A Florida church began creating its own discipleship videos to reach members who are too busy—or otherwise unable—to attend Bible studies.
Now, thanks to YouTube, those videos are finding a worldwide audience.
“We’ve had a significant amount of views outside the U.S., like Germany, the Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia,” said Aaron Mamuyac, who creates and films the videos for Sunlight Community Christian Reformed Church in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
So far, the church has filmed three videos based on the Belgic Confession addressing general and special revelation and intelligent design, and a fourth video called “Four Reasons God Wants Us to Tithe.”
The videos are filmed in a creative, engaging manner designed to “introduce concepts in a fresh way,” Mamuyac said.
In addition to YouTube, the videos are posted on the church’s discipleship website at www.sunchurch.tv, along with recorded sermons and Bible studies.
The church plans to continue creating discipleship videos, about one each month. Upcoming videos will explain Reformed systematic theology, according to Rev. Scott Vander Ploeg. “It would be fantastic if other churches start to use them,” he said.
Vander Ploeg says he has no way to tell why there are so many YouTube viewers from Saudi Arabia, a country closed to missionaries, but he is thrilled by that fact. Some Saudis have even subscribed to the church’s videos, meaning that they are notified whenever the church posts a new video.
“The videos generate feedback from non-Christians too, so they’re obviously generating a diverse audience,” said Lauren Lynch, Sunlight’s communications director.
About the Author
Roxanne VanFarowe is a freelance writer who claims both Canadian and American citizenship and grew up in the Christian Reformed Church. She is a member of Blacknall Presbyterian Church in Durham, North Carolina.
