Emergent Church: A Technological Resuscitation
__________________________
Resuscitating The Church Body
---- SEEK FIRST ----
Connecting - Sharing knowledge - Resources - Time and Energy - Friends - In an effort to provide value to others while increasing our own.
I have attended services for 20-years at a Southern California Mega Church. Like most large churches, the ushers have been trained to efficiently fill the auditorium quickly. I'm usually sat next to others that I've never seen before and have absolutely nothing in common with (outside of choosing to attend the same church service). Granted, I don't plan on having an in-depth discussion with my new pew partner during the service and I'm not blaming the ushers who seat me. In fact, I believe my own choice of service/seating would deliver similar results; with the current 'mega Church' structure I don't think I can avoid the norm of sitting next to strangers... Sitting next to someone I might have something in common with or ideally want to have a relationship with is left entirely to chance. {Granted, I've seen God set up divine appointments to connect individuals, but the current 'structure' doesn't make this 'humanly' easy}. Needless to say, I don't like the current structure. Maybe it's just me, but I want to know as many people as possible in this amazing Church congregation. I'm becoming increasingly convinced, with the current GROWING church structure, this is not possible.
Solution: Reconnecting the body of Christ through new tools and technology.
This simple observation illustrates something I've been thinking about for years. A new 21st century tool that addresses a basic biological need for our sense of community. It is a sense of being a vital and safe part of something bigger than oneself, something that anyone can tap into especially when we are NOT surrounded by the walls of the Church. For many, Church once was a badge of honor, but now has become a scheduled event (much like attending our kid's baseball, soccer or basketball games) no longer an INTEGRAL part of our 21st century lives. The current church structure worked in the 1950's and hasn't kept up with the mindset of a rapidly evolving time-competitive society. For example; a few years ago the only thing 'connected' on a business desk was a phone; now nearly every employee is connected with audio, video and international search via their computer. Business continues to take place, but with vastly different tools. Signs of being buried in tradition are evident in nearly every church in America where worship still includes organ led hymns. Didn't roller rinks once play organ music?
-- Can you preach from a Blackberry/PDA? Are you PodCasting your services? --
These issues are not relegated to church. For the most part I don't really know any of my next door neighbors. Why is this? In a word: Diversification or the misguided celebration of Independence. I doubt this a phenomena of Southern California culture, and I think it's more than just simply relating it to busyness. It could very well be a design of the dark forces of evil to separate us from one another. The consequences of independence are subtle and devastating... In the midst of "abundant life preaching" I believe the Church will be on the verge of poverty if we do not quickly learn to bring the body of Christ back together again. You see, poverty is much more than a lack of financial resources; it is isolation from the kind of people that can help you realize God's purpose for your life. As the mega church membership continues to increase the one-on-one Pastoral relationship is eroded. Who will pick up the slack? The answer starts with "the Body."
I wish there were a Church sanctioned online community that would allow me to input my profile (testimonies, prayer requests, blogs, photos, wishlists, questions etc.) and find others like me who could benefit from what I have to offer and who would want to become an integral part of my life, and when necessary even help me. From a psychological, sociological and business perspective I understand why the world is turning to online dating and social networking sites which are now the fastest growing (and profitable) communities online. I think that society (in medium to large cities) has rapidly changed over the past few years and the traditional ways of connectivity and communication have had to change with it. People are growing increasingly individualistic but desire to connect, to communicate. Yet, they remain mobile, more informed than ever and bombarded with schedule conflicts. Truly connecting is only possible with the help of technology and future community models.
The purpose of an Online Church Community (Web Site) must be full of life and meet the body's needs:
1) To publish and distribute the Gospel and related information pertinent to the Body of Christ
2) To connect a community of practice <http://www.cpsquare.org/> via interactivity and conversation
Uniting an aggregate (grouping) of cells having similar structure allows them to perform a specific function. Dispersed these cells are unfunctional. For example: If the cells of the heart are not combined there is no functional heart. It is only when similar cells are united that they become fully functional and capable of accomplishing what they were intended to do.
A true online community should stand on its own.
Its design should NOT merely seek to drive viewers/members to physical gatherings or church services.
Since Gutenberg the Church body has evolved from a controlled religion to a personal relationship with the creator.
We are now beginning to tap into the power of technologically enhanced community, one where the body acts in one accord without being asked to do so. Marketers call this approach 'grass roots', the software community calls it 'open source', others refer to this movement as 'self service,' and the entertainment industry calls it 'on demand.' And the Church is still focused on liturgy and keeping at least one hymn alive each service to justify the organ. ;-) I would like to see the Church begin to lead the technological wave of digital publishing and distribution. Currently the porn industry has taken digital distribution by storm, assaulting most men in Church. This needs to be addressed immediately and head on. All our kids are online, millions of early adopters have been online, and now the masses are online. If the Church isn't taking a leadership position online then we will continue to see the enemy seduce, and destroy our members and corrupt the truth.
A church online community <http://www.ewenger.com/research/resear1.gif> should address the following needs:
1) Finding and maintaining reciprocal love with another and with Christ
2) Meaningful labor ('tarrying' and bringing in the tithe)
3) Hope for the Future (our hope in Christ)
Example communities and or sites:
http://www.lakewood.cc/index.htm <http://www.lakewood.cc/index.htm> Lakewood Church
http://www.joelosteen.com/ Joel Osteen
http://www.harvest.org/ Winner NRB 2005 Best Ministry Website
http://www.fellowshipchurch.com/fcweb/home.aspx Fellowship Church Pastor Ed Young
Sites developed with Content Management Systems:
http://www.robbreport.com/ Not Christian but great CMS site. Dev by www.CrownPeak.com <http://www.CrownPeak.com>
http://www.thepassion.org.au/ Development CMS is Xoop
http://www.christian-web-masters.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5174&st=15&#entry50798 <http://www.christian-web-masters.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5174&st=15&#entry50798>
CMS for churches... Resource discussion.
WhiteHouse Tapes http://www.whitehousetapes.org/ is making 5,000 hours of presidential recordings available online.
Church Video and Audio teachings should be a part of the online community:
A National Public Radio station in Southern California has announced an ambitious schedule to deliver locally produced talk, news and cultural programs over the Internet via Podcasts, audio files which can be downloaded and played on IPods or other MP3 devices. "No other broadcaster has attempted to launch the number and caliber of programs on this scale all at once," the Santa Monica, Calif. station said in a news release. It has begun making available versions of 10 of its programs and 12 commentaries. KCRW Web site. <http://www.kcrw.com/>
__________________________________________________________
Resuscitating The Church Body
---- SEEK FIRST ----
Connecting - Sharing knowledge - Resources - Time and Energy - Friends - In an effort to provide value to others while increasing our own.
I have attended services for 20-years at a Southern California Mega Church. Like most large churches, the ushers have been trained to efficiently fill the auditorium quickly. I'm usually sat next to others that I've never seen before and have absolutely nothing in common with (outside of choosing to attend the same church service). Granted, I don't plan on having an in-depth discussion with my new pew partner during the service and I'm not blaming the ushers who seat me. In fact, I believe my own choice of service/seating would deliver similar results; with the current 'mega Church' structure I don't think I can avoid the norm of sitting next to strangers... Sitting next to someone I might have something in common with or ideally want to have a relationship with is left entirely to chance. {Granted, I've seen God set up divine appointments to connect individuals, but the current 'structure' doesn't make this 'humanly' easy}. Needless to say, I don't like the current structure. Maybe it's just me, but I want to know as many people as possible in this amazing Church congregation. I'm becoming increasingly convinced, with the current GROWING church structure, this is not possible.
Solution: Reconnecting the body of Christ through new tools and technology.
This simple observation illustrates something I've been thinking about for years. A new 21st century tool that addresses a basic biological need for our sense of community. It is a sense of being a vital and safe part of something bigger than oneself, something that anyone can tap into especially when we are NOT surrounded by the walls of the Church. For many, Church once was a badge of honor, but now has become a scheduled event (much like attending our kid's baseball, soccer or basketball games) no longer an INTEGRAL part of our 21st century lives. The current church structure worked in the 1950's and hasn't kept up with the mindset of a rapidly evolving time-competitive society. For example; a few years ago the only thing 'connected' on a business desk was a phone; now nearly every employee is connected with audio, video and international search via their computer. Business continues to take place, but with vastly different tools. Signs of being buried in tradition are evident in nearly every church in America where worship still includes organ led hymns. Didn't roller rinks once play organ music?
-- Can you preach from a Blackberry/PDA? Are you PodCasting your services? --
These issues are not relegated to church. For the most part I don't really know any of my next door neighbors. Why is this? In a word: Diversification or the misguided celebration of Independence. I doubt this a phenomena of Southern California culture, and I think it's more than just simply relating it to busyness. It could very well be a design of the dark forces of evil to separate us from one another. The consequences of independence are subtle and devastating... In the midst of "abundant life preaching" I believe the Church will be on the verge of poverty if we do not quickly learn to bring the body of Christ back together again. You see, poverty is much more than a lack of financial resources; it is isolation from the kind of people that can help you realize God's purpose for your life. As the mega church membership continues to increase the one-on-one Pastoral relationship is eroded. Who will pick up the slack? The answer starts with "the Body."
I wish there were a Church sanctioned online community that would allow me to input my profile (testimonies, prayer requests, blogs, photos, wishlists, questions etc.) and find others like me who could benefit from what I have to offer and who would want to become an integral part of my life, and when necessary even help me. From a psychological, sociological and business perspective I understand why the world is turning to online dating and social networking sites which are now the fastest growing (and profitable) communities online. I think that society (in medium to large cities) has rapidly changed over the past few years and the traditional ways of connectivity and communication have had to change with it. People are growing increasingly individualistic but desire to connect, to communicate. Yet, they remain mobile, more informed than ever and bombarded with schedule conflicts. Truly connecting is only possible with the help of technology and future community models.
"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25 CrossWalk
The purpose of an Online Church Community (Web Site) must be full of life and meet the body's needs:
1) To publish and distribute the Gospel and related information pertinent to the Body of Christ
2) To connect a community of practice <http://www.cpsquare.org/> via interactivity and conversation
Uniting an aggregate (grouping) of cells having similar structure allows them to perform a specific function. Dispersed these cells are unfunctional. For example: If the cells of the heart are not combined there is no functional heart. It is only when similar cells are united that they become fully functional and capable of accomplishing what they were intended to do.
A true online community should stand on its own.
Its design should NOT merely seek to drive viewers/members to physical gatherings or church services.
Since Gutenberg the Church body has evolved from a controlled religion to a personal relationship with the creator.
We are now beginning to tap into the power of technologically enhanced community, one where the body acts in one accord without being asked to do so. Marketers call this approach 'grass roots', the software community calls it 'open source', others refer to this movement as 'self service,' and the entertainment industry calls it 'on demand.' And the Church is still focused on liturgy and keeping at least one hymn alive each service to justify the organ. ;-) I would like to see the Church begin to lead the technological wave of digital publishing and distribution. Currently the porn industry has taken digital distribution by storm, assaulting most men in Church. This needs to be addressed immediately and head on. All our kids are online, millions of early adopters have been online, and now the masses are online. If the Church isn't taking a leadership position online then we will continue to see the enemy seduce, and destroy our members and corrupt the truth.
A church online community <http://www.ewenger.com/research/resear1.gif> should address the following needs:
1) Finding and maintaining reciprocal love with another and with Christ
2) Meaningful labor ('tarrying' and bringing in the tithe)
3) Hope for the Future (our hope in Christ)
Example communities and or sites:
http://www.lakewood.cc/index.htm <http://www.lakewood.cc/index.htm> Lakewood Church
http://www.joelosteen.com/ Joel Osteen
http://www.harvest.org/ Winner NRB 2005 Best Ministry Website
http://www.fellowshipchurch.com/fcweb/home.aspx Fellowship Church Pastor Ed Young
Sites developed with Content Management Systems:
http://www.robbreport.com/ Not Christian but great CMS site. Dev by www.CrownPeak.com <http://www.CrownPeak.com>
http://www.thepassion.org.au/ Development CMS is Xoop
http://www.christian-web-masters.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5174&st=15&#entry50798 <http://www.christian-web-masters.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5174&st=15&#entry50798>
CMS for churches... Resource discussion.
WhiteHouse Tapes http://www.whitehousetapes.org/ is making 5,000 hours of presidential recordings available online.
Church Video and Audio teachings should be a part of the online community:
A National Public Radio station in Southern California has announced an ambitious schedule to deliver locally produced talk, news and cultural programs over the Internet via Podcasts, audio files which can be downloaded and played on IPods or other MP3 devices. "No other broadcaster has attempted to launch the number and caliber of programs on this scale all at once," the Santa Monica, Calif. station said in a news release. It has begun making available versions of 10 of its programs and 12 commentaries. KCRW Web site. <http://www.kcrw.com/>
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