Amazon's Jeff Bezos Gave the Solution to Church Online in 1999
Apr 12, 2019
So I was flipping through Linked In recently when I ran across a Jeff Bezos interview on CNBC from 1999. Twenty years later, Amazon is one of the top retail companies in America, if not the world. Amazon.com has redefined commerce in America, for the good and the bad. Before Amazon became a household term, though, there were lots of questions circling around the legitimacy of Jeff Bezos and how he was handling Amazon, and the whole idea of Internet commerce.
I love this interview, not for the historical value (I was a college senior when this came out), but because twenty years later Jeff Bezos' answers are applicable to the Church and their wrestling with Church Online.
"If there's one thing Amazon.com is about, it's obsessive attention to the customer experience, end-to-end."
So, in 1999 Jeff Bezos defined what Amazon would obsess over, and it's that pinpoint clarity that made Amazon the retail giant it is today. For Amazon, the goal is the customer experience. So, church, what is the one thing we obsess about? Salvations? Discipleship? Weekend Services? Being "right" when the world thinks we're wrong? How often does what we say we obsess over really match what we're obsessing over?
John 15:5-6 // I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
While I don't necessarily want to get into the Salvation/Discipleship battle, we can obviously take away from John 15 the visual of "remaining" in God. There's a length of time involved, And, to that end, I don't think anyone in Church can disagree that God desires a lengthy-relationship with us. The goal of church is not a one-hit wonder, but develop an ongoing relationship with people.
But Church Online is known to create consumers... Online attenders are perceived as one-hit wonders, not as people interested in legitimate ministry. How do we combat this?
"It doesn't matter to me if we're a pure 'Internet' player. What matters to me is we provide the best customer service. Internet, sminternet. That doesn't matter."
While the dotcom era was built and fell in the early 2000s, Amazon.com was smart enough to know that it took both digital and physical realities to properly provide customer service in the changing landscape. In 1999 it was trendy to be a dotcom only, but realization came that dotcoms were sometimes hollow, and needed physical structure in place to best serve the people? It's incredibly ironic that the interviewer is drilling into Jeff Bezos about being an "Internet-only" company, and Jeff's reply, simply put, is that we're all about customer service. Once again, not wanting to get into the salvation/discipleship battle, but what I like about Amazon is they used whatever tool necessary to provide the best experience for their customers.
Church, legitimately ask yourself this question: What if we allowed God to use Online for His glory?
- What if we built relationships with people online, using online to share faith?
- What if we created disciples, online?
- What if we used Online to create opportunities of discipleship and biblical community?
Matthew 28:19-20 // Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
...half a dozen distribution centers around the country, allows us to get product in front of our customers... which improves customer service levels.
Church Online, here's your answer. How do you effectively manage a ministry that can effectively get very large, very quickly? How do you create disciples in virtual spaces?
- By making large, small.
- By creating community for people in isolation.
- By making the hero of your church NOT the Pastor, but the person willing to share their faith... willing to disciple.
I love this Instagram Post by Ryan Sharp
, Church Online Life Groups Pastor at Life.church. We could go on talking about Life.church, and how they're utilizing online well. (I love their motto:
anything short of sin to reach people for Christ
!) But one of the big takeaways is in order to effectively manage, reach, disciple a big ministry... we need to think small.
The dots are Life Groups scattered around the world. These are lives being impacted, changed, discipled. What I see here is Online Discipleship being used. I see lives being changed not just by watching a video, but by empowering volunteers, lay people, anyone and everyone with the Gospel.
Suddenly, an effective Church Online doesn't just exist in digitally. It exists physically... and is stretching the church beyond its established geographical boundaries.
In 1999, not many people thought Jeff Bezos could build a retail company. Twenty years later, Amazon is prime (pun intended) to continue on changing the world in big ways. Church, we have an opportunity to impact the world in new ways... we just need to use some different tools in our toolbox.
What do you think? Share your ideas on Discord or on social media.
Through the.Church.digital, we are helping physical and digital churches better understand the discipleship process, and helping churches and church planters understand this and other decentralized mindset shifts. By taking this quick assessment we can get you connect with a coach, resources and more. Also, check out our Discord Group where we are encouraging people daily.
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Of the estimated 8,000+ multisite churches in North America, one third deliver their messages primarily by video, another third are hybrid delivering their messages with video and in-person, and one third deliver their messages primarily in-person. In addition, the majority of the 300K+ protestant churches across America offer some sort of church online experience. With this many churches using digital communication I reached out to Jason Morris, Product Manager at RESI, the leading all-in-one steaming service providers for churches to learn what he is seeing among online communicators. Here are some best practices we are seeing among churches for delivering digital sermons online. 1. Omit references to time, day, and weather. The most difficult thing is to remove all references to time of day, day of the week, and the weather. Avoid “tonight” or “Saturday.” Better to use words like “today” or “weekend.” 2. Avoid references to the worship team. References in the message to worship leaders or vocalists by name can be awkward or meaningless because they are different at the other locations. 3. Place the camera well. Position the camera where it is the easiest and most natural for the speaker to look into. Cameras positioned at eye-level are best for the communicator. Don’t make it awkward for the speaker by forcing them to crane their neck to peer into the camera or look up to a balcony above the main room. Use camera lights in a way so that the speaker will know which camera is the live camera. Sometimes it’s good to have an online camera that’s slightly off to the side of the stage. Make it easy for the speaker to look straight into the camera to address a campus or online audience like they were speaking to an individual. 4. Keep the camera shot tight. Stay with continual close-up headshots (video images need to feel larger-than-life), minimizing the number of full-stage and full-body shots. Avoid camera shots that remind viewers that they are not there, such as audience reactions, audience cut-away shots, or side-shots of the speaker. 5. Eyeball the camera. Looking directly into the camera makes a video audience feel included. As often as possible, it’s very powerful to look directly into the camera periodically near the beginning, during, and at the end of the message. Especially when addressing the online audience, off-site campuses and at drive-it-home moments, eyeball the camera. Here is a great example of looking into the camera like a pro from Michael Todd at Transformation Church. 6. Don’t divert viewers attention with distracting backdrops. Make sure the backdrop behind the speaker is not a distraction. Remove anything that’s not essential and keep it uncluttered and simple. 7. Include images and quotes that correspond with speaker references . Make sure the videocast includes anything the speaker references (For example: “That’s her picture you’re now seeing on the screen.”) Even better, make images a split screen or right two-thirds. Place quotes and key points on the right side or lower third of the screen. Don’t leave images or quotes up too long (10 seconds max). 8. Treat everyone as equals no matter where they are. Avoid words like “satellite” and “main” campus. They connote inequality. 9. Use inclusive language. When praying or making applications, include references to the people online and in off-site locations. Once in a message is all that’s needed to make hundreds of people sitting in an auditorium miles away to feel included in their own church. Replace geographically-bound phrases like “isn’t it great to be here!” (because some or maybe most are not) with something like “isn’t it great that we can gather as one church across our city, nation, world ...” Here’s some other tips to make everyone feel included: Look at the online chat before you get up to speak and greet people from online, even mention where they are watching from like you would another campus Digitize all calls to action so everyone can participate the same way... “Scan this QR code for the free ebook for more on this topic I’m speaking on” instead of “there’s books in the lobby” “Go to this link to sign-up” is better than “go to your campus lobby to sign up” 10. Smile as much as possible. Smiling helps connect you to your audience and keeps people engaged. Smile a lot and be sure to look into the camera when you tell a joke! 11. 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Make Sure Every Speaker Knows These Guidelines. Be sure to give these guidelines to any guest speakers so that they too can make the most of your church’s video delivery and also become better digital communicators!
The summer heat is an inferno right now. While the temperatures are hot, there is a lot happening in the digital and online ministry space. To help you keep up with all the new digital and online ministry trends and happenings, The Church Digital Podcast Network and Blogs had a bunch we loved to share in regards to all the latest trends in social media, live stream, digital discipleship and all things online ministry so that you can minister and serve your online community more effectively. Here are 5 online ministry insights and lessons learned from some of the podcasts released on The Church Digital Podcast Network and the blog from June 2024. Keys to Sharing Your Sermon Online Sermons and messages can be shared all over the world today through the power of technology. Because of this, it's important to make sure you are communicating effectively when you share your sermon or messages. These tips are just the starting point of what a ministry leader needs to do to effectively communicate online today. Online Pastoral Care is Possible In today's world, pastoral care can happen and is possible beyond in person. But how does it work? What tools can you use to help you schedule, meet up and encourage people in need of pastoral care? YouTube has Incredible Reach Potential YouTube is the second most powerful search engine second only to its parent company, Google. Because of its powerful reach, it can be used to encourage people in their faith and help people discover God. See how as Jeff and Tom talk about how Tom's Church is using it today. Digital Church Planting is Possible Church planting has been around since the beginning of Christianity. However, digital and metaverse church planting is still very new. In fact, there can still a lot of pushback of digital church planting, even in church planting communities. However, Jeff makes the case for digital church planting . See how you would like to learn about how you can be part of the digital Church movement . Async Your Church Before Covid hit, many churches were had only in-person gatherings and services. However, since 2020, more and more churches have increased their digital presence. Andy shares about how an async church model alongside physical meetings can richen the experience for all members moving forward.
Community is a vital component to churches. It has been since the creation of the first Church in Acts 2. It is through community that people connect and can grow in their faith best. Traditionally, churches have used life groups, Bible studies, youth groups and other type groups to building those connections. While most of these groups usually happen in person, there are some great online opportunities as well. Building a strong online community is essential for Churches and ministries today as they seek to engage people who live locally and online effectively. One of those ways is Discord. Discord is a popular communication platform that offers a powerful set of tools for fostering meaningful connections and cultivating a thriving virtual community. How? So how does it work? How can you use Discord to build community? Here are some tips: Create Welcoming Channels. First impressions matter, so ensure your server has dedicated channels for newcomers. Set up a #welcome channel where new members can introduce themselves, ask questions, and receive a warm greeting. Additionally, have a #rules channel outlining your community guidelines to establish a positive and respectful environment. Encourage Engagement. Engage your Discord community by creating channels dedicated to different topics or interests. For example, you could have channels for prayer requests, Bible study discussions, event announcements, and casual conversations. In fact, it is good to have channels dedicated to things other than spiritual or faith pursuits. Having a variety of channels encourage members to share their thoughts, experiences, and insights fostering a sense of belonging and participation. Host Events. When you host regular events, such as online gatherings, livestreams, or Q&A sessions, you can help build anticipation and strengthen community bonds. You can use Discord's voice and screen-sharing features to host these events, allowing members to interact and connect in real-time. Utilize Roles and Permissions. Discord's role and permission system can help you organize your community and ensure smooth operations. Assign roles to members based on their interests, involvement levels, or responsibilities within the community. This not only helps manage access to specific channels but also fosters a sense of ownership and belonging to your channel. Celebrate Achievements. Recognize and celebrate the achievements and milestones of members in your community. Set up channels for sharing accomplishments, successes, or personal victories (especially those associated with spiritual next steps). This not only promotes a positive and supportive environment but also motivates people to actively engage and contribute. Encourage Respectfulness. Every community works best when peel respect and honor each other, even with opposite viewpoints. To help make this happen, you can create a team of trusted moderators. They will ensure a safe and inclusive environment within your Discord community. Clearly communicate community guidelines, and empower moderators to address any inappropriate behavior or conflicts promptly and respectfully. Conclusion By implementing these strategies, you can leverage Discord's full capabilities to build a thriving online community where members feel welcomed, engaged, cared for, and supported. A strong sense of community not only fosters meaningful conversations and connections but also enhances the overall experience for everyone involved. Ultimately, it contributes to the growth and success of your Church or ministry.
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