Virtual Church Dream

According to USA Today, one of the fastest growing and most popular places to grow a church is on the internet. I observed this phenomenon just recently when I joined Newspring Church's online services live on Sunday evening. They have taken the idea of having an internet congregation to the ultimate in my opinion. And Newspring is not the only church that is exploiting the benefits of the internet. . A growing number of congregations are creating Internet offshoots that go far beyond streaming weekly services. Like Newspring, the sites are fully interactive with a dedicated Internet pastor on staff, live chat in an online "lobby," Bible study, 1-on-1 prayer through instant messaging and even sharing communion. (Viewers use their own bread and wine or juice.) On one site, viewers can click on a tab during worship to accept Christ as their Savior. Flamingo Road Church, based in Cooper City, Fla., twice conducted long-distance baptisms through the Internet. The move online is forcing Christians to re-examine their idea of church. It's a complex discussion involving theology, tradition and cultural expectations of how Christians should worship and relate. Even developers of Internet church sites disagree over how far they should go. The sites share the same basic approach: contemporary-style worship music and a sermon either broadcast live or recorded at the in-person weekend service that is quickly mixed with live or recorded greetings expressly for online viewers. The phenomenon is so new that no one has an exact count of interactive online campuses. The Leadership Network has found at least 40 successful and growing churches online. God has given us a wonderful tool to spread the Good News of Christ's love. What an incredible dream and a huge possibility for Mountain View. One of the "huge" dreams I have for Mountain View is that one day we will reach the 35 countries that download our sermons with a live interactive worship experience. What dreams has God given to you?

Posted in: