Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Churches and the Internet
The church is an entity that was created by Jesus. He said in Matthew's gospel that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church. That takes in a lot of opposition and encompasses a lot of time. At any rate it means the church is going to be around a long time. Now think back to a quote made by someone less influential than Jesus, just about eight years ago. Al Gore was the individual and I believe he made a comment in the 2000 Presidential election that he said he invented the Internet. What a gaff on his part. Well he may not have invented the Internet, but the Internet is on line, moving society in a very different direction and it is changing how we live. Who would have thought that we would be doing business over the Internet, finding relationships, meeting friends, and having conversations with people we do not see or talk to face to face. It seems a little impersonal yet it is the latest craze. So what do you think about churches and the Internet? How could a church effectively use the Internet to reach today's culture? Have I mentioned before that I am curious and curious minds want to know?
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3 comments:
I think the internet can provide a 'safe haven' for someone who otherwise might not attend church 'in person'. Maybe after watching via the internet, eventually they would feel more comfortable attending a church in person.
Not to mention housebound individuals that can not get out for what ever reason. The internet is their opportunity to attend church.
The church, however, is not a building, but a people. This is just my opinion, but in todays society, you have to go to where people are to reach them and right now, the internet is a GREAT tool!
This is a sight and sound generation. Just about everyone has websites, blogs, that is how people communicate these days.
It seems as if many people do feel more comfortable "typing" their feelings, etc. rather than face to face. There should, however be a balance. The church can use the internet for good, because people are searching the internet for answers. However, people also need to realize that it is the person to person, face to face communication that is also vital to a good relationship. We were made to be relational. And a good solid relationship can not happen without this! Again, there HAS to be a balance.
We need to use every available tool to win the lost and that includes the internet. The church cannot be held back by tradition.
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