MorningWalk by Tom Ehrich
"Virtual Church"? December 1, 2010
A reader asked me an interesting question: was I intending to operate a “virtual church” ?
No, I told him, that isn't my intent. “I just publish on the web and try to help congregations by encouraging them to use best practices. One of those best practices is to have a strong online presence.
“Many congregations are dying under the burden of their facilities. That seems unwise. Better for them to adopt new practices and continue to be a faith community.”
Having said that, I'm intrigued by the concept of “virtual church” and think we're already doing elements of it.
Congregations already use the Internet to manage their operations. Some meet in dispersed locations and coordinate their common life online. Some meet in plenary but in different locations each week, as announced by e-mail and social media.
Other share prayer concerns online, enable remote participation in worship, teach classes online, conduct virtual meetings to minimize travel expense, encourage online conversations, handle financial transactions and reservations online.
I know of one Jewish community that exists entirely online. I don't see why a church couldn't do the same.
Yes, it would be different. But that's no problem. Different could be good.
What do you think about "virtual church"? Send me a note.
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