Volunteers are always an important part of Sunday worship. They put in the extra time before hand so that all of the other congregants can have a great experience. This ranges to people in the choir practicing for weeks leading up to a performance or parking lot attendants arriving well before everyone else to make sure everything is in order.
With nearly every aspect of Church having gone virtual due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the usual opportunities to aid in worship have dwindled. But with every challenge comes opportunity and a new volunteer role has emerged, the Social Media Usher.
In the traditional sense an Usher is somebody who leads people to their seats and makes sure everything is in order before an event starts. At church this can include handing out bulletins, arranging registration pads, and helping those who need extra assistance. This small group of volunteers focus on the little things to make the overall experience as enjoyable as possible for everyone else.
What if this same level of care existed in the online environment? Social Media Ushers can fill this role. An idea that we have at Here I Am is to designate a small group of “ushers” who are proactive on the online platforms and have them frequently engage with material to help encourage others to do so.
We have found that it takes more than just the pastor asking questions for people to feel comfortable interacting online. It also takes seeing others engage to encourage the conversation. A group of Social Media Ushers who know how to post, like, share, and comment to generate engagement can foster this experience to allow others to easily jump in.
The Social Media Usher can be sure to post a picture from a small group event. They could post a first-hand testimonial that can help encourage others to share what is near and dear to their heart. They can actively like and comment on other posts. This activity could potentially lead to congregants finding things in common with one another or sparking interest in new activities.
Finding new ways to engage with a congregation is important in this time of uncertainty and we believe that designating Social Media Ushers is a fantastic way to keep people engaged while generating fresh and diverse content from across the congregation.
