Lessons from adapting to online ministry

Before Covid-19, students could relate in a variety of ways. Whether it was catching up in a café, working on a group assignment at the library, or participating with others in an EU Public Meeting. On-campus life and ministry were full of physically proximate relationships.

For many students, now their primary way of ‘relating’ is through Zoom – staring at a screen for hours on end, one day blurring into the next, often putting themselves on mute or turning off their video if they don’t wish to engage in a tutorial.

University online is a diminished relational experience.

Yet each of us are relational beings who crave connections because we are made in the image of a relational, triune God.

Students’ yearning for relationships is a big reason why they have continued to engage with online small group Bible studies. Amongst the Nursing students I serve, new people have continued to join our groups even as semester progresses. The students are eager to connect and support each other in prayer.

Recognising the importance of relationships has been vital to the EU’s continued online ministry adaptation. While initially our Public Meeting talks were video-streamed online, we found this approach did not foster connections in the same way as on-campus PMs. Accordingly, we have changed tact and have launched weekly, online faculty gatherings where people can connect with others from their faculty, listen to a Bible talk and discuss the message in smaller groups. While still early days, this approach has already seen students forming new connections around the word of God, and new people joining to investigate Jesus for themselves.

The necessity for online ministry has forced us to innovate, however the convictions underlying our ministry remain the same: people need relationships, with each other, and most importantly, with the triune God.

James Flood – Director of Operations

An example of the new Faculty Gatherings initiative, which seeks to continue relational ministry in this time.