Do you remember before computers churchgoers got up, got dressed and walked or drove to their local church for a live performance by Pastor XYZ, prayed as a congregation, received the Pastor's in person blessing and returned home?
With the advent of computers, the world has changed. People use computers to shop online, get their news, express their opinions and search the world for information about almost anything we can imagine.
Now churches are using the computer to provide church services with all of the components of a regular church service, expect for person to person interaction. These sites are interactive and even provide music as well as live pod casts.
Life Church headquartered in Oklahoma, conducts 25 online services. They are interactive, giving participants a chance to ask questions, ask for prayers, and sing along to the online music. Some churches offer Bible study classes and even offer sacraments such as baptism online.
In a move to bolster attendance, some churches buy ad words from Google to promote their websites. Some people even use Twitter to tell their friends to join in a service. Others volunteer to help the church solicit members across the world.
Advocates of online churches such as Rob Wagner, a pastor at Granger Community Church of Indiana, views the Internet as just another neighborhood were relationships can be built. His church will soon launch an Internet campus.
Pastors who favor Internet churches feel it is a religious duty to harness this new way of reaching the spiritually lost.
Do you attend an online church or are considering doing so?
Twitter finally reveals revenue ambition, wants to be Google -- but not yet
Google says: Chrome for Christmas
Why is gold marching higher? Ask the central bankers
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-05-2009 @ 5:26AM
clikdawg said...
"Whatever gets you through the night 'salright, 'salright
It's your money or life 'salright, 'salright
Don't need a sword to cut through flowers oh no, oh no.
"Whatever gets you through your life 'salright, 'salright
Do it wrong or do it right 'salright, 'salright
Don't need a watch to waste your time oh no, oh no.
"Hold me darlin' come on listen to me
I won't do you no harm
Trust me darlin' come on listen to me, come on listen to me
Come on listen, listen ...
"Whatever gets you to the light 'salright, 'salright
Out the blue or out of sight 'salright, 'salright
Don't need a gun to blow your mind oh no, oh no.
:Hold me darlin' come on listen to me
I won't do you no harm
Trust me darlin' come on listen to me, come on listen to me
Come on listen, listen ... "
-- John Lennon
11-05-2009 @ 2:01PM
Mike said...
Well, I would join an online church if they showed me how to break bread...not by clicking on an icon...and drinking the wine by splashng a word powerpoint animation...Is the church so perceuted to the point that we are resorting to fellowshiping by twitting and worshiping on line. I just hope the apostle paul didn't just turn in his grave after hearing that. If he were to write to my generation of christians i hope he wouldnt begin it the way he started the third chapter of Galatians....Oh Foolish Galatians!Who has bewitched you....
Feel free to check on my blog...leave a comment. Cast a stone or write in the sand.
https://7drizzles7.wordpress.com/
11-05-2009 @ 11:48AM
hsbrown36 said...
The Pew Internet study states that 93% of people looking for faith, religion and God use the Internet. The old days of The Yellow Pages are gone being replaced with yellowpages.com called Google.com Online church community is a reality and growing rapidly at sites like www.circlebuilder.com that advance communications, collaboration and serve current and new church or ministry members
Open disclosure, I am the Cofounder and CEO at www.circleBuilder.com
Howard Brown
11-05-2009 @ 4:19PM
clikdawg said...
Mike --
You sure Saul of Tarsus wouldn't have e-mailed the Galatians nowadays?
I believe he says at one point (no, can't come up with the chapter and verse off the top of my head) that to effectively preach The Word, one must speak the language of those one would convert.
So how do you preach effectively to the text-messaging world we now (rather unfortunately) live in?
Just thinking out loud here, compadre. Granted that "e-neighborhoods" are arguably inferior in substance and spirit to the Real Thing, still ... there they are and what's to be done about it?
Not my own personal cup of tea, of course, but, well ... there is that little passage about casting the first stone ...
11-06-2009 @ 6:06PM
prayerroomnyc said...
a pastor does not have to pay rent , or build a building, a lot of pastors have go off the air ( T V ) because it cost them so much money .
A pastor Can not watch over your soul thru Internet.
there No Followshiping One to another .
It Sad to see the church Conforming to this world way of doing things .. Thw Word tell us In Romans 12:2 ..
For a season Christian I believe it a good Tool , But For a new Beliver , It very Hard to Get A Foundation , Because a New Beliver has so Many Question , And no One to answer them ..It Has It plus's and Minus's ..
The Word says Them that are Lead by the spirit of God are Son's of God .
Amen .
11-09-2009 @ 2:48PM
Claudia Thomas said...
I wouldn't worship at an off-line church let alone an online one.
11-09-2009 @ 11:30PM
russ said...
dont foresake the assembling of the saints
11-10-2009 @ 12:07AM
seekyah said...
Don't put a limit on God. His presence can be felt through a computer if the message is great and the worship is great. People have been saved for many years through radio and tv ministries. I do both in addition to praying everyday and it keeps me fulfilled.