An Update on Church Online and How to Make the Most of Your Online Worship Experience

"Come, let us tell of the LORD ’s greatness; let us exalt his name together." - Psalm 34:3
Dear Journey Family...

I am writing today to let you know that I care about you during this unprecedented time of difficulty.  I have been praying for each person who calls The Journey Church home.
 
As you have seen, we are making significant…and we believe God-led…shifts in the way we do ministry.  I want to encourage you today because I believe this can be a great time of spiritual growth for you!  Even as we’ve been prevented from meeting in person due to the Coronavirus – we’re staying connected by doing CHURCH ONLINE together.
 
Early reports have proven to me that online church can be encouraging, spiritually enriching and even an exciting way to worship each Sunday with your church family.
 
So, I wanted to take a moment to share with you what God is doing in our church as we LIVESTREAM our services – and how you can get the most out of your Journey Online experience.  Here are some updates on how the first week of Journey Church Online went:

  • We had over 400 unique people/families tune in for a Journey Online service our first week. That number doesn’t include Kids Online, EPIC Online, or multiple people-watching in one location (families/spouses). Our scope of care this past Sunday may have exceeded 1000 people!
     
  • Many people filled out an online Connection Card and were prepared to take next steps (this is an especially important spiritual step for you to take each week, more on that below).
     
  • Some even made first time decisions to follow Jesus online…praise God!  We are working to provide even more opportunities online for people to follow Jesus and let us know so we can support and encourage them.
     
  • All of our Growth Groups are now meeting online. And they are available for you to choose from if you haven’t yet gotten connected (www.BocaJourney.com/Growth). These groups are meeting by Skype, Zoom, conference call and other easy online ways for you to connect to them from anywhere.
 
God really is doing some exciting things as we’ve transitioned to Live Streaming our Sunday services.

I want to help make your online worship experience even better, so here are some tips… 

8 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Worshiping Online

  1. Make an appointment to attend a Journey Church Online service this Sunday. Decide which service you will attend (9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, or 9pm), put that time in your calendar, and don’t miss it!
     
  2. Log into www.BocaJourney.com/LIVE on your computer, tablet or phone 10 minutes before the service begins to check that your connection is working correctly, download your notes (see #5), and get into the right mindset to worship God.

    Note: our services are streamed in other familiar places beyond our website at www.BocaJourney.com/LIVE, but participating in the Livestream from our website is BEST – it allows you to download the message notes, complete a connection card for next steps, share prayer requests, give online and chat with others/ask questions if you want.
     
  3. There can be a lot of distractions when you’re attending Church Online, so turn off notifications on your phone and tune out all distractions so you can tune into God’s message to you.
     
  4. Download your message notes to use during the message.  You can type your notes directly into the document and save it to your computer. Or, print the message notes and take notes by hand.
     
  5. Fill out your online Connection Card every week.  It lets us know you are there, you can take spiritual next steps, and it allows us to keep you updated on what’s happening at The Journey.
     
  6. Give online or by text during the service. Just go to www.BocaJourney.com/Giving or click on the “Give Online” button below the Church Online video.  It’s so important to remain faithful in this area – especially as the ministry of our church continues even while we’re not able to meet in person each week.
     
  7. Worship, don't just watch. When attending Church Online, it might feel like you’re just watching. But worship isn't a spectator sport, so sing along with the music, read verses aloud, and pray with me, too.  Let it be a worshipful experience where you learn, grow and really connect with God.
     
  8. If you have kids – click on the “Journey Kids and Students Online” button for a great age-appropriate Bible lesson (ages Pre-K through 5th Grade).  Your children can watch on a separate computer or tablet in the next room if possible so they can enjoy their lesson as you enjoy the service. Here’s the link: www.BocaJourney.com/Kids-Online.  

    And beginning this Sunday - our Lions Class (4th-5th Grade) will join together for a Zoom call with their friends and our Kids Team members from 10:00am-10:50am to watch the kids video together, have a Bible discussion, and play games together.

    And if you have teenagers, they can connect to EPIC Online during the 11am service (11:00am-12:00pm) where they will join a Zoom call with their friends and our EPIC leaders to have fun and keep growing in their faith. 

Know that we care about you and your spiritual growth.  And even though we are separated physically – we can still grow together spiritually!
 
If you have a specific prayer request, text or call me at 561.420.0606.  Email me directly at [email protected].  I am here for you, so people don’t hesitate to call me, text or email me.

Know that you are loved,

Jason Hatley
Lead Pastor, The Journey Church


PS – Many people choose to give on Sundays at the service or mail in their offering during the week. We recently mailed giving envelopes to many of you who call The Journey home. If you need giving envelopes because you prefer to give this way, just let us know and we will mail them to you.
 
You can also give any time online at www.BocaJourney.com/Giving or by texting the word “Journey” to 45777.  Thankful for you!