Why Online Hosts (and Chat) Matter More Than You Think
I’m Phil Thompson and I was a Church Online Pastor for several years. I can tell you your church livestream is your “digital front door,” and your online host is the person holding it open, smiling, and saying, “Hey, we’re glad you’re here.”
In this episode of the Church Solutions Podcast – Episode 506, Steve Lacy and I talk about one of the most overlooked growth tools in online ministry:
A real host in the chat.
Not a bot. Not “set it and forget it.” A real human being welcoming people, guiding conversation, and praying with viewers in real time.
And the truth is simple:
When you host well online, people connect. When people connect, they come back.
Sometimes… They even show up in the building.
But first…
Quick note: We’re not new to this
We’ve been serving churches since 2001, and StreamingChurch.tv is our flagship platform. But we’ve also built tools like:
- DailyDive365.com (sermon to daily devotions)
- ChurchAppLive.com (mobile app)
- Live Sunday support (yes, real humans in chat)
And we recently launched something fun:
Meet MinistryAdvisor.church
A free tool that helps churches identify where they are, where they want to go this year, and what to do next… powered by AI and shaped by decades of church and tech experience.
Bonus twist: you get to choose your advisor!
- A seasoned, wise pastor
- A younger, energetic, digitally-minded pastor
Same church data. Different coaching vibe. Check MinistryAdvisor.Church out today!
Why chat hosts are mission-critical
Most churches treat chat like a comment box.
But chat is closer to what happens in a church lobby:
- Someone arrives
- Someone acknowledges them
- Someone helps them take a next step
Here’s a stat we’ve seen play out again and again:
Many people attend online before they attend in person.
They’re “checking you out.” They’re browsing. They’re deciding if your church feels safe, warm, and real.
If the chat is silent… the room feels empty.
If the chat is welcoming… the room feels alive.
What does an online host do?
Steve boils it down into three simple roles:
1) Welcome
Your host is the digital greeter.
When someone joins, acknowledge them:
“Hey Larry, welcome! Glad you’re here today.”
That tiny moment tells a viewer: I’m not invisible.
2) Discuss
The host helps people participate, not just consume.
They can:
- ask an icebreaker question
- highlight a key point from the message
- share a personal takeaway
- invite viewers to respond
The goal isn’t “make chat busy.”
It’s “make church feel relational.”
3) Pray
This is where online ministry becomes real ministry.
Many platforms (including ours) let hosts move into a private prayer chat, so someone can ask for prayer without posting their story publicly.
This is often the moment people remember.
A pro move churches should consider: video host welcome
One of the best ideas mentioned in the conversation:
Let your online host appear on camera before service starts.
It doesn’t have to be fancy. A simple switcher + second camera in an office or quiet corner, and you can:
- welcome online viewers face-to-face
- share announcements that matter to online people
- explain how chat/prayer works
- point people to giving or next steps
It’s not disruptive. It’s connective.
And with today’s gear, it’s cheaper and easier than it used to be.
How to equip your hosts (without making it complicated)
Training doesn’t need a binder and a semester-long course.
Start with two basics:
Teach the tool (5 minutes)
- how to join as a host
- how to chat
- how to use emojis
- how to start a private conversation or prayer chat
- how to use pre-written “quick paste” lines (scripture, links, next steps)
Teach the tone
Hospitality is a skill. Some people have a gift for it, and others grow into it.
Either way, confidence comes from clarity.
Communication tips your hosts should actually use
Avoid ALL CAPS
All caps reads like yelling.
Use punctuation
A missing comma can turn “children eat free” into… something terrifying. 😬
Use emojis (sparingly, but intentionally)
Emojis add tone to plain text. They help people feel warmth in a chat window.
Avoid slang and “Christianese”
Don’t assume every viewer speaks church.
Phrases like “washed in the blood” may be meaningful to insiders, but confusing to a visitor who’s still deciding if they belong.
Your host should sound like a friendly guide, not a code-word gatekeeper.
Sticky situations: what hosts need to know
This is where online hosting goes from “engagement” to “pastoral care.”
Two categories came up:
1) Disruptive behavior
If someone is using vulgarity or harassing others, hosts should know how to:
- warn (if appropriate)
- mute/silence if necessary
- protect the room
2) Serious personal crisis
If someone expresses:
- deep depression
- thoughts of self-harm
- suicidal language
- domestic abuse concerns
Hosts should treat it as real, and move the conversation private quickly.
A smart best practice is to have:
- crisis resources ready (like hotline info)
- a plan for escalation
- a way to hand off to a pastor/staff member or trained person
One important point from the episode:
You can split host duties.
Some people are great at welcoming and discussion, while someone else (staff, care team) is best suited to prayer and crisis response.
That’s not weakness, that’s wisdom.
Follow-up is where momentum turns into ministry
One of the strongest closing points:
Fast follow-up matters.
If you have the ability to capture contact info (and follow up ethically and appropriately), reaching out:
- same afternoon, or
- the next day
…can dramatically increase the chance they return.
Waiting a week is like returning a first-time guest’s handshake… next Sunday.
What to do next
If your church chat feels dead, don’t assume people “just don’t want to chat.”
Try this instead:
- Put a real host in the room
- Give them a simple playbook
- Have them welcome, discuss, and offer prayer
- Follow up fast
You might be surprised how quickly “dead chat” becomes “living room.”
And if you need a platform built for interaction, hosting, prayer, and follow-up tools, we’d love to help.
- Visit StreamingChurch.tv
- Or check out MinistryAdvisor.urch to get a free ministry action plan with your choice of coach
Because online church isn’t just video.
It’s people. And people need a hello.
We can provide you event more training material for your online hosts, just reach out to us at StreamingChurch.tv