Virtual Churches - Why I say Nay!!!

Hello all,
For my Worship Tech class, we talked about virtual churches last, and we had a book to read on the subject. Here are a few of my thoughts. Enjoy! :)

After reading the book, Sim Church by Douglas Estes I am even more confused about virtual churches. My main response to the whole idea is that it makes me just want to cringe. I would agree that there is a whole virtual world out there, because I am a part of it. I am involved in the virtual world daily with emails, being on Facebook, and internet usage; but I can’t help but have a negative reaction to the idea of virtual churches. I’m sure there is room for ministry in the virtual world, but is having virtual churches really the answer?
The more I think about the subject the more I am against it. The main thing wrong with virtual churches is that they go against the Incarnation and everything the incarnation stands for. God sent his son to the world in the flesh, our response should be to worship God in the flesh, and participate in the flesh in worship. When we worship we should be willing to show up to a worship service in the flesh.
I don’t quite understand how going to church by logging onto your computer is church. Part of worship is engaging with God’s people, in the flesh. Having personal contact with people with a hand-shake, a hug, or even just eye contact with those we are in fellowship with. How is that possible by sitting at home, and chatting with people? Yes, in a way you are engaging with others, but I would argue that you are lacking real fellowship and community. It comes back to the incarnation, how can you truly engage in community with others if you can’t see who you are engaging with, and aren’t face to face with them?
Another issue for me in virtual churches, is authenticity and honesty. These two characteristics are important. Unfortunately people lie all the time in the virtual world about who they are. How is it possible to have true Christian fellowship with someone, if you don’t have any idea of who it is you are engaging in fellowship with.
It seems to me that the whole idea of virtual churches goes hand in hand with the consumer based mentality that seems to be going on in the church. Have church your way! You can pick how you want church to be, and how much you want to participate. It really boils down to the idea that it’s all about me. You don’t have to interact with others if you don’t want to. You can sit at home in your pajamas and attend church. While this idea is probably appealing to many people, I have a hard time understanding how this is what God would desire for his people. The virtual church (the church of all about me), is individualistic, and lacking in true community.
A problem in churches today, is getting people to be real with one another, but I would say this is also the same problem with virtual churches. There are people who would say that it is easier to be more honest and real with people in the virtual world because you can open up anonymously. Is this truly being real? I don’t think so. To me, this is only fostering a fake realness. In the virtual world, people can be who they choose to be, but that doesn’t make it more real. In fact, quite the opposite, because in reality they aren’t being true to themselves by pretending to be a different self.
I’m afraid that if we begin to immerse ourselves too much into the virtual world, by even going to church in the virtual world we will forget we have a real human life to live with people to interact with right around us. While it all well and good, to some extent to interact globally with people in the virtual world, we still have relationships with those who we see on a day to day basis that we need to engage in.
I don’t quite understand and grasp the whole idea of virtual churches. From what I am understanding though, I am getting many red flags. I’m afraid that if churches were to really focus on going virtual we would be losing what church really is about, and if that is true than we should be doing something about how churches are doing church. Unfortunately I would have to say that virtual churches are a far cry from not only what the Incarnation calls us to do and be as the church, but also a far cry from the Church of Acts 2.

Children & Worship

For my Worship Tech class we had to make and edit a video. I chose to video-tape some of the kids who are in 2nd-5th grade at our church, and asked them questions about worship. This video is the end result. :) I loved hearing what the kids had to say. Jesus said in the Bible to have faith like a child. Take a look, and see what they had to say.