Stewardship of Those Near and Far
The ecclesia has always lived in two spaces at once: gathered and sent. The apostolic community met “from house to house” (Acts 2:46), yet its witness quickly extended across cities, regions, and continents (Acts 1:8). In our own time, digital presence is no longer a temporary accommodation in response to crisis; it has become a normative expression of ministry. Faithful stewardship now includes care for those near in the gathered assembly and those far, viewing on screens. According to the State of the Church Tech 2024 report prepared by Pushpay, “In 2024, 90% of churches report that they’re currently offering a hybrid model of ministry, compared to just 10% sticking with in-person only; less than 1% function as online only.” How, then, should these findings shape our approach to Gospel ministry in an increasingly digitally connected culture?
Ministering in the digital space took time to learn, to grow comfortable with, and to tailor to the strengths of individual congregations. Questions about its usefulness had to be answered. Concerns regarding streamed services’ impact on physical attendance had to be explored. Pastors accustomed to speaking with comfort and familiarity to their local church had to learn to speak with clarity through a camera to a broader and unknown audience. Was any of this truly Gospel ministry?
Scripture reminds us that the gospel is not bound by geography. Consider Paul’s testimony: “The word of God is not bound” (2 Tim. 2:9). Though imprisoned, he understood that the message outruns the messenger; even in chains he was still an apostle on mission. Today, livestreams, recorded sermons, podcasts, and social platforms serve as conduits through which the Word travels beyond walls and time zones. In my own ministry, I steward each of these media options to share the Word of God. Nevertheless, what was once a response to pandemic closures has matured into a sustained means of proclamation and pastoral reach.
Yet digital ministry must be framed rightly. The New Testament pattern of community is gathered, embodied, and shared. Hebrews exhorts believers not to neglect gathering together (Heb. 10:24–25). Living faith requires presence—faces, voices, shared bread, prayer with the laying on of hands. In-person fellowship is the normative and healthiest soil for covenant relationships. Streaming services, therefore, should not compete with gathered worship, but complement it. They extend care to the homebound, the elderly, the chronically ill, the traveling worker, the vacationing family, the searching skeptic, and the hesitant newcomer. Approached this way, livestreaming becomes stewardship, not substitution.
At Messiah Congregation, consistent weekly viewership since the initial surge of 2020 has demonstrated that online presence is not just residual but relational. Familiarity forms. Viewers learn names, recognize faces, and grow accustomed to the rhythm of prayer, worship, and teaching. The stream becomes an “open window” into the life of the church behind the door. For some, that window reduces anxiety and lowers barriers. If they eventually walk through the physical doors, they do so with a sense of recognition rather than strangeness—belonging rather than exclusion. But digital presence must move beyond broadcast toward communion.
The digital space itself is a mission field. Our Lord’s commission—“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19)—extends wherever people gather. Increasingly, they gather online, especially on the other six days of the week. The ecclesia must not surrender that territory to noise, confusion, and false shepherds. Rather, we enter with pastoral intentionality, clarity of doctrine, and warmth of spirit. Integration is key. How do those who feel connected online become genuinely discipled?
One answer is movement from stream to room. At Messiah Congregation, Wednesday morning Men’s Study uses Zoom to unite men physically present in the building with those joining remotely. The screen does not replace the table; it extends it. Those remote men are very much part of the conversation. Thursday evening study goes further, fostering fellowship among men and women who attend virtually from around the country alongside those attending in person. Thursday is entirely in the Zoom space, so it becomes a connecting equalizer. Conversation, prayer requests, and testimonies cultivate bonds that transcend geography. All participate, and when it comes time to choose the next topic of study, we discern together.
In this way, the digital stream becomes an entry into digital communal space. Viewers are invited into Zoom gatherings, small groups, prayer meetings, and pastoral conversations. They are known by name. They are prayed for specifically. They are encouraged toward deeper involvement, whether locally or through partnership and support. Digital ministry matures from consumption to participation. Unknown viewers become known persons.
Theologically, this reflects the apostolic pattern. Paul writes to congregations he cannot physically visit, yet he calls them “my beloved children” (1 Cor. 4:14). His language created connection across miles, cultures, and contexts that he had yet to cross. His letters demonstrate pastoral presence at a distance. Technology today allows not just epistolary contact, but real-time interaction. Used wisely, it strengthens oversight and mutual encouragement.
For ministries and ministers within Restoration Fellowship International, this model offers several benefits:
First, it expands the reach of mission without compromising ecclesiology. Ministries can maintain doctrinal clarity and integrity while extending teaching and encouragement beyond local boundaries.
Second, it provides care for scattered members. Ministers often shepherd individuals who relocate, travel frequently, or live in regions without like-minded fellowship. Digital small groups and study gatherings can sustain connection and accountability or help ease those who relocate into a new congregational home.
Third, it fosters inter-ministerial collaboration. Shared Zoom studies, joint online conferences, and cross-congregational prayer gatherings build relational unity. What once required costly travel can now occur regularly, strengthening bonds among shepherds and flocks alike.
Fourth, it serves as a discernment pathway. Those drawn to RFI’s theological vision may first encounter it online. Through digital fellowship, they can explore, ask questions, and build trust before formal affiliation or partnership.
None of this diminishes the primacy of the local gathered assembly. Baptismal waters are still wet. Bread must still be broken. Hands must still be laid upon the sick. But stewardship demands that we care not only for those within our walls, but also for those at the margins—geographic, physical, or emotional.
Digital ministry is not a concession to modernity; it is an extension of mission. When approached intentionally, it becomes a bridge: from isolation to fellowship, from viewing to belonging, from curiosity to covenant. The ecclesia gathers. The ecclesia streams. The ecclesia disciples. And in all these spaces, Christ builds His body.
In the service of Messiah and His Church,
Bishop Justin D. Elwell
Restoration Fellowship International
