“So, a pastor walks into a Discord server…” No, this isn’t the start of a questionable joke – it’s actually my life for the past few years.
As someone who’s worn more ministry hats than your Instagram feed has memes (including, yes, running a non-profit, faith-based gym), I’ve learned that God’s calling sometimes leads us down unexpected digital highways.
The Journey Into Digital Ministry
I’ve been in full-time ministry since 2010, primarily serving as a worship pastor. But for five transformative years (2019-2024), I served as the Digital Pastor for Bay Hope Church in Tampa Bay, Florida. Now, before you think this was just another “COVID made us do it” story, let me stop you right there. Bay Hope was already living in 3024 relative to most churches while the rest of us were in 2019. They created the Digital Pastor position back when “zoom” was still just a sound effect you made while playing with toy cars.
Think of Bay Hope as the Nvidia of churches – innovative, forward-thinking, and raising eyebrows. Their “one church, many locations” model included what we now consider a “traditional” approach: a main campus broadcasting messages to satellite locations. I quickly learned that leading a digital campus was unlike anything I’d ever done up to that point and adopted a “move fast and break things” approach. Pastor Matthew, the lead pastor of Bay Hope, would often say in regards to digital ministry, “We’re building the plane as we’re flying it.”
And did we ever build! From small groups to weekly non-Sunday gatherings to unique live streams and podcasts and shows, I was able to lead a small team of people in pursuit of God’s excellence online while at the same time threading the needle of in-person physical ministry. It was more a “hybrid” campus than anything else.
Little did I know that this experience would prepare me for my next adventure: Lux Digital Church, a fully online community bringing light to the internet’s dark corners (and yes, there are quite a few of those).
Lux was the brainchild of Mark Lutz, lead pastor, and his calling from the Lord to truly reach people on Twitch and Discord in gamer and nerd culture. Completely digital. No in-person locations or anything like that. Nothing “hybrid” about it.
As a gamer and nerd myself, I was immediately drawn to Lux’s unique method of ministry, with a 24/7 digital presence in Discord and services every Wednesday evening on Twitch.
If Bay Hope was the Nvidia of churches, Lux was the bleeding-edge-OpenAI version of church that I didn’t realize I had been craving or waiting to be a part of. I’ve been blessed to be a part of this staff for over a year and half now, and before you wrinkle your nose or ask the question we always get asked (“ALL digital? How?!), hear me when I say this: We’ve seen it working.
A digital-first expression of church is INCREDIBLY different in many ways from the hybridized version that I had been experiencing at Bay Hope or the traditional physical model I had been a part of for many years before that.
It’s been quite a journey.
And through this journey, God has shown me THREE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS that hold steady, whether the medium is in pixels or in person:
1. Jesus is Jesus (That’s Not a Sunday School Cop-Out, I Promise)
Remember when Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations?” (Matthew 28:19 NIV) Interestingly, He didn’t add, “…but only if you have a proper building with a coffee bar and a fog machine.” The Great Commission is platform-agnostic.
Here’s the thing: Jesus walked to meet people where they were – wells, boats, mountainsides, you name it. Today, people are on Discord, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, X, Bluesky, and TikTok. If Jesus were physically walking the earth today, I’m pretty sure He’d have a verified account. After all, He did say He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), not just the ones who show up in person on Sundays.
Jesus is (and always will be) Jesus. He is (and always will be) interested in PEOPLE over programs. And He is (and always will be) asking us to take part in what He’s doing, WHEREVER He is doing it.
2. People are People (Surprise!)
Whether you’re moderating a Discord server or managing a Facebook group, you quickly learn that human nature doesn’t change with the platform. The same person who would argue about the church thermostat setting will argue about the choice of emoji reactions in your digital service.
In our Discord server at Lux, we’ve seen the same dynamics play out that we witnessed on Bay Hope’s Facebook page. The only difference? Instead of walking across the lobby to gossip, people can now do it in DMs at the speed of light. As Ecclesiastes 1:9 reminds us, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” – including church drama, apparently.
Don’t take this as negativity, however. It’s actually a really good thing to remember. The people you meet at a physical church are just like the people you’re meeting behind an avatar or screen name online. There are hopes and dreams and desires and anxieties and thoughts and feelings. And, as church leaders, we would do well to remember that the people that need the Gospel are not just those showing up to a church building. They’re the same people we’re meeting online.
3. You are You (For Better or Worse)
You know the saying, “Wherever you go, there you are?” Well, in digital ministry, wherever you go, there you are… in HD, with your morning coffee stains and all. This truth hits differently when your whole ministry is online.
If you’re entering into digital ministry thinking you’ll be some kind of cyber-superhero, spreading the Gospel with perfectly filtered Instagram posts and never-ending energy, I have news for you: Burnout doesn’t need a physical address to find you. As Paul honestly admitted his weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9-10), we too must embrace both our gifts and limitations in the digital space.
Your talents, experiences, and yes, even your bad jokes, are part of your ministry toolkit. But so are your limitations and struggles. In fact, digital ministry has a way of amplifying everything – both the good and the “maybe we should pray about that.”
The Heart of Digital Ministry
Whether you’re broadcasting to satellite campuses or building communities in a Discord server, the essence remains unchanged: Jesus is still Jesus, people are still people, and you are still you. The tools may change, but the mission doesn’t.
Digital ministry isn’t about creating the perfect online experience – it’s about creating space for imperfect people to encounter a perfect God. Sometimes that happens through a carefully crafted sermon, and sometimes it happens through a well-timed GIF in the chat. God’s grace works through both.
As we continue to navigate this evolving landscape of digital ministry, remember that technology is just a tool. The real ministry happens when hearts connect with hearts, and ultimately with the heart of God – even if that connection is happening through fiber optic cables.
And if Jesus could feed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish, surely He can work through your church’s glitchy livestream too.
