This blog post comes from Trey Van Camp’s presentation at the ENGAGE conference. Trey shares the importance, and the impact, vlogging has had on his ministry. Here is a recap and a Trey’s top ministry vlogging tips, written by Text In Church member, Al Eddy.

I thought I knew a lot about using technology for ministry, but Trey’s session helped me to think outside of the box when it comes to doing video and vlogging. I found it really insightful how he considered even the small things. I do a lot of videos myself for our church, where I am the associate pastor, but I never really thought about vlogging for our ministry

One of the things that impacted me the most was the personal story Trey shared about something he and his wife were going through that was very personal and very painful. I found it impactful because a lot of times we’re tempted to just bottle up every little thing and pretend it’s all fine. It’s helpful to be reminded we’re not alone in our suffering.

Trey goes on to talk about some of the reasons why you should start a vlog and he gave us several tips. I don’t want to give away everything in this, but I just want to give you enough to pique your curiosity, because this is definitely something that you need to check out and get ahold of.

Also Read: Concepts to Move Your Ministry Forward: A Recap from ENGAGE Conference 2020

Create content about what’s going on in the life of the church and your personal life. Even if it seems small or insignificant, it is part of the process of letting people “in” and sharing normal, day to day stuff. It humanizes a church or ministry and allows an individual to seem more approachable.

This takes several steps, but it’s very important. Ask yourself questions such as, “Who can I best reach and attract? What catches their attention? How can they access us?” The better you know your audience, the better you’ll interact with them.

Vlogging is an incredibly accessible tool. You can upload multiple times a week if you want or, if you are not used to video, feel free to start slow. Just be consistent! Practice at first just doing videos for a couple of minutes. The important part is to get comfortable putting yourself out there.

Trey is known for his preaching. Often times preachers can be perceived as unapproachable. However, through vlogging, Trey not only shows himself to be an authentic Christian but an approachable and relatable guy. It makes his messages that much more powerful to his audience. Again, remember to create content and do it consistently. It can’t be a hit-or-miss thing where you only post when you feel like it.

Pro Tip: If you have trouble sharing your spiritual journey, take some advice from Trey, “Every journey is worth sharing because Jesus is worth sharing.” Ask yourself what has Jesus done for me? How is He moving in my life lately? How is He helping me? Remember that Jesus is working through you and you can use your journey to share Him.

In addition to vlogging about your spiritual journey, you can also create content that addresses the needs of your audience. Get to know your audience where they are by following them on social media. Learn about what they like, what concerns them and how they are struggling. Create content that addresses these issues and speaks directly to the heart of your audience.

It is important to create a framework for yourself. That framework would consist of what you want to talk about, what you do, or even how you relate to your audience. Don’t simply read from a bunch of notes or a teleprompter, it comes off fake and boring. Memorize a few key points and then talk about it. Don’t rehearse too much, just let it flow out naturally as God wills it.

Another point about vlogging is it doesn’t need to be edited over and over again like some videos you post online would. Vlogging is as simple as going out for a walk, flipping out your cell phone and recording. No editing necessary. You just need to know how you plan to end the vlog and attempt to give people a peek behind the curtain so to speak, show them who you really are that way you come across as an approachable person.

Also Read: 3 Expert Messaging Strategies That Work For Churches

Trey clearly has so much passion for what he does in his ministry, and for vlogging about it. It really inspired me to reconsider all of the different ways we can share our life and stories online and the impact that can have on so many. So, whether you’re an avid vlogger or you’ve never even considered taking a selfie video, read over these tips and prayerfully consider how you can be sharing the story Jesus is writing in your life.