Religious organizations are using innovative ways to broaden their community outreach by providing unique services to their congregations. Many of these institutions are turning to online video conferencing as a way to expand their word far beyond the confines of their places of worship. Video and web conferencing allows religious organizations to stay connected with their members. By broadcasting weekly sermons, religious organizations are able to offer their services to members who are at home ill or held back from attending in person due to location or weather conditions. In addition to broadcasting weekly services, religious establishments are using video and web conferencing to: ** Conduct online study or prayer groups †Most study or prayer groups take place in the evenings, usually Monday thru Friday. Online study or prayer groups allow churchgoers to connect with each other from the comfort of their own home on a daily, weekly or â€immediate†basis. ** Host events with religious leaders †Congregations are now able to have access to and communicate with religious scholars and leaders that are located anywhere throughout the world, without these leaders having to travel to the actual event. ** Offer counseling services - Web-based counseling services, such as marriage counseling or grief counseling are being made available to members. ** Foster new relationships †Educational webinars that discuss benefits of joining the congregation are being used to recruit new prospects and welcome new members. ** Maintain past relationships †Online video conferencing is allowing congregations to stay connected with members who may have moved away, but still want to attend services and events. ** Improve membership accessibility †Web-based meetings make it easy for members who are out of town on business or vacation to access their congregation’s services, meetings or events. ** Meet with remote authorities †Congregations are usually part of a larger religious network. Online conferencing makes it easy for religious executives to check in on regional branches without asking them to travel. ** Conduct collaborative meetings - Organizational planners, administrators and volunteer groups can meet, plan and collaborate without having to be located in the same room. ** Offer teacher and leader training †Video-enabled learning and training courses are being offered to religious group authorities. Online video conferencing allows organizations to stay connected in a society which is increasingly â€on the goâ€. Religious institutions adopting and implementing this technology are benefitting internally in many ways (saving time, saving on travel), as well as providing members and religious leaders the ability to meet face-to-face and attend congregation related events or services; simply by using a computer and a browser and often without the need to even leave their home.
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