3 Ways this Church is using Altar Live to Increase Engagement
Engagement, the key to a strong online church community, can take many forms. But, at the center, engagement is all about making your audience feel seen and known.
We often talk to churches that use Altar Live to learn about how they increase their engagement and invest in their online community.
This week we had the chance to interview La-Neka Brown, Tech Lead for The Mount’s online campus. La-Neka began serving at the Chesapeake campus, but eventually moved to serving online and taking the helm of The Mount Virtual campus.
Having a rich history, The Mount has nine campuses including their popular virtual campus. Certain campuses are located near military bases causing a steady flow of congregants coming and going, making it a mission for The Mount to cultivate a warm and hospitable environment.
When COVID struck and their team pivoted online, The Mount realized they had a new way for people to connect to their church even when they were deployed. For over the past 6 months, The Mount has been using Altar Live and sees a weekly online service attendance of over 500 people.
Once they were online and the technical aspects of the service were taken care of, the focus became all about engagement. When we asked La-Neka to describe how her team engages and reaches out to the community, she gave us a few tips:
Pray with individuals after the service at tables
Praying with people online is just as powerful as in person! Take the time to let the congregation know that your host team is here to pray for them and with them. Using the different gathering spaces in Altar, like the tables, is a great way to create a private space for prayer so your community can feel seen and known on the other side of the screen.
Meet new people by inviting them to a row or room
In an online space you encounter all different kinds of people from all different walks of life. Some people will be more than willing to frequently add to the chat, take a seat in a row, and mingle in the Lobby. Others, however, may need that extra nudge or greeting to want to engage. As a host team member, don’t hesitate to ulitize the direct chat and invite people to a row, table, or room so you can meet them face to face, welcome them, and get to know them better!
Welcome people online by name from the chat and from the pulpit
This may sound simple, but it is absolutely crucial. Taking a little extra time to call people by name and welcoming them from the pulpit goes a long way. It breaks through the barrier the computer screen often sets and uplifts those who cannot be in person.
The Mount continues to keep their community connected during the week with prayer nights and even a morning workout class in Altar Live meetings.
What’s their secret sauce to increasing engagement online? The same thing that churches have been doing for decades: welcoming people by name and making them feel seen.
Visit their service this weekend for yourself to see them in action, or watch the full interview with La-Neka to hear more about their unique host team training.
