Who Should Lead A VR Ministry?
I have been asked many times now, “Who is the right person to lead a VR ministry for our church?” And I get where the question is coming from. There is excitement behind the idea of leading a ministry in VR or bringing your existing church into the VR spaces. There is excitement over the idea of reaching the unreached and advancing God’s kingdom all over the world. But, who is the right person to lead the charge?
I primarily get this question from Senior Pastors of existing Churches, or listeners from the Metaverse Church Podcast. They press into the excitement, they see the need, and potential, but they also feel they are not the right person to lead the charge in this arena. And, honestly? VR ministry isn’t for everyone. It is a scary unknown new frontier for the Church to be pressing into, and yet, so much is at stake if the church doesn’t adopt it, and get the right person for task.
Now, hear me out. When I got invited into this crazy adventure known as VR ministry, I would have told you I was not the guy for the task. I’m not a gamer, like at all! I can’t emphasize that enough. And, when I got introduced to the concept of “Virtual Reality Church” it was the dumbest thing I had ever heard of. That alone tells you that the right person for this isn’t necessarily someone who spends a lot of time playing video games, and it might not even be someone familiar with the metaverse.
But, before I give you my thoughts on who that right person might be to lead a VR ministry, let me give you somethings to consider and watch out for as you look for your “who.”
Calling - Be aware that you or someone you know might be called to lead a VR ministry. They might be aware of VR technology and the opportunity it provides the Church. They might have a burden to reach people for Jesus in the metaverse spaces, and that burden may be coming from the Holy Spirit. If God can give someone a burden to reach people in the hard to reach places in their city or around the world, He can give someone a burden for the people in VR.
Wiring- You might see that someone is wired for VR ministry, even if they don’t see it in themselves. The Apostle Paul talks about gifts given to all believers in Ephesians 4:11-13. When these gifts are on display, it reflects Jesus to a lost and broken world, in a way the Church is called to do so. You might know these as the APEST gifts (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd, & Teacher). While I believe anyone of these gifts can be utilized successfully in VR environments, I believe people wired with an apostolic or evangelistic gift will thrive in VR and find great joy putting those gifts into practice. For more information on the APEST gifts, or finding out about which one you may be gifted with, check out 5Q central.
So, who is the right person to lead a VR ministry? Well, I think it’s easier to decipher that than you may think.
The person I think you are looking for is the person who all they want to do is know Jesus and make Jesus known. This is the person that it doesn’t matter where you put them, they can’t help but get into a Jesus conversation with someone, because all that matters to them is letting people know there is a God who is for them and not against them.
Do you know someone like that? I bet you do!
My advice to you, if you are looking to launch your own VR ministry, is to invite this person into that opportunity to advance the Kingdom into a space that will have a global impact. Let them know of the hurt and hopelessness, and also the potential that is found in VR, and why it is in desperate need to have the darkness turned off with the light of Jesus. They might be hesitant at first, but once they see what you see, they too will know they were the who you were looking for.
Looking to launch a VR ministry? I’m here to help!
I have a dream of seeing 100 churches planted in VR in the next 10 years. Let’s get started on launching yours today!
Reach out to me HERE!