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Smells like an attempt at fast cash again.

I find Internet church great. My husband doesn’t want to go to church with me so this way I can stay home with him yet still ‘go to church.’ And sometimes he will sit down and watch with me so he is still getting that influence. Also, I find it easier to follow along (I am a newly reborn Christian who missed a lot of the stories from Sunday School) because you can pause and restart rather than trying to follow along in real time. So whereas I don’t find it to be a substitute to church, I do find it better than nothing.

Bless you Mindy. Nice to hear that someone is really getting something from it.

I found a really contemporary online church that is out of Florida. There are not very many contemporary services around here so it also gives me a chance to watch really fun, contemporary services (granted they are NOT for everyone). Today I watched one of http://www.frc.tv and the church I go to back home (that I can’t go back to every Sunday because I now live three hours away) is gccwired.com

Plus, you just don’t really have to give any money to a specific church. It’s all free online

I personally am torn about whether I think internet church is a good thing or not. On one hand it seems like the next thing worse than a mega church…a place where it is virtually (literally) impossible to enter into authentic Christian community. On the other it is convenient.

I think the bigger question is this: Do churches offer online/TV church because they want to reach people for Jesus (Enter questions of what this means to them)? Or is growing their name and budget taking priority over a truly authentic Gospel presentation?

I lean more towards it being a marketing strategy but don’t doubt that there are some folks out there that really truly think they are advancing the cause of the Kingdom.

A few years ago, the leader of my small group at Men’s Fraternity (a men’s ministry) told me he attended an on-line church. I thought it a bit strange, but his life seemed to bear lots of fruit and he was involved in a leadership role in several in-person ministries.

I personally don’t think attending a virtual church is the best that God has to offer us, but I wouldn’t seek to silence the online churches, either. Whether their motives are good or bad, it’s hard to tell, but if they are preaching Christ then let them go ahead and do it (I’m thinking of Philippians). If by this means some are saved, then that is good. Again, it’s not God’s best, but it is something.

Personally, though, I would advise people not to just stay with on-line churches, but to at least do something to supplement it; get involved in some ministry with real people.

I think it is great that people can get the message of Christ whether by internet or TV. I do not believe they should be sustituted for a church home. There are elderly, and homebound who can benefit and do. Sometimes we as a local church fall short in our visiting the elderly and the sick. I’ve found the same message in shorter form can be given in a person’s home as in the full church.

There are several services I try not to miss on TV every week because of their message, but the Bible tells us not to forsake the fellowship. We are to set the example. That doesn’t mean one has to be there every time the doors open. But, there is no communion between saints when there is no gathering.

Using the TV or internet for a regular service leads to compromise, lack of responsibility and accountability.

Sorry I’ve been gone a few days with guests missed the discussion!

Okay this is in response to Cameron Garcia:
I don’t understand the term ‘mega church’ is that the churches that are super televangelists or the churches that are super multi-media. I’ve heard people use it both ways. Oh wait, I Googled it. It is apparently just a church that has more than 2,000 or more attendees. Those are my favorite kinds of churches. It is possible to be part of a Christian community in those churches. When I attended a mega church back home, they offered a TON of activities and were big on fellowship. And at another mega church in my town now, I spent a hour discusses the sermon with an older gentleman I never met in the cafe area. I think that it is possible to worship the same no matter if there are two of you or 2,000 of you. It’s an individual journey. And I never once felt like I had to donate money to either church. I feel like when the offering comes around that it is a personal decision of what you want to do. You can choose to not give if you don’t believe in funding a mega church. It’s not forced upon you. There isn’t a cover charge to spend time with Jesus. Mega churches provide a much more entertaining contemporary service. I have worshiped (weird spell check says that is not spelled with two p’s) in a small Episcopal church (I’m Anglican Episcopalian), a Catholic church, a Lutheran church, a Methodist church of average size, a medium-sized non-denominational church, a large Catholic church and two mega churches – one that I hated because I felt the pastor was VERY self-absorbed and the other that I LOVE and feel like it really gets the message out in a way that draws all ages to Jesus. The multi-media church experience to me is celebrating Jesus to the fullest through live music, song, film – taking it all in AND remembering it later. I think it’s a type of learning strategy if anything. Fellowship can come from anywhere or any church – but you can’t expect the church to do it for you. If you want to share Jesus and talk about Jesus and do that everyday – you can do it in a McDonalds line or a mega church or a small church or your house. Worship doesn’t have to be on Sundays.

In response to Wayne:
I don’t know if I followed all of your comment, but in terms of money I don’t think that you HAVE to donate to one church or another. Church isn’t about money. It’s the only place where money shouldn’t be involved. I mean yeah churches need money to build and provide services like music sometimes but Jesus was not about the cash. He was poor, His followers were poor. He wasn’t looking to cash in. I also don’t think you have to worship in an actual church setting. A church doesn’t have to be brick and mortar to do its job or provide. You can worship in a field, in a desert, in a house or online. It shouldn’t matter. The message is the same and your heart is in it.

In response to Jo:
Why would you have to spend time with real people to fulfill your need for Jesus? If Jesus is there, he’s there. There are plenty of Christian examples that one can find in their everyday life that doesn’t involve seeking out a church or a ministry in person. Go to a homeless shelter, spread the love of Christ.

In response to Jay Johnson:
I think that Internet provides a great service to LOTS of people. There are churches with leaders who speak the word beautifully yet people who live further away can never hear it because it’s in a different state. Jesus comes to people in multiple forms – people on the street, children, friends, Mother Nature, Internet, TV, pastors – He is everywhere. A pew shouldn’t determine if you are checked in or not. Who is to say that any place you find Jesus isn’t a church home? Why is so much focus put on fellowship? If you are spending quality time with Jesus, reading the Bible, sharing Him and the Word with people you know in a non-church setting – isn’t that all He asks for. Is to spread the Word of the Lord? He doesn’t ask for you to come to a church and pay money to a building. He offers you love and hope that you can find your faith anywhere. Christians aren’t just found in a church or churches, they are found everywhere and that is where fellowship should happen. I do not understand the “no communion between saints when there is no gathering” statement. Maybe it is because I’m a reborn Christian or not as far on my path, but I don’t quite understand it. Jesus and His people go wherever they are needed. If your point with that is that you can’t take communion if you aren’t a church – that may be true. The concept of communion usually needs an alter, wafers (or some sort of ‘body of Christ), wine/juice (some sort of ‘blood of Christ’), etc. Then I guess you would be right. I can’t take communion at home while going to church online. BUT I can also not take church in a Catholic church because I’m not Catholic. So… what’s the difference? I def DEF DEF DEF disagree with your final statement. I do NOT feel that by watching any type of church service online, in person, on TV that you are in anyway being irresponsible or less accountable. Jesus is Jesus.

Hey I am about to head out to dinner Wayne…. I’ll be back later to post again on your comment

Mindy, there’s a reason that Jesus said that where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them. There is a power in community is not met by the individual.

Besides, the picture of heaven is that of the whole multitude of believers gathered together to worship God. I highly doubt that everybody will be off in their own personal corner of heaven worshipping alone. Why not get used to what we will see in heaven now?

Someone could, of course, argue that heaven is different, that we will be so transformed then that it will not matter who is worshipping next to us. If that is so, though, why not let God do the transforming work in us now?

My husband dosen’t like to drive at night (we are senior citizens), the lights in the cars on the ‘other side’ come as a blast of light. So, I watch programs from America’s Keswick that are in the evening. Get to enjoy thier concerts etc. We do go to the Hymnsing on the first thursday of every months-it’s a 10AM, so no problem driving.
There are shut-in’s that this idea is good for them.