10 Online Course Ideas for Christian Writers and Speakers

Thinking about creating an online course? Courses are a great way to serve your audience, build trust and rapport, and generate residual income to support your ministry. But what kind of course should you create? Here are 10 ideas for meaningful e-courses you can build from your existing blog, book, podcast or speaking content.

1. Bible study. Choose a topic or book of the Bible and explore it step by step over a series of videos. If you’ve already written a Bible study book or printed digital product, an online video series is the perfect accompaniment to invite your audience to experience your content in a deeper way.
   
   
2. How-to course. What’s your specialty? What does your audience turn to you for? Consider creating a how-to course on your area of expertise, such as how to plan a women’s ministry event, how to cope with divorce grief, how to stop yelling at your kids (I wrote that one!), and so on.
   
   
3. Keynote events. If you speak for small groups such as MOPS or community outreach clubs, try recording one of your keynote messages (or a series of them) and pitching them to those small groups as a virtual event.
   
   
4. Inspiration from your book or blog. Repurposing your existing content is one of the smartest ways to build a product like an online course. Choose some of your most popular or precious blog posts, podcast episodes, or book chapters (if you own the rights) and present them in video format for individuals or groups. Choose a theme and organize your content so it progresses to a meaningful conclusion.
   
   
5. Maker course. If you’re a crafter, artist, baker or other tangible goods maker, build a course that teaches your audience how to do a specific task, such as painting flowers with watercolors, preparing freezer meals, screen printing T-shirts, etc.
   
   
6. Homeschool curriculum. If you serve youth or have a heart for teaching kids about Jesus, consider creating an online course for homeschool students or youth groups on a topic you’re passionate about sharing.
   
   
7. Wellness videos. I know of several Christian wellness coaches who are determined to invite Jesus into the conversation of healthy eating and exercise. If you’re passionate about physical or mental health and you have credentials to back up your claims, create a series of videos or even a membership site where people can get faith-based encouragement on the topics of fitness and food.
   
   
8. Teach the teacher. If you’ve been in ministry or business for a while, then chances are you’ve gained a lot of knowledge on topics like how to use website tools, email marketing, writing, speaking or graphic design. What do you know today that you didn’t know 5 or 10 years ago? Create a course designed to mentor ministry and business entrepreneurs who are a step behind you.
   
   
9. Collaborate. Team up with fellow authors or speakers to create a course on a need your audiences have in common. You can split the work AND cross promote to grow your reach, serve more people more efficiently, and bless your buyers with the power of combined wisdom.
   
   
10. Live Q&A. Online courses don’t need to be pre-recorded. Try running a series of live Q&A sessions via a tool like Zoom or Crowdcast where your audience can gather for personal interaction and camaraderie as you answer their questions on a specified topic. 

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