Creative Altar Live Onboarding (with Shepherd Church of the Nazarene)
Change is hard. People get comfortable in their routines and it can be difficult to make a transition. The church world is no exception.
Even if you’ve successfully presented the idea of starting a digital ministry, the next step is successfully implementing it.
When Shepherd Church of the Nazarene decided to switch to Altar Live, they knew they needed to get creative to get their team and congregation on board.
Recently we sat down with Joe Aleshire and Jason Gleim, Directors of Technology at Shepherd Church of the Nazarene to talk about their method for rolling out Altar Live with their community.
Shepherd Church of the Nazarene is no stranger to online ministry. They have been live-streaming services through the Church Online Platform for almost a decade. Joe and Jason revealed that because of their live-streaming experience, the lockdown of 2020 didn’t affect them as drastically as other churches. What was most surprising, however, was since reopening, 40% of their 600-member congregation has stayed online.
People like the flexibility and inclusivity of online worship and Shep Naz saw the value in investing more time and effort into their digital ministry. Online church is so much more than just a one-way live stream and Shep Naz wanted a platform that reflected that vision. After coming across Altar Live through one of our online marketing campaigns, they knew it was a perfect fit. The video conference rows and lobby on Altar Live were exactly what they were looking for in a platform.
Even after their initial excitement, Shepherd Church of the Nazarene knew their next hurdle was getting people on board and used to the technical change. They knew they had to get people excited about Altar, keep it low budget, and make onboarding feel less like a chore and more like a fun opportunity.
Shep Naz’s ingenious solution? A hilarious promotional video!
The casting process was easy. The staff banded together to create a support hotline spoof with Joe’s mother as the caller in need of assistance. The video was executed perfectly with light-hearted and hilarious moments while also providing helpful information about navigating Altar Live.
According to Joe and Jason, the video made the transition "as seamless as you could hope for.” The church community began sharing and reposting the video which completely turned what could seem like a chore into a new and exciting chapter for Shep Naz’s church community.
Towards the end of our discussion, we asked Joe and Jason for a few tips when thinking about creative onboarding for Altar Live. Here is their response:
Get People Talking & Sharing Online
When thinking about creative onboarding, you first have to think about what would excite your community. What would get them talking? Would it be a funny promotional video like Shepherd Church of the Nazarene’s? Or a game/movie night dedicated to trying out all of Altar Live’s features. The key is to get your community to respond and share their thoughts online. Word of mouth is always a great way to get people excited!
Don't Make Switching Platforms Feel Like a Chore
It’s never fun to feel like you’re being forced to do something. While the process of switching platforms might not be difficult, it’s all about setting the tone and creating the right mindset for your community. Show your team and congregation the fun and silly side by coming up with entertaining methods of sharing Altar Live with your community.
Inform & Build Confidence
At its core, onboarding is all about equipping and empowering your community. Even with Shep Naz’s hilarious video, there was still a portion that walked viewers through the event joining process. Don’t be afraid to take a little extra time to provide your community a way to not only feel confident about the platform change but also have a little fun while doing it!
Shepherd Church of the Nazarene was able to create a funny and informational promo video on a $0 budget that was able to help their church really make the Altar Live platform their own.
Watch the full interview with Joe Aleshire and Jason Gleim, Directors of Technology at Shepherd Church of the Nazarene. And if you want, you can go experience their service for yourself this weekend by visiting their service on Altar!
