God Moving At Maranatha

Our Virtual Welcome

A basic principle of missions is: go to where the people live and speak in ways they can understand. Jesus modeled this throughout his whole life. He took on flesh and blood and walked among us. He spoke the Good News using stories about shepherds and sheep, fields and seeds, kings and servant—everyday things His hearers could relate to.

At Maranatha, we want to follow in Jesus’ steps, by embracing this mission principle. That is why I believe having an effective online ministry is vital. Today, the internet is where people live.  More people than ever before connect, shop, arrange vacations, and meet their future mates online. It is also how many people search for God and church.

We have hired a Director of Social Media, Timmerie Beckwith, to help us connect with people virtually.  She is bursting with great ideas.  Once, Timmerie used her internet savvy to transform the online profile of a small, high-end fashion boutique.  She tripled their Facebook interactions and quadrupled their followers, resulting in a significant increase in the store’s foot traffic.  Now, Timmerie says, she wants to use her skills to help build the church and bring the Good News to people in Belleville and around the world. 

Some of Timmerie’s plans include:

· Using photos, videos, and testimonies to show people “what it is, and how it feels, to be part of Maranatha.”

· Consistently letting the community know about the great things Maranatha is offering. 

· Using Facebook to keep the church family “in the know,” and to give them a sense of belonging, while also reaching out to those living far from God.

· Creating a full colour church bulletin that members can have sent directly to their inbox if they wish, complete with clickable links to further information or sign-up forms. 

Recently, Timmerie set up an Instagram account for our church.  While Facebook is still the premier social media platform in Canada (used by 70% of the population) Instagram is used by a whopping 40% of Canadians.  (If this is your preferred platform, be sure to follow us @maranathachurchbelleville).

We have a great Savior and Great News to share.   I am excited that we will be making effective use of the most up-to-date tools to do so.—Pastor Tom