Announcing Pixel & Pulpit - A Nerd & Digital Ministry Community
Something Nerdy This Way Comes
Welcome to Pixel & Pulpit!
Greetings from the curator of this feed. Pixel & Pulpit is a community experience centered around building and bettering digital ministry.
In 2020, I planted a new church start in the United Methodist Church known as Checkpoint Church - the church for nerds, geeks, and gamers. You can learn more about that incredible community here.
I’ve picked up various tips, tricks, and experiences along the way. We formed out of a need that I wasn’t seeing met by the existing expression of the Church, and I had better hopes ahead. At this point, we are several years in.
We’ve made mistakes.
We’ve made memories.
We’ve made a difference.
And now, I want to share them with you.
More Than Nerds
While my particular area of interest is a ministry to nerds, geeks, and gamers, I’ve also garnered some experience with digital ministry on a broader scale. Pixel &
Pulpit won’t exclusively focus on nerdy expressions of ministry, while that may be the more predominant flavor.
In this vein, I encourage the reader to expand the conception of what appears to be the niche work of nerd ministry. What initially started as a hyperfocused ministerial offering has blossomed and appeals to people of all backgrounds worldwide. Oddly, the gleanings offered by the conversations in this place will apply to all pastoral settings.
As someone who has served in every setting from rural to one of the largest UMC charges in the Western North Carolina Conference, the toolset offered in digital ministry is helpful in each charge I have served.
What To Expect (And Where This Is Going)
I have a series of goals set for myself in this endeavor. I also invite you to join in setting these goals for yourself in this space.
Monthly conversations.
Engaged community.
Professional Testimonies.
Forward-Focused Opportunities.
Monthly Conversations:
I am not stepping back from my other vocational obligations to create this community. Given this, it is most prudent to leave my schedule manageable without redundant quotas - or quotas at all. I will strive for monthly blog posts that are thorough and needed. I would rather create engaging long-form conversation worthy of a reader’s time than weekly fluff that has the potential to offer little more than a time-suck.
Engaged Community:
I am not interested in an echo chamber or another private venture. I am a hobbyist and have plenty of those that exist. This space is meant to engage the reader and propel them toward conversation. I will foster this culture, but it will require engagement on your end as the reader.
Professional Testimonies:
I am well-versed in the nerd ministry setting after many years of service. However, I am far from the sole voice in the space. I am far from the loudest voice in the space. I want this venture to engage those voices and welcome them into conversation with the newcomer and local church leader. I have a few strings I can tug on and will seek to engage these voices when I am able.
Forward-Focused Opportunities:
I am a goal-setter. I also have a passion for newness. In my personal life, I seek rewards for positive growth. In this community, I want to practice the same culture. As we grow, I will set bonuses for the road ahead.
Here are a few examples:
At 100 Subscribers, I will open paid subscriptions. This will allow for more prominent guests to be welcomed into the conversation and for them to be compensated for their time. It will also allow me to observe your digital ministry and provide feedback personally. We’ll discuss this more when we get there.
At 100 Comments, I will start a podcast for the Pixel & Pulpit, likely one engaging voices leading the digital ministry space.
For Every 10 Recommendations, I will craft a bonus blog entry highlighting digital ministry that is being done well.
This is the beginning of the future I have planned for this space. I look forward to seeing this space's engagement and how we can grow. The future of digital ministry is bright, and I’m excited for the Body of Christ to be brought forward by the hard work of ministers like you.
World 0-0 | Level Complete!
Congratulations on entering this new endeavor with us by at least taking the time to learn what it is all about from the beginning. I’m glad you’re here. I am praying for your future innovative ministry.
If you’d like to subscribe, please click below. You’ll find out when each new piece of material is posted and be able to experience the community in this way better.
To close, here are some engagement questions; I’ll look for your answers in the comments below.
What is your ministry context? Are you a planter, serving a church, or just a curious member?
How has your church changed in 2022? Did that excite you? In what way?
Any questions you have for me or Pixel & Pulpit?
Excited for this. I have many ministry contexts (I’m a UMC pastor too) at the moment but the one that makes most sense here is the app I released called ZOAY. It’s focused on providing spiritual practices in nature, art, social action, meditation, and study for millennials and Gen Z who used to go to church and no longer do. At the end of 2022 it has spun out into its own thing and we are working on securing funding for 2.0.
I’d love to know what platform you are looking at using for the community building element.
Being a nerdy person and Christ follower I get a lot of people that I work with or engage with in my town (not particularly from my church, the church in general), and I get a lot criticisms, lectures, backsliding conversations for the shows, games, etc that I like. That’s why I started my YouTube channel. I wanted to start a nerdy community where they’re not judged no matter what background they come from, and all positive and encouraging comments. I’m about 3k subs in so far and they don’t know about my relationship with Jesus yet, but what I wanted to do is show them what the love of Jesus looks like without being an advertisement if that makes sense lol.. But for me personally i love my relationship with Jesus but there is a part of me that’s starting to get sick of the organization that is “The Church”. Dressing and acting a certain way and God forbid if you do something not to there liking. I can see why people who don’t know Jesus don’t feel accepted or feel like it’s there their thing all the time. Then my uncle who saw you at a conference told me about you and what you are trying to accomplish and immediately was intrigued and was all for it! I’m praying for you bro and will be supporting and listening to your product. Thank you for supporting the in my opinion (to the church) forgotten nerdy community!