciple, or anywhere in between.

Don’t try to create two separate spaces that mirror each other, one digital and one physical. And don’t try to curate two spaces that are entirely different, either. Instead, train yourself to think in terms of each individual interaction that you’re creating. At every opportunity, try to empathize with your attenders, to put yourself in their shoes.

What would be the best experience if you were the attender?

Don’t misunderstand: we’re not throwing out physical or digital. We actually need both to serve people well. We’re simply being intentional to stop thinking of these as different things. We want every interaction an attender has with us—in every space—to complement every other interaction they have with us. We want each connection to “match,” to feel like just one more part of a cohesive whole.

Erasing the line between the physical and the digital is right at the center of what it means to embrace Hybrid Church. This may be the hardest mindset to shift in this process. But once your team has embraced this idea, you’re ready for the final step, which we’ll address in Part 4.

This is Part 3 of a 4-part series. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4

YouVersion for Churches is developing tools and resources to help you lead and minister in an increasingly Hybrid world.