I want to introduce my friend, Debi, to everyone (Everyone: "
Hi Debi!"). Debi is a member of the
Oaklawn family. She takes part in the sermon every week, she is up on everything happening with the congregation, and she knows a number of our growing tribe my name. Here's the twist - we are in Hot Springs, AR... Debi lives in Michigan.
No, she doesn't make the long drive every week to attend worship gatherings, and no, she doesn't participate regularly in our Community Groups. Every week, Debi goes to the
podcast page on our congregation's website, and listens to the weekly teaching/sermon. Debi keeps up with the happenings via the website, newsletter, and my blog. She calls Oaklawn "her church" and she calls me "her pastor" (which blesses my face off by the way!).
This week, Debi broke her hip and had to have surgery. When I got the info, I gave her a call. It didn't seem strange at all to me when she answered and I said, "Hi Debi, this is your pastor." I don't think it sounded strange at all to her either. She IS a member of this congregation of Christ-followers and I am her pastor. How cool is that?
Could this be "church" in the future? The reality is that this is "church" for more people than Debi now. People are going online and "joining churches" the way they used to turn on the TV and "partner with ministries." I, myself, listen to the weekly sermon podcasts of two of my favorite preachers. In a way, I consider myself a part of their ministries... but then my view of "church" is that there is only one anyway.
What do you think about being an "online member" of a congregation?
Comments (17)
WOW!
I am intrigued.
Was she a member before and moved away?
How did you come to have her number?
I am intrigued because I have in the past 'rarely' had phone calls from my pastors (ie the ones who sermons I listen too from the near to front row every week) to see if I am ok or in need of pastoral care at rough or difficult points in my life..... I DO get calls when they want me to do something though!
So
a. Kudos to you for doing pastoral care- I do believe it is a dying gift.
b. tell me more about Deb's story..... it could indeed be a wave of the future if people like yourself (or others in the congregation) actually do follow up on people and find ways of integrating them or putting them in contact with perhaps others that they could have some flesh and blood fellowship with as well.
I am blessed beyond measure to feel as if I have three pastors. Steve, you are among the circle, along with Tina and my "brick and mortar" pastor Mike. I'm not a very good part of your congregation since I don't listen to all the podcasts and I don't hang out at your church's web site all the time, and on top of that I actively try to debate you from time to time, but for all that I still feel close to you. Debi, if you're reading this, know that this relationship is not strange at all. God bless you, sister.
@wherever_we_go - Thanks for the kudos! A bit more of Deb's story. She lived here years ago, but was not a member of this congregation. Her best friend, who is now a member of our congregation, told Debi about what God is doing here, so an interested Debi checked out the website and listened to the podcast. She "joined the church" almost immediately. She did come to town for a visit a couple of months ago, and was able to be fully present physically in one of our worship gatherings... and even met up with a bunch of us at our favorite coffee shop one afternoon.
@mourning2dancing - that is a pretty cool story. I am pretty amazed to hear this kind of story, I guess really from your point of view being a pastor. Not everyone would be as open minded about people such as Debi.
May God bless your ministry and give you the grace and strength to do all he requires.
I'm probably in the minority, but I don't consider listening to a pastor's sermon online and calling yourself a member actually being a member of a particular church. I beleive God has called each of us to use our spiritual gifts, talents, skills, passions, etc in and out of the church (as in a specific community) to advance His Kingdom...It's difficult (to say the least) to serve in a church you are never present at...aside from the question, how many other of those in your physical church get to minister to/with and serve/serve with Debi? There are many things you learn about a person f2f than you can not learn otherwise. Listening to your sermons each week is a good thing..I'm sure God is teaching Debi much through those sermons..However, I do believe she needs to get involved in a church (or small group) in her own community which could hold her accountable, encourage her, serve with her..etc.. It is as if one of your body parts is in Michigan permanently and the other parts are in Hot Springs. Now, don't hear me wrong, I don't think the church is a building or those in the building necessarily (you understand that) but I do believe you can truly 'oversee' someone you don't ever see......Like to know your thoughts on all this.
@stephensmustang -
I agree with Stephensmustang above...there has got to be a reason the Bible tell us to "Not forsake the assembling of ourselves together". That said, I attend a church that is one church in two locations. We watch the sermon via a live video feed most Sundays. All the pastors who are "Into" all the new emergent stuff get all goo-goo eyed when you tell them that cuz it's a "new thang". It's fine, it works, but definitely not the best....which is a real live pastor.....in person. Technology simply can't replace people working out life face to face. It's exceedingly easy to be someone your not on-line..
@The_Ragged_Edge - I agree..'today's technology can not replace people working out life face to face. I am thinking that even if Jesus had our computers when he walked this earth, he would have forsaken them for face to face loving, healing, preaching and building relationships.
I'm not oppossed to those satellite sermons as long as the pastor has some f2f interactions with his church, building relationships and overseeing/serving the physical church.
Words have the amazing, miraculous property of being able to carry meaning far and wide in distance, and particularly fascinatingly, through time. We read...we receive...spiritual sustenance...the answer to a question...guidance....from books...from people perhaps in the ancient past, whose thoughts, essences, selves, are magically carried to us through their words. We read, and immediately, it's as if they are there, and perhaps even more intimately, becuase what they have written they might not have actually said if both had been present. This is so with a post or a podcast.
The strength, the meaning if you will, or importance of a congregation is the reminding...the bringing each other out of each of our worldly, egoic involvements, to focus on the moment, the reality of our spiritual connections...experience...selves. This can be accomplished whether at the church building, on a podcast, a phonecall, or just a post. It is the message that is transferred in the moment of connection which carries the power of congregation. The phone call, that was so meaningful because Debbie at that moment experienced the connection, and that is real even though it was built through the podcast. We need all the help we can get now. I would value any way that we can accomplish this.
I don't believe it is a necessary for us to get into each other's lives. It's hard enough to figure out our own path without input from others who are just as lost. I'm not saying that it may not be most helpful for some people, but I do not believe that it is necessary to the purpose of congregation. Jesus said that any time two or more of us are gathered in his name he is there. If we are consciously sharing our experience of Him, does it matter how we share? He is there...what could be more important?
You... Got nothin? I bet you do!
so, do you consider The Den of Fools an online congragation and you our
Pastor¿¿¿
sorry about the cacti, lol.
To interact with believers through various modes of technology is completely acceptable and a good use of technologies. However, if one only interacts via technology with the rest of the Body of Christ and they have the ability to play an active role in the local church that surrounds them, then they are forsaking the brotherhood of believers and need to immediately repent and seek forgiveness from the rest of the present Bride. We need one another, not just the words, voices, e-mail accounts, or phone calls of one another. We need all of one another. It is impossible to give all of ourselves to those who are away from us. However, we know that the church is widespread and that we can trust our brothers and sisters to love our brothers and sisters. Fortunately, we can keep in touch.
Amazing! I think being online members of churches is amazing.
I think it's fine, as long as you are also a member of a congregation of people you can see and touch every week or oftener. People define "church" in different ways. All believers are members of the body of Christ, and any way we can connect with each other is good. Technology has made the world today very interesting.
AOL has cyber congregations. One is called Cyber Shul. They have wav files of Friday night prayers and liturgy. There are lots of people out there that are either physically unable to attend services, whether Christian or Jewish or have no place of worship where they live.People can and do become close to each other in any fellowship. I should know. I met my wife online in a religious topic chat room and July 5 will be eleven years of a great marriage.
It doesn't matter whether the walls of your house of worship are brick and mortor or just framed by the light of your soul; fellowship between people is the bedrock of faith.
@stephensmustang - A couple of questions come to mind. Could there be ways of "serving" and "being present" that transcend physical presence? Is it possible that the encouragement and accountability that takes place right here on Xanga is the church being the church? When I consider that Jesus has a church, not a bunch of them, it puts things in a little different perspective for me.
@The_Ragged_Edge - "technology can't replace people working out life face to face." We are in mucho agreement on this! I wonder how much of the working out of life face to face happens on Sunday morning, though? And could "face to face" include the telephone or the internet? As for "assembling together" - it is for a reason - "to encourage one another and spur one another on to do good works." Could those two things happen via the internet?
@shaktifield - I would suggest that we are all, in a way, connected. Is it possible to work out one's own faith-life-journey with no influence from or impact on others?
@spazmom40 - I am simply a fellow fool.
@TheGreatBout - Good word. Just wondering how many people can I give all of myself to? My wife has a very strong opinion on this.
@dorydabomb - me too! And it blows my mind that someone would go out of their way to hear the words I share with the congregation.
@Hezakiah4 - WOW! That last bit of your comment... I sure wish I had written that! Great word, my friend! I may have to steal that... errr, I mean quote you.
@mourning2dancing - Obviously you can't give to your brothers and sisters what you give to your wife in private. But you can love them as fully as you love yourself.
Well, I have found that one can be present in any moment...the idea that the journey is long, or that anything at all is needed always comes from the mind. Friends are everywhere, even the trees and stones -- Mother Earth giving her influence. The internet is a small holographic manifestation of the bigger web of which we are all a part as you mentioned. Our intentions and attention take us to each experience. However we connect, it is real.