I had the wonderful experience yesterday: I was offended.
Now, it’s not too often that I get offended. I’ve mentioned a couple times that I’m not necessarily “light” on my sensibilities. Honestly? It takes something serious to get me going. I’ve learned to be far less dogmatic in my practice as I’ve learned how great and big our God truly is.
This could be not be more true when dealing with those that do not see “Church” ever being associated with “online”.
In my Missiology and Anthropology course here at DTS I’m learning some amazing truths, about people, about missions, and about how God engages in his amazing plan to save the planet from itself. Without question, it’s been one of the best courses I’ve ever taken.
Yesterday, I asked a very simple question:
Professor, what do you think about “Online Church”?
I didn’t ask anything specific, but just wanted his general thoughts as it had pertained to our call to engage the lost and use it as a place of community. Before he could answer fully I heard shuffling of feet and bodies, a few giggles, and then a scoff as one student laughed and said:
Hah! That’s like an oxymoron!
The giggles, from the other students, grew into full laughs at this point.
I took it in stride and didn’t bat an eye, and my professor was a champ. After having been in many different living environments and experiencing various different types of technology and even more cultures, his reply was deft.
He said he didn’t know much because that’s not his world and not where he’s been called to engage deeply. He said that he couldn’t judge it or say it was “right” or “wrong” but believed it could be a valuable medium; he, personally, didn’t know out of experience.
His answer was skillful, tactful, and respectful. I knew it would be, but what surprised me is that we had just had a near-full semester of teaching about opening our eyes to different forms of engagement and using different technologies for different cultures and the HUGE area of “contextualization”.
I’m not sure much of that “stuck” with some of the other students.
It simply reminded me that our job, as technoevangelists, is a role of educator. Sure, we’ll use the tech, but also have to teach it and it’s appropriate application. We have to show others that it’s valuable and illumine them to it. This is, for the Church, one of our most important roles.
The conversation was dead as quick as my question had arose, but I knew that it was only prayer and perseverance that would win this battle. … Even though I wanted to say “Uh, you’re a moron for not liking the internet and not wanting to see people come to Christ through it.”
But I know that student that scoffed with ignorance is going to have a big /facepalm moment someday. Hehe. All good.
I love that word technoevangelist.
Dude, I'm stoked about getting our church "more" online. My Pastor has given his wife and I the pulpit for the whole morning tomorrow so that we can teach our church how to connect and grow online.
SWEET! that sounds awesome! rock it!
Thats awesome Chris, I'm totally throwing up a prayer for you guys!
thanks brad!
We had an awesome Sunday!
People were stoked about everything… I even had an "older" lady come up to me excited about the mobile version of our site… smiling from ear to ear!
Wow. I have gone on missions(in country) and been able to reach and aid others through Jesus and the Gospel, but never has it been so effective than through my online experiences. Ok, my blog may not be as awesome as Tony Steward or Carlos Whittaker, but through sharing my life on my blog I have been able to help witness to many readers and others online.
My old site thegdfc.com was used as an online community of graphic designers and some who entered either had family who weren't saved, or weren't saved themselves. We were able to really touch the lives of others by our prayers, awesome fellowship, and love for others.
I don't know about anyone else, but I this online world is just a tool that God is allowing us to use to spread the love of Jesus more and more and I think we wouldn't be where we are without online communities, church, social networking, chat, etc…..
Great post man. Really get's me going.
thanks man! there's so much to do this year… gotta stand together…!
Online church will soon take the place of megachurch to bash. Keep your head held high! Some folks are slow to change.
w00t. it's the henderson. rock on. you lead, i'll follow.
Such a good post. I kinda assumed that the academy would be among the last places to endorse such a new movement, but I was still surprised that students would so openly mock an incredible opportunity and would want to shape how it was done rather than pretend it would never succeed. (Did we not learn anything from the rise of the megachurch movement?)
Based on that, it makes me that much more appreciative and loving for the volunteer team we've assembled at NewSpring for the launch of our web campus. Although I expected resistance, there just hasn't been any, only excitement.
Nic…!
Would you have time to answer some q's for a "interview" about your experiences, etc?
I have a couple of “dumb” questions. When you define church do you mean evangelism, worship center, body of believers joined locally, a building? I assume you mean a little bit of all these things, but I’m not sure.
Now for my questions, since I’ve never really seen an online church. Do people worship together online – like singing, reading of scripture, communion, baptism, preaching in their pajamas? Or do you mean a local church that has an online presence (i.e. webcasts of their Sunday services?)
How do you handle membership, church discipline, discipleship, prayer (online???)
Any good examples of an online church that does it right or is headed in the right direction I could look at?
I tuned in briefly to Lifechurch.TV one night, but it looked like a webcast of a service. Do people consider that, there church – they just never go physically?
Thanks – and I mean to be respectful in my questions. I come from a Presbyterian New England church – we are very progressive because our church does not have a white steeple:)
you need to hook up with lifechurch.tv and see some of the stuff they are doing…!
tony steward would be the MAN to get involved with… great questions! a lot of people have different opinions.
yes, people worship together, scripture, and even communion together! (but in their own respective physical places)… it can be "done" in a number of different fashions.
chris, this year… trust me… we'll be exploring this deeply…! thanks for joining us!
I feel your pain. I'm in a network of churches that is predominantly of an older generation that doesn't think in these terms at all. However, in the past year I have noticed a decided shift in their thinking. They are much like this professor you spoke of. They don't necessarily "get it", but they are seeing the value as well as seeing the culture shift that is happening. Most of them have ventured onto Facebook, have gotten personal websites, and we have redone the network's website. They are now talking about totally revamping the corporate identity next year and adding social networking tools to the website. All positive moves forward.
The education part of this is HUGE. One way I have found that seems to work when I'm trying to sell this stuff to pastor/leader types is to connect technology with the larger themes of the Kingdom of God. Any church leader worth the air he/she breathes will get excited about the Biblical theme of the Church advancing into the kingdom of darkness and taking it for the Kingdom of God. Rescuing people from darkness into light.
What I usually do when I'm talking with these folks is to tell them that since the first dial-up tone was heard, people have been searching blindly in the dark for connection across the web. Satan saw the opportunity before we did and He quickly took advantage. The Church is just now starting to see what Satan saw a long time ago: the Internet is a powerful tool for connection. It's time we took the Kingdom of God online and pushed back the darkness. Or is the Gospel not powerful enough?
Creating a church website and a Facebook profile is no different or less valuable than going door to door with a set of tracts. In fact, I'd argue that in terms of effectiveness the website might be a better tool…
When we put things in those terms, they get it. Every time. I think the temptation is to fight all the misconceptions about pornography, sexual predators, identity theft, etc. and never get to the heart of the matter. These misconceptions won't change until those people experience the technology for themselves in a positive way.
Dang that was a long comment…
ben, LOVE the insight here. and LOVE the move toward evil. we often forget (or emphasize it too much) that it's simply a part of our world.
internet is NOT evil… but people can use it for it.
man, dude, digging this, i read this 3 times.
When I lived in Chicago and was working for a denomination office, it was often odd to talk to people that really understood international missions. They understood contextualization, learning the language, doing social ministries in order to be heard in the culture and such, but only for overseas. They often had contempt for those that thought that similar things were needed in the US. It was "watering down the gospel". This is in spite of the fact that in Chicago they had shut down about 60 to 80 churches over the previous 15 to 20 years because the churches had refused to contextualize. They were white ethnic churches where the community had shifted and instead of shifting with the community or embracing the new community they just shut down.
adam, rock on. the struggle is continually… but it'll get better… let's lead the charge…!
Love the word technoevangelist!
I’m so stoked about getting my local church more focused on the web… My Pastor is giving his wife and I the pulpit (the whole morning) to teach our church how to connect and grow via the web.
Good post John.
My heart is evangelism but I’ve learnt that regardless of gifting you need to be other things as well, like an educator
be strong 
Such a good post. I kinda assumed that the academy would be among the last places to endorse such a new movement, but I was still surprised that students would so openly mock an incredible opportunity and would want to shape how it was done rather than pretend it would never succeed. (Did we not learn anything from the rise of the megachurch movement?)
Based on that, it makes me that much more appreciative and loving for the volunteer team we’ve assembled at NewSpring for the launch of our web campus. Although I expected resistance, there just hasn’t been any, only excitement.
I feel your pain, bro. I’ve been teaching, training and educating Church leaders, pastors and seminary students/professors for over 8 years now. Some will laugh. Some, however, will have an ah-hah moment and you literally see the light bulb go on in their head. That’s the moment that I live for. Keep pressing on!
My wife sat in an identical situation as her professor and class mocked and spit on the idea of an online church (or even a non-denominational church for that matter). Little did they realize the work that God is doing through the awesome Online Churches and Campuses Globally
… snap. bravo for staying strong…!
pearls to swine lol!
Seriously though, seminary is one of the last places I would ever expect to see progressive thinking – in general. I know there are brilliant people there but I’ve never associated seminary with anything even closely associated to “innovative.”
"Hah! That’s like an oxymoron!" Obviously an English major as anundergrad. When I hear stuff like this I think of Judges 2:10. A generation grew up after Joshua and the others who led Israel into Canaan, and they did not know the Lord. And that's where the trouble began.
We are going to lose the next generation if we do not learn to communicate with them, where they are and hopw they do it.
Jesus went to the well not for water, but to reach a woman who then reached a town.
He went and talked where and how they were talking.
Keep doing what you are doing, but maybe ask less questions in class.
"Hah! That’s like an oxymoron!" Obviously an English major as an undergrad. When I hear stuff like this I think of Judges 2:10. A generation grew up after Joshua and the others who led Israel into Canaan, and they did not know the Lord. And that's where the trouble began.
We are going to lose the next generation if we do not learn to communicate with them, where they are and hopw they do it.
Jesus went to the well not for water, but to reach a woman who then reached a town.
He went and talked where and how they were talking.
Keep doing what you are doing, but maybe ask less questions in class.
I actually heard a quote this weekend. Someone said they heard news from a blogger and their friend's sarcastic reply was "yeah, and you know how much we can trust bloggers". I think there is a lot of education involved and we have a long way to go.
It is good to have constant reminders from people like your classmate. Just because we are immersed into technoevangelism does not mean everyone else is. We need to come from their point of view if we are going to help bring them with us.
I think a movement that is just beginning is one that connects the online world with the local / face-to-face world. Many people who enjoy the same thing (knitting, karate, the single life, etc) meet and grow together through connecting a time of what they enjoy most and the Word of God. We're about to see how that happens here in Columbus, OH, and I am thrilled for what the future holds as groups in other cities start up as well.
I think the online church is possible, but there are many bumps in the road for that as well (lazy people who don't want to get out of bed and drive 10 minutes, extremely hard to keep up with growth and personal accountability or discipleship, etc.). I wish online churches the best of luck for sure, but am eager to see how they handle many things that personal interaction has been able to for thousands of years. To me, if they can conquer the local aspect and enable people to actually gather, have accountability, and grow together, it's more of a possibility.