In today's rapidly evolving world, where digital platforms dominate our daily lives, the Oklahoma Conference is setting a new standard for reaching out to people with its innovative approach to digital evangelism. Through the power of repurposing sermons into short-form content, we are breaking down barriers and connecting with individuals on a level that transcends traditional boundaries.
A New Approach to Spreading the Message
At the forefront of this digital revolution is Pastor Wes Via and Hope Adventist Fellowship. Hope has embraced the concept of repurposing their sermons, taking excerpts from their live-streamed services and turning them into bite-sized, engaging clips. The result? A staggering increase in engagement and outreach.
From 97 Views to 30,000: A Game-Changing Transformation
The turning point came when Hope took their first leap into short-form content creation. The full live stream service had 97 views - which they were pretty excited about!  Until they realized the average watch time was only 3 minutes. However, when repurposed and shared as short-form reels on digital platforms, the clips reached an astonishing 30,000 views – a testament to the potential of digital evangelism. The excitement of reaching so many local Oklahomans with the Gospel is what moved us to put together a strategy that will help churches across Oklahoma do this same thing!
100x Our Churches Reach 
In preparation for the 2024 Southwestern Union Evangelism focus in Oklahoma City, 3 churches are applying this new form of Digital Evangelism. They are Edmond, Central, and Hope Fellowship. Here’s what we’ve seen for these short-sermon reels: In a week’s time in these three churches the reels were played over 19,000 times.  THE GOSPEL MESSAGE MET THE EARS OF OVER 19,000 PEOPLE IN THE OKC AREA IN ONE WEEK’S TIME. And in just 4 months' time they have crossed 400,000 total views. Now that's all fine and good, but we know what you're probably thinking - "Well that's nice that people are watching online, but they are missing out on the connection! The community that the church brings - HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THEM IN THE DOORS?" Keep reading.
 
How does this all work?
These 3 churches in the heart of OKC have teamed up with Justin Khoe and Advent Co.Lab to create their digital content. Advent Co.Lab takes those soul-stirring moments from sermons and gives them a digital makeover.  Once posted, our conference communication team analyzes the social metrics and then we turn up the heat with social ads. These powerful snippets, like golden nuggets of wisdom, are popping up in your local feed, asking a simple yet profound question: "How can we pray for you?" It's like extending a virtual hand, creating a bridge from the screen to your heart. 
This is done by leveraging social platform's ability to track user engagement. When a person watches 50% or more of a reel, we place posts in their feed that offer to pray for them and invite them to church. 
Now, our pastors, prayer coordinators, and other volunteers in these churches have the opportunity to pray over complete strangers who may not have anyone else praying for them. Prayer is a huge, felt need and we are meeting this need for complete strangers who are asking for prayer through this digital platform. The ultimate goal is to bring virtual connections into the physical realm, welcoming individuals who have been touched by the digital content to experience the warmth and fellowship of in-person church services. 
You Ready?
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the Oklahoma Conference's dedication to innovation and reaching people where they are sets a promising precedent for the future of evangelism. It's about building bridges, not just between people, but between hearts and the Divine. It's about creating a ripple effect that can't be measured in dollars but can be felt in the lives changed and souls touched. So that leaves us with one question. Is your church ready to make an impact for the kingdom?
Is your church ready to get started? Contact the communication department for a consultation. You can reach us at communication@okadventist.org.