Apr 28, 2009
Is The Future of the Church Online?
Is the future of the church online?
I think the answer to that question should be YES. Actually, the answer must be YES.
Otherwise, an offline, disconnected, unnetworked Church will become increasingly irrelevant to an online, connected, networked world.
How tragic would that be? For the one body that is tasked with spreading the message of Jesus Christ, the most relevant message of all, to be seen as irrelevant by the world.
Nick Charalambous, the Web Campus Pastor for Newspring Church explains why the church must engage online in a guest blog post on the Lifechurch.tv Internet Campus blog………
We’ve got to be where everyone is, use the communication tools everyone else uses, and share what Jesus has to offer wherever people expect to find “knowledge for life.” And in our foreseeable future that will be defined by the web.
No. 1 The gospel of Jesus is good news, and like all news and information, the way we share what is going on in our lives has forever moved online. Ubiquitous wireless and ubiquitous connectedness will mean that practically everything we do, buy and discuss will speak to a large audience about us and about what we value. Everyone will have the communications permission of close relational ties and we’ll have the reach of traditional “broadcast” media.
No. 2 Jesus’ grace is human-shaped, carried by individuals not institutions. In a networked world where relationships, our “work” and resources are all leveraged by the web. The church (that means you and me) will have the means again for the first time since the dawn of the industrial age to create and foster communities of grace that can care for one another, disciple one another, meet needs in the name of Jesus and evangelize his name in a radically personal way.
No. 3. The church is meant to be kingdom-minded, and the power of the “network effect” will force all churches and ministries to work in a de-centered, collaborative, crowd-sourced fashion that will create more practical and theological unity and, along with it, more scale, more social influence and more dramatic witness.
I invite you read the rest of Nick’s post and let me know what you think.
Is the future of the church online?
No related posts.
Only one in five people on the planet even has access to the Internet. A substantially smaller number of people use it with any frequency. Consider for a moment how this very popular and persistent message appears to drive the focus of wealthy Christians inward toward the other residents of their digitally gated communities.
Ponder, too, the efficacy of a technology harnessed in large part to indulging our desire to be entertained, to embrace celebrity and to consume for conveying a message of self-denial, a Gospel manifested most powerfully through our weaknesses.
The Gospel is not just another product to be marketed. It is a life to be lived. Even the most tech-saturated people are able to distinguish in some fashion–however diminished–between "life" online and life in the flesh. They are not thirsty for more entertainment, more fame, more stuff, more cheap flattery. They are justifiably leery of messages they receive via the media, no matter how novel that media might be. They hunger to see integrity and love walking around on two feet, to encounter the living God on His terms, not theirs.
@Matt
thanks for chiming in on the ongoing discussion of the role that technology and the internet should play in the Church
from your comment, it sounds like you are against the Church's use of technology and the internet. but since you are engaging in this conversation online and have your own blog, I will assume that is not the case. i suspect you are suggesting that Church should be mindful of how it uses these tools and with that I agree
i probably caused some confusion with the way I worded the question in the post – Is the Future of the Church Online?
I still strongly believe the answer to that question is 'Yes', but if the question were asked, "Is The Future of the Church 'Only' Online?", the answer is definitely 'No'
you stated that people "hunger to see integrity and love walking around on two feet". you are so right and that is why I'm going to spend some time in July sharing the love of Christ in a slum of San Jose, Costa Rica
can the Church be the Church both on digital screens around the world and on the dusty streets of a slum in Costa Rica? absolutely
I am actually pretty tech savvy, very much enjoy the social media tools that have recently gained traction and can think of a number of ways in which Christians can use technology better to share their lives and the Gospel.
I am growing more and more agitated, though, by those who overstate the power and propriety of the medium. Have they learned nothing from phenomena such as televangelism? Do they not perceive the numbness and deep cynicism most people have adopted as a defensive measure against the bombardment of messages via various media? Do they seriously think folks are seeking a watered down version of the consumer experience when they go to church? Have they even heard of Marshall Mcluhan?
I am here to say that, if the Church fails, it will not be because it neglects the new media. I see too many churches squandering time and resources on new technology that fails in any real way to extend or deepen their ministries. I see those in ministry who need to learn what it means to follow Christ, to die to self, before they take another step following the crowd in the direction of "relevance" (which too often encompasses fame). As Clifford Stoll would say, I see way too much "silicon snake oil" being peddled.
At every turn in the Bible, God's love, power and wisdom are delivered through man's weakness and folly. Most mass media are created for projecting man's power and stroking man's vanity. It is very difficult to exhibit the brokenness of a Christ follower through a medium designed to suit the power structure of our day.