RESOURCES FOR CHURCHES
How to Get Started in the Metaverse
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Spend 5 minutes in any of the Metaverse social apps and you will see that this verse describes those places perfectly. AltspaceVR, VR Chat, RecRoom, and the others are filled with real people with real needs and who desperately need the hope of Christ.
We aim to honor God in all we do - both IRL and in the Metaverse. Please see this paper for the theological and biblical basis for how we approach doing ministry in the Metaverse: https://www.cornerstoneyc.com/metaversetheology
If you are a church looking to start a ministry in VR, we are so glad you're here! We have created some free resources (listed below on this page) that will be helpful to you as you start your journey. If you desire more individualized consulting and help, please email contact@cornerstoneyc.com
METAVERSE CHURCH: ARE YOU READY TO MINISTER IN THE METAVERSE?
WELCOME TO THIS INTRODUCTORY TRAINING ON THE META CHURCH
This is a 4-part class designed to introduce you to doing ministry in the Metaverse. The videos and class notes are below.
CLASS 1
META as a Mission
I want to encourage you to see the Metaverse as an entirely new world full of lost souls. These people align themselves into different digital platforms as if they are tribes on these continents. And most of these tribes are completely unchurched and have no intention of visiting a physical church no matter how much you and I try to welcome them there. This class will introduce you to some of these new and different cultures, and discusses the importance of reaching them in their "native" environment.
CLASS 2
Philosophy of Metaverse Ministry
We learned in the previous session how the Metaverse is the new Mission field. Before you jump into this new world, I want to give you some Philosophy of Ministry considerations that may be of help to you. As they say, prior prayerful planning prevents poor performance.
Philosophy of Metaverse Ministry Session Notes2022/09/class-2-philosophy-of-metaverse-ministry.pdf
CLASS 3
Mechanics of Metaverse Ministry
We learned in the previous session about how to lay down a philosophy of ministry for the Metaverse. But once you are ready to enter the Metaverse it is time to learn some of the basic mechanics to get started. In this class, I want to give you 6 practical steps to launch your Metaverse ministry.
CLASS 4
Exposing your Church without Imploding Your Church
We learned in the previous session about the basic mechanics of launching your Metaverse Church. But I don’t want you to get so lost in these details that you lose sight of something just as important: Exposing your Church to Metaverse Ministry without Imploding Your Church.
The newness of the Metaverse…and perhaps a bit of the weirdness of the Metaverse…makes some Christians instantly nervous about doing ministry there. It is not instantly obvious to them that the Metaverse is a wide-open, missional harvest field. They need to be led towards this understanding. But there are some key things you can do to lead your flock so that they celebrate your Metaverse Ministry instead of condemning it.
VIDEOS
NBC TODAY SHOW SEGMENT
How The Metaverse Is Changing The Way People Attend Church
Cornerstone was featured in a Today Show Segment with Savannah Sellers. The piece originally aired on August 4, 2022
EPISODE 356: CHURCH IN THE METAVERSE WITH JASON POLING AND GERALD FAULKNER
June 26, 2022
FUTURIST CHURCHES & THE VIRTUAL REALITY MULTISITE CAMPUS
January 11, 2021
JASON POLING & THE VIRTUAL REALITY MULTISITE CAMPUS
November 9, 2020
PODCASTS & ARTICLES
THE CHRISTIAN POST
ONLINE PASTOR COACHING
LEADERSHIP NETWORK
UNSEMINARY
EXPONENTIAL FUTURE PODCAST CHURCH