virtual church
I have been asked to speak at a conference called ‘virtual church’
It is a one day conference: 29 June 2006, Melbourne which will likely be held at Northern Community Church of Christ. Their web site blurb introduces the conference as:
“Internet · email · SMS · blogs · podcasts—new communication technologies are changing the way we relate to each other. At the same time, young Christians are creating new kinds of faith communities, new ways of “being church”. As we experiment, what are we learning about ourselves and about God?”
One of the links on the web site is to this article titled “how far can a Church go online?”.
“It all depends on how one defines “church”. Christians would probably describe it as the collective body of Christ, gathering together to praise God, taking part in the sacraments and the form of service enjoyed in their chosen fellowship. So, can that reality be extended to a “virtual” community in cyber-space?
In this age of the Internet, many churches advertise their services and events “online”. That is pretty normal and church webpages have become the current equivalent of posters in public spaces. But, what about complete Christian communities that exist only online; can these truly be called “church”? Could it be that the church is transforming itself so that whole communities, linked only in cyber-space, will be the new denominations of the twenty-first century? After all, we bank online, we shop online. Can we effectively “do church” online too? Or is church different?
Part of being involved in a local church is the personal interaction, friendship and support of like-minded people. It could be argued that cyber-churches are seeking to provide this for both those who have no experience of church - or the gospel - and for those who are disillusioned with organized Christianity.
For whatever reason, there are numerous people for whom traditional church no longer seems relevant; many of them feel more comfortable surfing the net than they would if invited to visit their local place of worship. So, is church transforming itself to meet a need? Is cyber-church an effective substitute, or replacement for the traditional community? Or is it an “extra”? “
The question of whether Christian intentional community can happen online is an interesting one. Some people here have mused that some of the elements of Church are provided by signposts and one person even said to me recently that signposts was like another one of our congregations at Northern. So what do you think?
May 23rd, 2006 at 3:50 pm
Things went well thanks for asking.
Well purplegraciegirl, where do you train?
the rev
May 24th, 2006 at 8:14 am
ttt
May 25th, 2006 at 8:37 am
Rev, why do you do “ttt” comments everynow and then?
May 25th, 2006 at 8:44 am
To
The
Top
it puts them to the top of the recent comments. Was wanting to see if I interpreted purplegraciegirls name right.
the rev
May 29th, 2006 at 2:44 am
Rev,
sorry to disappoint. The closest I have ever come to jiu jitsu was lining up for “The Phantom of the Opera” in London in front of a group of five japanese businessmen and telling them I spoke Japanese. They were impressed. Until I exhausted my Japanese vocab with Toyota, Mitsubishi, Fuji, Nagasaki etc!
Purple - because it’s such a wondrous colour.
Gracie - because my name (Irish) means Grace. And because God’s grace, not that I’m just starting to cotton on to what it means, seems to me like the pinnacle expression of love, and I want to be full of grace.
Girl - because I am.
May 29th, 2006 at 10:42 am
Well purplegraciegirl…I quite like that as an identity.
May 30th, 2006 at 8:20 am
well with that nick name you should try some brazilian jiu jitsu, the Gracies are legends.
the rev
May 30th, 2006 at 9:42 am
I tried Brazilian Jiu Jitsu once…it tasted like chicken.
May 30th, 2006 at 11:26 pm
Bwahahahaha! Thanks for the welcome, guys.
Rev, how does brazilian jiu jitsu differ from other jiu jitsu? Is it something to do with waxing? :p
May 31st, 2006 at 7:52 am
Yeah you two are very funny.
Actually brazilian jiu jitsu is a grappling art that focuses on ground fighting. Where Japanese jiu jitsu incorporates strikes and mostly standing submission techniques. I also do muay tai kick boxing, olympic wrestling and western boxing.
Greg will learn all this first hand when I get to NSW.
Oh yes he will.
the rev
May 31st, 2006 at 10:25 am
*high fives Greg*
Rev, I am completely inept when it comes to things physical/self-defence. Humour is my only option.
May 31st, 2006 at 11:28 am
I’m looking forward to it - I did macrame in primary school - so I’d be a trmblin if I was the rev! in the mean time everyone, heres a picture that apparently is going on tee shirts that friends of the rev are creating out of the US:
http://onthemat.com/Images/news/revshirt.jpg
May 31st, 2006 at 12:08 pm
those were sold as a fund raiser almost three years ago. There are no more left, funny huh?
the rev
May 31st, 2006 at 1:06 pm
I loved them…wish I had one - I’d be willing to pay bottom dollar for one of those T shirts! :0)
May 31st, 2006 at 1:54 pm
they are all gone, only one printing, sorry
the rev
May 31st, 2006 at 2:15 pm
Submissions for a design for a new fundraising t-shirt for the rev and his new ministry at the cave are solicited.
June 2nd, 2006 at 8:24 am
That’s a top idea. I wish I had some talent.
August 18th, 2006 at 12:04 pm
[…] I notice that one of the other speakers has put his paper online - way more organised and laid out than my scribbly notes to myself that I spoke from. I basically pinched some of what you guys had been saying in this thread and used that […]