Avoid these 4 Mistakes as an Online Missionary

by | Apr 16, 2019 | Missionary Resources

Digital Evangelism is a very rewarding work that comes with real challenges. Many online missionaries can list the mistakes they made when launching their online ministry.

By learning from their mistakes, you can learn how to grow your own ministry and serve more effectively. Whether you work for a church, a ministry, or you work alone, this article will be beneficial.

Let’s explore some common mistakes online missionaries make and learn how we can work more efficiently.

 

Mistake One: Not praying specifically and continuously for your ministry

Fix It: Set aside time to pray for your ministry

This is the biggest any missionary can make. It is imperative to keep your ministry always before God as this is His work. We can get so caught up in working for God that we stop working with God. Praying without ceasing is the best way to ensure your ministry is blessed.

Consider prayer as a status or update meeting with God. Discuss what’s going on well, what failed, your challenges, and your hopes for the ministry.

Then, listen to what he has to convey to your heart. Maybe He wants you to “commit your ways to [Him first] and He will bring it to past” (Ps.37:5). Make a list of what you want to talk over with God and then meet Him.

Never underestimate the power of prayer. While a big budget and a qualified team are very helpful, the most successful ministries are built on and kept together by prayer.

Mistake Two: Working without a content strategy

Fix It: Create a Content Strategy and stick to it

A content strategy is a plan that helps you manage your content creation, distribution, and evaluation processes. Most people focus on content creation but neglect the other two aspects.

I made the mistake of starting my personal ministry blog without much of a plan. I didn’t even have a content strategy (facepalm here). Inevitably, I became discouraged when I wasn’t producing content as often as I wanted to. Without a constant flow of fresh, new content, you’ll find yourself scrambling to find something to publish. That’s why you need a strategy.

Here are key things to include in your content strategy:

– Your target audience description (Who are you writing for?)

– A schedule or calendar of how often you will publish (daily, weekly, bi-weekly, etc.)

– A list of themes for the month, quarter, and year

– An overview of all your platforms and the type of content you will be putting on those platforms

– A distribution plan (How will you ensure your content gets seen?)

Be Flexible with your Calendar

There are moments when something happens and it calls for you to postpone what you originally planned on publishing. For example, if you have a pastor’s blog and you intended to blog about how Jesus is the True Vine this week, you may have to come up with a new article to address a national tragedy that suddenly occurs.

Be prepared for sudden changes.

Download Leslie Samuel’s spreadsheet to help you get your content calendar started (and finished).

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? – Luke 14:28

Mistake Three: No written goals

Fix It: Set SMART goals

Jesus Christ had a mission and goals. Here are a few:

  1. Seek and save the lost
  2. Give my life a ransom for many
  3. Work the works of God
  4. Preach good tidings to the poor
  5. Save the world

Now if the perfect Son of God had goals for His ministry, how much more you and I! Because He had goals and knew His mission, He was able to confidently say, “I have finished the work which You have given me to do” (John 17:4).

Take the next 10-15 minutes to prayerfully write down what you want to accomplish through your ministry.

Here are a few examples of goals that missionary blogger might have:

  • Get five readers to sign up for online Bible studies in the next 6 weeks
  • Connect five readers to a local church in the next two months
  • Write four articles in the next four weeks covering the topic of forgiveness

Remember:

Be as specific as possible and set a time frame. By writing down your specific goals, you have a marker to guide everything that you publish.

Every article or post or tweet should serve toward accomplishing your goals.

Mistake Four: You work on the ministry ‘when you have the time’

Fix It: Schedule a specific time to work on your ministry

Time, like money, needs to be budgeted.

If you don’t intentionally budget time to work on your ministry, the above steps won’t matter much. Maybe your schedule looks something like this:

  • Sundays 8:30 – 10:30 AM Blog
  • Mondays 8:30 – 9:30 AM Pray
  • Tuesdays 7 – 8 PM Social media promotions
  • Wednesdays 7 – 8 PM Blog

Whatever your schedule looks like, stick to it. Don’t allow anything to infringe on that time. Let friends and family know your schedule so they can also help hold you accountable and also respect that time.

If the ministry is important to you, it must be a priority.

Starting Fresh

Now that you know the common mistakes and how to avoid them, take action today! Don’t wait for another time.

We all need a bit of motivation to get started. If you’re interested in joining a free online coaching session t discuss creating a content strategy, click on the link below and send a message with the title “Interested in Online Coaching Session.”

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