The iWorship.co.za Platform Explained
Here Is How To Gain Free Access To iWorship.co.za .
EDIT: 2020/01/23 - We've decided to split this article, providing more focused information in each article. Keep reading for and explanation of what the iWorship.co.za platform is. Or click here to read more on "the good and bad of social media".
Note that while we address Christian ministries frequently in our articles, this platform is intended any Christian to utilise in the same way as ministries do. Especially the website offerings can be utilized for your business as well. If you find a way to use the platform to your advantage, please do so!
All features are available to ministries and individuals alike. Engage with your peers, share what's in your heart to edify the Body, show creativity as much as you wish. The only restriction is our terms of use and to ensure the absence of any offensive or illegal content. Only family-friendly content is allowed. Be unique. And please do not infringe on anyone's copyright.
At the core of our vision is a focus on providing free resources to Christians, based on current technology.
The aim is quite simple, really: The platform is created to serve Christian ministries and individuals with content, services and other resources to enrich their lives and help them become more effective in reaching their own goals.
You may be on a budget, but that doesn't have to mean substandard methods to get things done.
One of the main goals is to help avoid the "bad side of social media" and save several hours of unproductive use of your time.
It's a well-known fact that we usually search through the main networks such as Youtube, facebook and google whenever we need inspiration from others, and iWorship.co.za does not aim to replace these valuable resources. In stead, our aim is two-fold:
- Leverage the information gathered from whatever sources we currently use and curate them in a hub specifically geared toward christians and their goals.
- Provide resources from our own ministries by posting them on the publically accessible platform. You may choose to host your teachings in a closed group for your members, publish them in the public resource center, or submit them to be curated into an online course, helping the greater community grow with the focus on more in-depth understanding of the topics.
Here's how we aim to bridge the gap to an effective online presence, enabling your ministry and providing resources for daily Christian living.
And GROW
Because the mainstream social networks can be utilized very effectively, we enable you to integrate with them from within the iWorship.co.za platform. This means that your message can be heard on several platforms at once. However, we need to consider some instances where the major networks fall short in truly bringing long term success.
Expectation and limitation
Several people I know in person have shared their reasons for never returning to social media. These include concerns such as privacy, unwanted negative influence, and even personal security amongst many other plausible reasons.
Let me confess right now, I personally spend near zero time on these networks, although at times I do leverage the benefits they can provide for business, clients and similar reasons.
If you choose to use these tools and are disciplined to focus on the task at hand, you most likely avoid the snares of negative engagement, time stealers and the like. If this is you, you may have seen how potential can indeed turn into measurable results.
Think of an influential leader or preacher like Joyce Meyer, or even someone you know personally who does make a difference in the lives of thousands of people. Someone whom I have considered a friend with remarkable influence is a lady by the name of Janine van Niekerk.
Over the past 11 years, since I met her, I have seen one constant: Her influence remains and just seems to excel even more as time goes by. And on facebook, her personal profile limit has also remained capped at the maximum of 5000 friends. It's almost like a popular guest house that remains fully booked...when one person leaves, that just makes space for the next person on the waiting list!!
Reaching the limits
The only problem with the kind of engagement on these networks is this: While they can be very effective agents of change, it's more of a "short bursts of energy" kind of scenario.
On these networks the recipient of an inspiring message usually replies with a sincerely thankful comment such as "I really needed this today", or a "I saw this message just at the right time". This is usually followed by a new post on their own profile with an exciting or optimistic tone. Quite often though, you may find that just about an hour ago, they had a supersized tantrum, just as public. And unfortunately this cycle repeats itself in the lives of so many people.
Please understand, I am truly thankful for people who use these networks so succesfully, and I'm thankful for the amazing reach in their sphere of influence. I would never even suggest for them to back away. They play an amazing and unmissable role in the lives of thousands of people! The limitation I'm referring to lies in the nature of the mainstream social networks.
From the moment Facebook was created, the platform enabled people to blurt out current feelings and quick thoughts. In a rather short period of time the internet became "home" for the world at large. You can say what you want, when you want, because you feel "this is my space". Here's the truth: It is not your space...it's "our space".
When we are at home, we focus on our immediate needs, such as hunger, emotion, personal interaction, coffee.
This is what these networks have become for a couple of billion people. Immediate expression of what I feel, want, dislike of someone else, or even a quick fix for an immediate need.
You'll agree that most social posts are actually done at work, right? This is the space where you actually work towards a more long-term goal...maybe financial security in ten years' time, a long term project you're working on, even waiting on month-end for your salary to come! I believe that because we are so "at home" with social media, we never switch off from our focus on the immediate desires or expressions usually shared amongst family.
Too often this type of behaviour is very similar to the discipline in our spiritual life. When we're in trouble, we go to church and shout out to God for help. We trust Him for immediate relief of whatever problem we have. Rightly so, if we stand in constant fellowship with God and not just try to "use" Him when the need arises.
But where do we go if we're not close to church or someone who can pray or encourage us? We vent on facebook, then we notice this life changing quote from someone we admire, and we grab a hold of it as quick fix to make us feel better.
Every single person inspired to be born again, grow or heal or trust in the unfallable Love of God is a serious stride in the Kingdom and can cause great shifts in the spiritual world, but we need to reach for more than a short answer that brings temporary relief...and these platforms simply cannot do that.
Isn't it interesting that when Paul explains some fundamental aspects of God's Kingdom, he touches on this very concept?
for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
The Kingdom of God is established in our hearts and it remains forever. No one can destroy His Kingdom, and when Paul spoke on this, he mentioned that it's got nothing to do with a human being's immediate needs like food, drink, rest etc.
Especially actions like uncontrolled outbursts of emotion, so often aimed at a specific person that upset you just a couple of minutes ago. The Word is very clear when it comes to type of behaviour.
According to the Oxford dictionary, "to establish something is to start or create an organization, a system, etc. that is meant to last for a long time."
As I mentioned further down this page, our ability to transform with the information we receive usually lies with understanding, repetition, discussion, and even asking when we do not understand.
A social network simply does not provide for an in-depth learning and transformational environment. This is where the truly influential people do things differently. If you stick with a quick fix approach, your influence may remain in thousands of peoples lives, but in single, shortlived bursts.
- Janine, for example is also a speaker at several conferences, sharing more in depth, and more on a personal level
- She's a presenter at Radio Pulpit with a dedicated audience who drink in every nugget of truth she shares on air
- She's also a presenter on Impact Radio
- And amongst many other things, she's an author at the "Voel Goed" online magazine
Her influence is spurred on by her vision to motivate change in every way that she can. Every medium provides a different kind of engagement and the fruit of her labour is evident.
Pulling our nets closer to home
Not everyone has the means or opportunity to reach such a diverse audience as others, and sometimes even the most influential still have room to tap into more potential.
iWorship.co.za is where we pull our nets in closer to home. This is where we train the untrained. We grow together in unity, while everyone has the freedom to engage in a way most natural to them. And when a person finds that moment where the "penny drops", we can purposefully share it with the world.
For congregations and Christian-based communities, iWorship.co.za is the hub slowly gaining momentum as an enhanced online experience, where you are in control of the content shared from your heart.
Your favorite social network is still used for personal relationships, and if your reach in the community is effective then keep at it! The platform at iWorship.co.za is your dedicated space for finding and creating resources specifically aimed at christian growth and outreach.
By maintaining 100% integration facilities into the main social networks, we can feed into these broader communities, while engaging in a distraction-free environment for the most important online actions:
- Ministries can create life-changing resources, giving our direct peers and congregation members the ability to engage, learn and edify along with the rest of the body.
- Individuals can create similar groups to share their own journey, with their friends or the world at large. Whether your aim is to share your art, explain the portion of scripture that changed your life, evangelize or just need a space to edify your fellow Christians, you could even create a separate group for each initiative and invite your friends to join.
*subject to appropriate content being posted.
Website Hosting And Design
Setting aside the social media-talk, let's look a little closer to home.
While our time spent on social media can be used in efficient ways (and very affectively), the influence from our own website can be propelled even further.
Why is this?
Having your own website enables a near infinite number of possibilities. From establishing a subscriber base on your blog to generating an income and everything inbetween.
You should see your website as your home base. On the inside is where private stuff happens, for the household. Admin, living, planning your day...daily routine.
A home usually has a pleasant appearance from the outside and tells visitors a little bit about you, before they even meet you in person.
Whether you are a business, ministry or an individual, your website or "landing page" is where people get just enough information to decide whether they would like to visit.
Your events, business or fundraising initiatives etc. is like extending your home or working in the garden. It enhances the lives of the family while outsiders can see movement, growth and usually a bit of excitement. They are able to see more clearly what you stand for, where you are headed and what you current vision is...all without communicating a single word in person.
When you're happy with the current state of your site, you would automatically feel comfortable inviting people over, so they can see your passion more in depth. Much like a "welcome" mat at the door, this could include an invitation to receive some free resources, having a section for prayer requests or a mailing list that will inform them as soon as new information is available.
It could also be a sign or artwork at the home page, directing them to a specific item like your blog, where they can "meet" the family and be welcomed in person.
In a physical home, it could relate to something like the porch. This is neutral ground where they can be communicated to and influenced on their own terms. They can join and engage, but they can come and go as they please.
As part of iWorship.co.za's commitment to the Body, we are able to provide you with a no-cost website to use specifically for this purpose. We take care of things such as hosting, system maintenance, bug fixing alongside plugin developers and world class website security. All you worry about is what you care about: The design and content (like the outside appearance mentioned above).
Amongst the free services included you will find a full-fledged Church Management System where you can manage and handle the admin of your ministry. From member and family level, all the way to volunteers and duties. Click below to sign up or view more options.
Next Up: Integrating and expanding your reach beyond your website.
Community. Fellowship. A Model For Family.
When a person accepted your invitation to visit, and elder or volunteer will probably introduce them personally to your family.
They have now made themselves part of your personal sphere of influence. You may see an automatic shift in behaviour and focus from this point on.
From a place of cautious optimism, your visitor has now submitted themselves to your way of doing things. Your word spoken into their lives. And they will most probably stay until the end of your program without feeling the need for an "easy way out".
In an online perspective, this means that your visitor has engaged. They start utilising your resources and engage in a more personal and interactive manner.
At this point I feel it's important to step back for a moment and do a bit of introspection:
Do not forget that when we fellowship, we are often joined by individuals who haven't met our Saviour yet. To those, we become a model for Godly family. They might not be looking for faults, but they can certainly be apprehensive at times. This is one of the many reasons our relationships within the Body is as important as our public relations and social interaction.
A feud between believers, whether in the congregation or online, has the potential to cause unimaginable damage without us even realizing. Believe me, I have stepped in this snare and made the same mistake more than once in my life; and I am sure that you've experienced the same.
Even if a fellow believer notices a clash like this, we never know the damage our actions can do. And as mentioned in the article discussing some pitfalls of social media, the repercussions may continue indefinitely, even after we privately made peace and restored our relationship.
Let us strive to remember this and never lose sight of the common goal we have in the Kingdom of God.
Right, with that out of the way, let's continue on the idea of community and how our online presence can make a difference.
What do we do in a close-knit community or family?
We live, eat, grow and learn together. When you're at home, you train your children, you grow in love, reprimand or get reprimanded when necessary, and you apply disciplines pertaining to life.
Online, this is where the practical presence (or outward appearance) of a static website merges with an outward engagement amongst our immediate circle of influence. If I could relate our online presence with a work of art, this merge would be like the masterful brush strokes of a skilled artist.
You will most likely want to publish your sermons and events as online audio, video, training material, etc. The possibilities of what we can do online today is in a sense only limited by your imigination.
Today we can imagine so much more than a decade before...
How about a dedicated discussion area for small groups or engagement groups for the congregation to keep the conversation going? What about individual members with a burning passion to share what God has placed in their hearts? A space where they can give expression to the creativity or wisdom previously experienced by only a handful in fellowship, but never really practised in public.
Individuals not employed as a full time worker in the Kingdom often remain ineffective due to a lack of understanding or a lack of opportunity. The gift is there and the fields of harvest are bountiful, but much of the Church in general do not have the tools or knowledge to mobilise fellow believers.
Whether this person's ministry or passion would fall under the umbrella of the local body, or separately as an individual, we begin to reach a point where the desire, heart and drive is hindered by a small, yet powerful word: Skill.
You see, at the same time; that visitor who has started to engage will most likely feel inspired to interact and join the conversation if it were possible. They might even want to share what they learned from you, amongst their peers.
With an effective online presence, we now have 3 types of people engaged:
- The official ministry team
- The members of your fellowship
- The new visitor who has become a recipient of the Word released from your heart
Some ministries are blessed to have access to specialised staff who can actually maintain some form of engagement online. However, in most cases their engagement is still limited to simply sharing on social networks, and maybe a daily image with an inspirational quote.
The image may be shared or reposted by some of your audience, but we need to understand that while this method of "engagement" has proven somewhat effective over the past years, its reach and impact is on a slow, but constant decline. More on this is explained in another article, but the fact we have to consider is summed up in a question my pastor has been asking over and over: How do we get from a place of information to a place of transformation?
Especially online, the world is full of readily available information. But let me ask you a question: How many of the last 10 inspirational messages do you remember, and how many of those shared principles did you actually implement in your own life? Pastors, we need to ask this question about our own flock. If you don't see a definite change in the lives of your people, we need to address every possible reason: Is it a lack of foundational understanding? Is it because they don't know how the message relates to daily life? And could we change this by engaging in a more personal manner?
On social media we are fed with so many "good things" that sometimes we cannot even keep up with the notification stream, nevermind the actual content fading away on the bottom of your activity wall.
We need to explore how we can change this.
Personal engagement
We can all agree that we wouldn't be doing all we can if we weren't sharing our message wherever and whenever possible, but the one way we can truly make the message stick (not just our brand) is by engaging in a transformation-driven approach. This includes eventually sharing in a more focused manner as well.
Facebook groups already help in the sense that it could reignite conversation when someone randomly posts a comment on an old thread they come across.
Our aim is to specifically spark engagement and interactive conversation on the message currently focused on, and to keep engaging in a manner that stimulates understanding and growth. We believe that seeing or hearing is often not enough to truly make a change, especially hearing only once.
A couple of common obstacles in the pursuit to transform into the Image of Christ:
- Those who have not studied some form of theology or in-depth bible training often miss the meaning of certain foundational concepts in a sermon. While these truths may be elementary to those bringing the message, many people simply don't understand what you are really talking about - and quite often they just listen to the rest of the teaching without realizing they missed an important piece of information.
- Especially when it comes to biblical principles, I've often found that a person recognizes and accepts the value of what's being taught. They even know and confess that we "need to live this way", "we need to strive for this", or "we need to become more like Jesus". The problem always lies with the implementation. The "how to" is the dealbreaker, and usually also the missing ingredient in the equasion. Before they catch the "how", we're on to another subject, this one is forgotten and the pattern just repeats itself.
- Accountability is the third of many obstacles one could think of. Practising the Word. After being given the knowledge and gaining understanding, are we actually putting it into action? Are we willing to be held accountable for the smallest of things to the most life-changing principles? If we understand what Jesus meant in His teachings and that the same is required of us, are we willing to actually do the same?
Where and when (if ever) are these obstacles addressed in your ministry?
While no one can ever claim to have the perfect answer, we are committed to assist in getting closer to this end goal. For the bride of Christ to be pure and wholely devoted, we need to do everything in our power to help establish understanding, apply discipline and also edify and build one another in Love.
In creating individual spaces for ministries to "drive the topic home", the iWorship.co.za community exists to help fill this need in the Body of Christ.
How to take advantage
Whether or not your website is hosted through us, the community is a separate, public space for anyone to join and engage on topics of common interest. There is no cost to join and there never will be.
Users are able to create their own profile, much like the standard social networks, and you can use it in the same way for personal use.
To help make a remarkable difference in your immediate community, or the broader public if you wish, you may create a dedicated group for the goal you want to reach.
As an example this could be an engagement group for your entire congregation, accessible by the public, or by invitation only.
Keeping your main group private can be useful if you really want to engage on a personal level and expand on the teaching they heard over the weekend. At the same time you could use this space to prepare the members for the coming gathering by uploading notes or scriptures in advance. This way your flock can already start engaging, doing some homework even before the teaching comes.
Audio and Video can be embedded directly from the major platforms like Youtube, right within the group, so everything remains curated in one accessible space.
For further outreach to the broader community, you may also submit your media to be uploaded on our public channels and relevant groups.
Ideas for various types of groups
Depending on your needs, you may want to create one or more groups. Whatever you need it for, the process of creating the group remains the same. Usually the most important part is deciding whether the group should be public or private.
If it's a private group, you or appointed moderators will have to invite new members from within the group.
You could use the platform for:
- Creative groups such as "Prayers From My Art" (Feel free to join and post over there)
- Engagement group for your congregation
- Engagement groups for individual small groups
- Admin or planning teams could share a group for daily communication and sharing resources
- The music team may want their own group for planning, discussing songs or sharing their sheetmusic
- Even the childrens ministry may want to share with parents what they are teaching their children and publish important announcements
- The choice is yours!
**With iWorship.co.za being a free resource center, storage space is the most important commodity. We kindly ask that your upload file sizes be kept as small as possible. Also remember that using services such as YouTube expands your reach to more people while being storage-friendly for iWorship.co.za.
Simply copy and paste the link to the media hosted over there and it will be embedded as a native video on iWorship.co.za!
You may also submit your videos for consideration to upload on our external channels for greater reach.
If you've found a unique & effective way to manage your group, feel free to share with us in the comments section. Other ministries or individuals may benefit from your creativity!
Join us
Help fulfill the vision given to us by sharing what God has placed in your heart.
Simply click the login icon of your choice (red or blue in the menu above) and your profile will be created in an instant. (If you don't see those icons above, you've completed the sign up and are currently logged in!)
After creating your public profile, go ahead and create a group from your profile menu at the top of the page.
Choose whether your group should be public or private and you're ready to make a lasting change!
Your website options:
You are welcome to your own "piece of land" on the web, whether for personal, business or ministry!
Even if you have a website for your main ministry and would like a separate site for your youth or the band, go ahead and sign up below.
The free option will provide you with a website name such as "https://iworship.co.za/mywebsite". This is perfect if you don't want the hassle of paying for and managing your own domain name. It's also useful if you already have a website while this one is simply an additional website for a department in your organization. Another benefit is in "search engine optimization": This means that your website will automatically piggy-back on the traction that iworship.co.za gains in the eyes of google and other search engines, simply because your address forms part of our address.
All of the paid options provide the choice of using our domain name as above, or your own domain name, such as "mywebsite.co.za". This is great if you already own a domain name or want to purchase one through us.
Whether free or paid, we can assist you in migrating your current website into our ecosystem, so you can eliminate your current monthly web hosting fees.
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