A guest post from Bryan Rose, one of Auxano's Lead Navigators.
As the social media app Periscope continues to grow in popularity, an ever-increasing number of church leaders are leaning in to this emerging tool as an opportunity to connect and transfer vision.
Periscope videos are public broadcasts viewable by anyone, with notifications that are sent to your followers and to your Twitter feed when you “go live.” However, there is also a private broadcasting feature which allows the user to limit potential viewers to a select group of followers.
Given this functionality, the ability to interact with viewers, and the 24-hour lifespan of each video saved, here are 46 examples of how leaders might use Periscope in Church Ministry…
For the Vision-Dripping Senior Pastor...
1. Deliver daily devotions during a season of campaigning
2. Share vision-soaked highlights of the day on Sunday evenings
3. Reveal a Thursday afternoon sermon preview with handles on how to invite to Sunday services
4. Broadcast business meetings during those hard-to-quorum summer months
5. Lead sermon-based small group leaders by reviewing main points and potential applications
6. Share weekly prayer moments – taking requests and praying
7. Poll member’s feelings about a topic while preparing a sermon
8. Host regular “Bible answer man” / tough questions sessions
9. Give live tours and updates during a building or renovation project
10. Moderate monthly roundtables with area pastors to discern community needs and promote unity
For the Mission-Multiplying MultiSite Campus Pastor...
11. Connect the core team to vision during pre-launch phase
12. Bring updates to the entire church before, during or after campus services
13. Host community round tables anchoring campus to geographic location
14. Moderate real-time chat with the teaching pastor, connecting them personally to the context
15. Broadcast set-up/tear-down as it happens, capturing the heart for vision behind the hard work of the volunteers
16. View the central campus live feed with onscreen notes for campus leaders as they happen
17. Engage live Q&A with teaching pastor, fed from stage at each campus
For the Deep-Connecting Christian Education Director…
18. Conduct weekly training for leaders highlighting vision-fueled application questions
19. Create regular input sessions with group leaders receiving feedback and sharing stories of discipleship
20. Highlight a small group each week and live stream from their meeting
21. Reinforce the vision of connection and community by sharing stories from groups
22. Invite invested leaders into real-time thinking and get input before decisions are made
For the Snapchatting-Before-It-Was-Cool Youth Leader…
23. Share nightly updates on what God is doing among the youth at camp or on a mission trip
24. Preview youth group worship topics for students with an inviting hook for students to use at school
25. Prep youth volunteers on their role in upcoming big events
26. Create fun, interactive video segments during youth group
27. Push real-time helps for parents in response to a community crisis or cultural event
28. Blow up a student’s big game, performance or life event, letting everyone celebrate with them
29. Host a live “ask me anything” night for the teenagers, if you dare
For the People-Empowering Children’s Minister…
30. Build VBS anticipation with a walk thru of environments theming
31. Deliver weekly volunteer preparation for the lesson or craft that will be used that week
32. Broadcast VBS rec/craft/worship with real-time look-ins
33. Host monthly parent forums with Q&A on a particular topic
34. Give a Sunday night recap of the morning with questions for parent/child interaction around the lesson
35. Settle once and for all how much more fun volunteering with kids really is
For the Always-Analyzing Executive Pastor..
36. Produce training updates on one of your boring policies or procedures
37. Live stream mandatory annual health insurance meetings - the staff can fake interest by sending hearts
38. Realize, that – who are we kidding – you bristle at the thought of another social media channel to have to police
For the Cause-Mobilizing Missions Pastor…
39. Transmit updates from teams as they reflect on the work of God that day
40. Host “Missions Weekend” interviews with missionaries in the field
41. Give progress reports on construction projects or evangelistic initiatives
42. Live stream back home from worship environments around the world
43. Produce time-zone transcending monthly updates to partners in the field, with feedback and prayer request avenues built-in
44. Keep track of the “church has left the building” projects as they are happening
45. Connect groups meeting in prisons or missions centers to the larger church body
For the Hard-Working Church Custodian…
46. Show everyone how wrecked the church is after a youth meeting
