Building Community Beyond Borders: The eFam Journey

Devotional

Day 1: Overcoming Distance with Spiritual Connection

In a world where physical distance often separates us from our desired communities, the power of spiritual connection transcends geographical barriers. This is evident in the creation of online ministries that allow individuals to engage deeply with their church communities, regardless of location. By leveraging technology, people can participate in worship, fellowship, and spiritual growth, demonstrating that physical distance need not hinder one's spiritual journey. This approach has been particularly beneficial for those who frequently relocate, such as military families, or those who lack a local church that resonates with them. The initiative to create an online ministry began with a simple desire to connect and has grown into a vibrant community that bridges the gap between virtual and physical spaces. [02:17]

"Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone you know who is physically distant but spiritually close. How can you reach out to them today to strengthen that connection?

Day 2: Building Genuine Relationships in a Virtual World

The digital age has opened new avenues for forming genuine relationships, proving that community is not limited to physical presence. Through platforms like eGroups and Zoom meetings, individuals have discovered that meaningful connections can be made online. Many participants have found some of their closest friends and spiritual supporters through these virtual gatherings. This demonstrates that the essence of community lies in shared experiences and mutual support, rather than mere physical proximity. The online ministry has shown that with intentionality and commitment, deep and lasting relationships can be cultivated in a virtual environment. [08:16]

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on your current online interactions. How can you be more intentional in building genuine relationships through these platforms?

Day 3: Embracing Identity in a Digital Community

Creating a sense of identity within an online community is crucial for fostering belonging and recognition. By referring to their online community as "eFam," individuals feel seen and valued, reinforcing their integral role in the church family. This identity helps bridge the gap between virtual and physical spaces, ensuring that members feel connected and appreciated, regardless of their location. The concept of "eFam" emphasizes the importance of identity in building a cohesive and supportive community, where everyone feels they belong and are valued. [25:42]

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)

Reflection: How does your identity in Christ influence your sense of belonging in your community, both online and offline?

Day 4: Faithful Stewardship and Obedience to God's Calling

The success of any ministry is rooted in obedience to God's calling and faithful stewardship of the resources and people entrusted to it. This involves actively engaging with the community, ensuring they feel appreciated and connected, and continually seeking ways to serve them better. The growth of the online ministry is not attributed to human brilliance but to a commitment to being faithful stewards of God's gifts. By focusing on obedience and stewardship, the ministry has been able to connect individuals with the transformative power of the gospel, making a significant impact on their spiritual journeys. [21:08]

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." (1 Peter 4:10, ESV)

Reflection: What gifts or resources has God entrusted to you, and how can you use them to serve others in your community today?

Day 5: Personalizing the Large Church Experience

As churches grow, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that each member feels like they are making a difference. By encouraging participation in various forms, such as volunteering and eGroups, churches can make a large community feel personal and impactful for each individual. This approach helps members feel like they are a vital part of the church's mission and impact, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose. The focus on personalizing the church experience ensures that everyone feels valued and connected, regardless of the size of the congregation. [29:59]

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." (1 Corinthians 12:12, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you actively participate in your church community to make it feel more personal and impactful for yourself and others?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, I shared a personal journey that began with a longing to be more connected to a church community, even from a distance. My family and I initially engaged with the church online, feeling a strong connection but limited by geographical constraints. This experience led us to pioneer an online ministry that would allow others to engage deeply with the church, regardless of their location. We started with simple steps, like forming eGroups and using platforms like Zoom to foster community. Over time, this initiative grew, providing a consistent church family for people like military families who frequently relocate and others who lack a local church that resonates with them.

The online ministry has evolved to include various ways for people to connect, such as watch parties and outreach events, which help bridge the gap between virtual and physical community. These efforts have shown that meaningful relationships can be built online, with many participants forming deep connections without ever meeting in person. The ministry's growth has been supported by a commitment to stewardship, ensuring that every person who engages with us feels valued and connected.

Our approach is not about competing with local churches but about providing a spiritual home for those who need it. We emphasize the importance of identity, referring to our online community as "eFam," which fosters a sense of belonging. This identity is crucial as it helps people feel seen and valued, even if they are not physically present at a church location.

The success of our online ministry is not due to any brilliance on our part but rather our obedience to God's calling. We strive to be faithful stewards of the resources and people God entrusts to us, always seeking to connect individuals with the transformative power of the gospel. As we continue to grow, our focus remains on making a large church feel personal and impactful for each member, no matter where they are.

Key Takeaways

1. The Power of Connection: Our journey began with a desire to connect deeply with a church community despite physical distance. This led to the creation of an online ministry that allows people to engage meaningfully with the church, demonstrating that geographical barriers need not hinder spiritual growth and community. [02:17]
2. Building Community Online: Through eGroups and Zoom meetings, we've discovered that genuine relationships can be formed online. Many participants have found some of their closest friends and spiritual supporters through these virtual gatherings, proving that community is not limited to physical presence. [08:16]
3. The Importance of Identity: By creating an identity for our online community, known as "eFam," we provide a sense of belonging and recognition. This identity helps individuals feel connected and valued, reinforcing that they are an integral part of the church family, regardless of their location. [25:42]
4. Stewardship and Obedience: Our success is rooted in being obedient to God's calling and faithfully stewarding the resources and people He sends our way. This involves actively engaging with our community, ensuring they feel appreciated and connected, and continually seeking ways to serve them better. [21:08]
5. Making a Large Church Personal: As our church grows, we focus on making each member feel like they are making a difference. By encouraging participation in various forms, such as volunteering and eGroups, we aim to ensure that everyone feels they are a vital part of the church's mission and impact. [29:59]
** [29:59]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:17] - The Journey to Online Ministry
[03:36] - Experimenting with eGroups
[04:59] - Creating a Consistent Church Family
[06:54] - Embracing Online Church as Home
[08:16] - Building Relationships Online
[09:28] - The Role of Watch Parties
[10:25] - Connecting Through Outreach
[12:30] - Overcoming Initial Skepticism
[14:08] - Validating the Online Ministry
[15:49] - The Impact of Leadership and Worship
[17:11] - Faithfulness and Obedience
[18:12] - The Role of Technology
[19:14] - Stewardship and Connection
[21:08] - Engaging with the Community
[23:21] - Creating an Online Identity
[25:42] - The Power of eFam
[27:16] - Adapting to Change and Growth
[29:02] - Encouraging Participation and Impact
[30:45] - The Challenge of a Large Church

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What were the initial steps taken to start the online ministry, and how did it evolve over time? [03:36]
How did the concept of "eFam" help in creating a sense of belonging for the online community? [25:42]
What role did technology, such as Zoom and watch parties, play in building the online church community? [08:16]
How did the online ministry address the needs of people like military families who frequently relocate? [05:48]

Interpretation Questions

How does the idea of "eFam" reflect the biblical concept of the church as a body with many parts? [25:42]
In what ways does the online ministry demonstrate the principle of not giving up meeting together as mentioned in Hebrews 10:24-25? [08:16]
How does the sermon illustrate the importance of obedience to God's calling in the growth of the online ministry? [18:12]
What does the sermon suggest about the potential for online platforms to facilitate genuine spiritual growth and community? [09:28]

Application Questions

Reflect on your own experience with online communities. How have they impacted your spiritual growth and sense of belonging? [08:16]
How can you contribute to building a sense of community and connection within your own church, whether online or in person? [29:59]
What steps can you take to ensure that you are being a faithful steward of the resources and opportunities God has given you? [21:08]
How can you help others feel valued and connected in your church community, especially those who may feel isolated or distant? [25:42]
Consider the role of technology in your spiritual life. Are there ways you can use it more effectively to connect with others and grow in your faith? [08:16]
How can you encourage others to see the value in both online and in-person gatherings for spiritual growth and community building? [10:25]
What practical steps can you take this week to reach out to someone who might feel disconnected from the church community? [12:30]

Sermon Clips

1) "I know what it's like to be on the other side of this screen. I know what it's like to want to be more a part of a ministry that I so connect with, that I resonate with. Even though it might not be around the corner, there may not be a building that I can go to. So we just started to experiment with, well, we talk so much about e groups or small groups or whatever you would call them. Let's see if people would be interested in joining egroups. And, you know, in that season of our church, we didn't do online egroups at all." [02:17] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2) "And these guys said, this is the first time that our family has been able to remain constant and. And consistent with a church family. No matter where we go, no matter where we move to, the one thing that actually stays consistent for us is our church family. And we're in egroups online, and we're volunteering online, and we give. And, you know, over the years, we've created lots of opportunities for people to be a part far beyond just watching on a screen." [05:48] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3) "It's cool, though, because those groups, you know, there was a lot of pushback at first of like, it's like this. It's over a screen. Can you build relationships? You ask that question until you hear people who say, some of my closest friends and family I've never met in person, but they're people that challenge me daily to walk closer with Jesus, that check in on me more than my own family checks in on me. And so it's hard to tell people like that, that's not real. You know, it's like, no, no, that's pretty real to these people." [09:28] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4) "It's like, let's write songs for our church to sing and believe God for. Let's speak to our church through these messages. And God's been faithful, and I think he's been faithful because we're trying to be faithful with what he's asking us to do. And one of the things, you know, we just had an all staff meeting, actually, yesterday, and our pastor was sharing with us. And one of the things that he said is he said, you know, somebody was asking me recently, like, what's the secret to elevation? Like, you know, like, what's the give us? Like, what are you guys doing? And he said something awesome. I took down a note and I'm like, I gotta use that all the time. And so he said, it's not the brilliance of elevation. It's just the obedience. It's just saying yes. It's saying yes to what God sets in front of us and going after it with everything that we have now." [18:12] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5) "And I think all of those systems playing together really make the difference. Right. We hear from so many people that say, and again, we're not trying to do this. We're not trying to, like, outshine somebody else that somebody's been involved in. We're trying to steward. And so, so many people that come to us will say, hey, I, you know, when I gave, you guys reached out, you guys called me, you guys said, thank you. You know how many people I've given, you know how many nonprofits I've given to, or I've been given to my church for, you know, 15 years, and I've never once heard a thank you." [19:14] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6) "It's identity. It's letting your people know. Like, hey, that matters. Like, we see you, we understand that you're there. And we're talking right to you. Cool thing is, is that our pastor talks to way more people who aren't in a building every weekend than are. And so it's just really enabled us in a lot of different ways to reorient a lot of our systems. A lot of the way that we do ministry to incorporate this thing that God sent our way that, you know, kind of positioned us in the time that we didn't plan for it." [27:16] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7) "And so we'll stop at nothing to try to keep doing that, keep people engaged and a part of this ministry, not for us. I want to reiterate that so much. It's not about elevation. It really isn't. It's about being obedient. Like our pastor said yesterday. It's not brilliance of anything we're coming up with. It's being obedient to the things that God is asking us to do. And if we are, I think he'll continue to be faithful, too. Right? It's a biblical principle." [30:45] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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