When you wander the web, you notice the faint gossamer threads of trends. Following these threads leads to some interesting observations and discoveries. So far I’ve identified four different approaches for Reaching the Online Generation. Followers of Christ are waking up to the online reality and are trying to figure out what it means to live in a flatter, hyper-connected world.
Online Bricks and Mortar
Some groups take their offline church and recreate the experience online. There are online worship services and online preachers. Some of these encourage offline small groups and even have offline group-finders built into their sites. I wanted to participate in one worship service this morning, but they are scheduled live events, and I missed the online service. Bummer. That was frustrating. I’ll have to see if I can work their schedule into my life. (Notice the modeling in that last statement. It was on purpose. Probably typical of the Online Generation. But, then again, I may be wrong.)
Under normal conditions, like produces like. I believe online bricks and morter churches will birth more online churches of every shape and color, to match the plethora of worship preferences and applications of Scripture. This isn’t bad. Just reality. I hope to explore these expressions a little more and see how they disciple. Discipleship, in my opinion, is the litmus test for church.
I may be wrong (and if you know differently, please correct me) but I’m concerned that this form of church is attractional by nature. I’m concerned that it is knowledge-transfer oriented, rather than obedience-oriented. I also worry that it will take a broadcast approach typical of TV rather than the conversational style best suited for the web. I hope this approach doesn’t become personality driven as well.
I hope to get a chance to explore these online churches more. I’m really interested in learning how they overcome some of these hurdles. I’d love to be a part of the process. I’ll let you know what I learn.
Evangelistic
I’m happy that Christians realize the Online Generation is full of people seeking spiritual fulfillment. More and more evangelistic sites pop up online all the time. I’m glad to see that the church hasn’t completely lost its passion to reach the lost. These evangelistic sites are a testament to hearts that are in the right place.
The problems facing the evangelistic sites are similar to those faced by offline evangelistic crusades. They have marvelous plans to follow up with decisions to follow Christ, but they don’t have enough manpower to follow up with everyone. They rely on volunteers and partners because having a staff large enough to follow up with 300 decisions a day is almost impossible. Since these volunteers and partners have struggles and pressures of their own, follow up is something that gets put on the back burner, an addition to already busy schedules. They have great intentions to follow up with decisions – I do not doubt their heart at all – but many new Believers fall through the cracks.
I’ve talked with some leaders of evangelistic sites. The they understand the problems and are actively searching for ways to disciple people coming to Christ through their sites. I look forward to continuing the conversation and working on different ways to address these problems.
Community Builders
While some Christians see the internet as the enemy, other see it as a wonderful tool to build community. They are getting on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and others in order to connect deeply with people in their offline churches and with people on the fringe. The motivating thought seems to be: Authentic and deep online community will result in offline community.
I think they are on to something. Personally, I wish every church looked at ways to weave into the lives of their regular members and those on the fringe. While I have limited blocks of time to give to church activities, I’m always amazed that I never feel like I’ve spent time I didn’t have when I’m interacting with online and offline friends. We make room for real community. That’s human nature.
My concern with this group is that they will live in deeper community with other Christians and forget to live in community with the lost. Real Christian community can be very comfortable. Community with the lost can really press your buttons sometimes. I also worry that it will focus on community for community’s sake and forget the missional call of the Gospel.
I’m talking with some of these guys now and I hope to engage them on a deeper level as we wrestle with all the issues facing Community 2.0.
Grassroots Discipleship
This movement is really small. Really small. It focuses on combining elements of Gospel Movements (church planting movements) to reach lost people in existing online communities. It doesn’t focus on attracting communities, but in being part of community as part of the search for Persons of Peace and starting groups that disciple people into a relationship with Christ.
This approach takes a long time to start. It takes people committed to the process of discipling people to Christ. You can get bogged down in communities that you love rather than move from community to community searching for Persons of Peace. You have to be committed to letting people discover how they are going to obey God rather than telling them what to do. You have to guide people through heresy as it pops up, the same way the Apostle Paul did with the early church. This approach is simple when you get down to it, but it isn’t easy.
I think you need all these approaches are an important part of reaching the Online Generation. They each have their purpose. They each have their hurdles. We are going to have to work together if we truly want to reach the Online Generation.
I want to work with people from all groups. If you are part of any group passionate about reaching the Online Generation, or know someone who is, contact me. I’m getting a strong sense that we need to work together if we want to do anything significant for the Kingdom.
Love to hear your thoughts…
