Can a congregation influence society

One of the best ways to distinguish yourself online these days is to be a real place of caring. Caringfor the people in your community. Love unconditionally in the same way Yeshua showed love to those that sought Him. To stand out is not about the number of followers-so. As we have learnt in this special “remnant” niche sandwhiched between modern christianity & Rabbinical Judaism, the Father seeks quality over quantity. So one can’t fall for that trap of trying to acquire followers. It is about engagement. Being able to engage the few who has followed you as a light in this dark world.

Care for the people in your community, understand their needs by learning about them, then go ahead and serve them.

Here are a few practical steps you can take on how you can stand out on the internet.

OPEN AND RUN A FACEBOOK GROUP

As of today, Facebook has adjusted it algorithm to favour groups over pages, so this maybe a good time for you start a Facebook group for your congregation.

However, you must be careful not to make this group to be all about your Kehillah / congregation. It must be a group that addresses the needs of your community. It could be focused on parents tacking kids, social issues, even chevrootah (Bible study) & parashat matters.

CREATE A NEW INTERNET DEPARTMENT

There must be someone in your Congregation whom is good on the internet especially on how to navigate the various social media platforms, if there is, then this is a good time to engage such persons and form a team for them. But you must also be careful to properly give them an orientation on what your values are Messianic Judaism is not the same as christianity or the church system. One must train thenm to deploy this skill and passion for Internet / I.T / coding etc into the Kingdom of God.

As a Kehillah you can go the extra mile to get them enrolled for any of the variety of courses floating around these days.

IS YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE FRIENDLY AND WELCOMING?

What’s your brand on the internet? When you look at your online presence from the perspective of a visitor do you feel welcome?

Is it inviting enough?

Do you see people smiling?

Are there clear-cut call to actions?

ENGAGEMENT OVER NUMBERS

Build relationships with the people who engage with your posts, they are real people with real needs. When you don’t focus on them you will be distracted with the mirage of acquiring numbers of followers who may never engage with you at all.

Remember you are called to serve the community of people who have engaged with you.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

Algorithms on FB change on a constant basis but it always places consistency over every other parameter. One way of beating the algorithm of these social media platforms is through consistent posting. Break through the noise by being consistent. Make use of post scheduling software or apps. By showing up regularly and consistently with a known pattern, you make it very easy to build relationships with real people.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, your Kehillah / Congregation stands out online by building a community. Irrespective of what your Halacha and goals may be. Endeavor to build relationships which will ultimately result into a community of believers who are ready to live the Torah as Yeshua did and tell it to others. It’s not always popular but you will be in good company. Just read how many time Rav Shaul (Paul) was rejected, yet he never gave up did he.