Announcing Digital Eclesia
This semester we are pleased to open another avenue for ministry called Digital Eclesia (digitaleclesia.com). (NOTE: This is in addition to Gustavo’s responsibilities as a professor of the seminary).
Digital Eclesia began as a way to train churches (and its members) on the use of technology for greater ministry impact. It was born at the height of the pandemic when the entire world (and business community) was forced online almost overnight.
This created a tremendous need for churches (and other entities) to leverage the use of technology in a post-COVID digital world. This is something Gustavo had already been doing for the past six years within his own educational ministry.
Our Goal: One Virtual Assistant Per Church
We believe the best way to help churches (and their members) move forward with technology is via the planting of a trained virtual assistant in their midst.
To that end we have been busy identifying and training virtual assistants from different churches in several areas:
- Technology, and specifically around four key areas: website, social media, communication and live transmission.
- Technical assessment – Provides the ability for virtual assistants to assess the technical health of a church, non-profit or small business in these four key areas.
- Technical assistance – Provide technical assistance in the implementation of technology in the above four areas for a church, non-profit or small business.
- Digital marketing – Training in direct response marketing and digital marketing as a way to create economic development pathways both for our assistants as well as the churches in which they serve.
We will serve three audiences
Each virtual assistant will be able to serve as a technical helper for their own church, as well as the business community within and without the church’s walls. In this way, we feel that the church can be a vital technical and economic asset within its community.
Audience #1 – The church
First, each virtual assistant will assess and help its own church in leveraging technology for greater ministry impact. Again, this will occur in four main areas: website, communication, social media and live transmission. We have already developed training and templates to help with this process.
Audience #2 – The business community of the church
After helping their own church, the next step is to offer the same assessment and technical help to the business members of the church. This can be done by the assistant themselves, or in partnership with Digital Eclesia.
The beauty of this approach is that every entity (church, non-profit, business) must grapple with the same set of technical challenges in those same four key areas.
Thus, the virtual assistant is perfectly poised to be a tremendous technical and economic help to the business community in his / her own church.
Audience #3 – The businesses community surrounding the church
The final phase of our strategy is to offer technical help and economic development training to the members of the business community in the church’s surrounding neighborhoods. Again, each virtual assistant could work on their own or in partnership with Digital Eclesia to bring this technical and economic development training to their neighborhoods.
This concentric circle approach takes advantage of the natural bonds the assistant has with his / her church and its members. Thus, it’s an easy “sell” for each assistant allowing them to build their expertise and experience.
Ultimately, the goal is an economic development boost for the assistant and the church as both learn to leverage technology in their respective contexts.
Two denominations – 30 virtual assistants
During March and April, Gustavo will be conducting a series of trainings for two denominations in Colombia. He will be training 30 virtual assistants.
In addition, each church will be providing several options for internships so that each virtual assistant can work with a real business in the implementation of these important strategies.
This training will be recorded and will be made available as a revenue generating product / training of Digital Eclesia. Our hope is to collaborate with our virtual assistants in providing them income producing options given our current digital landscape.
Thanksgiving / Prayer Requests
For the upcoming Digital Eclesia virtual assistant trainings to be carried out in March and April.
Please continue to pray for the growth of our Masters program. We have hired a new social media manager who is doing a great job promoting all of the programs, particularly on Instagram where one of our target markets resides.
One big need continues to be student scholarships (especially for female students) – A full year in our Masters program is $3,600. Please contact us directly if you wish to contribute toward this need.
Family Update
What a joy it was to spend Thanksgiving with our children and some of their friends. We then had the privilege of celebrating Christmas in the Berkshires with our children and Rochelle’s mother, Joy.
We’re now back in our respective places. Us in Medellin and the kids scattered across the states.
It’s tough to be separated by so many miles for months at a time but we are looking forward to Caroline and two of her college friends visiting us in March for their Spring Break.
The next time we all will be together is for Caroline’s college graduation in late May!