Think how mega your church could be if you were not limited by space or by the need for expensive “campuses.” Think of a church so mega it could bring in people from around the country. Think of a church that eliminated the barrier of making people leave their houses to go to church. Think of a congregation whose whole existence is online. From via Church … Virtually | LeadershipJournal.net:
</blockquote>Recently a number of churches have made the leap beyond multi-site and satellite campuses. They have launched internet campuses, making every living room, dorm room, or coffeehouse with wi-fi an extension of the church.
The trend started in 2007 with a handful of churches and has grown to dozens of congregations today. Some are large and highly visible churches, such as North Point Church near Atlanta, while others are small, but the momentum will likely lead to the launch of hundreds of virtual churches in the years ahead.
Online church is not simply a streaming video of a sermon or a podcast. Worship services have scheduled times so that attendees engage simultaneously. Efforts are made to ensure the experience is more interactive and less passive than you might imagine. Brian Vasil, who oversees the internet campus of Flamingo Road Church near Miami, says the aim of their internet campus is identical to that of their physical campuses.
“We want to help people take steps toward Christ. We do not want them to just consume good teaching, but to engage and connect,” he says. “Many people hear of internet campus and think that it must be pretty passive—people sitting in their pajamas watching a video. But we have leveraged technology to provide a chat room where worshippers mingle and talk with one another and with me, their campus pastor. We also have online Bible studies and online programs for teens and kids. Through the week, our internet campus offers forums, book studies, leadership studies, and small groups. We take prayer requests online—about 150 each week.”</blockquote>
So, what do you think of this? Does it count as assembling together? Do congregations need the real presence of anybody?
HT: Matthew Lee Anderson at Evangel
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