Team GotQuestions Blog

a Blog for Sharing Stories, Tips & Encouragement

Discussion about Online Churches

February 13th, 2015

We sometimes get questions from people who because of geography or age cannot go to church. Would someone be willing to write a Blogos article on good online churches and communities?

Like ·
  • Seen by 39
    Ed Chait likes this.
  • Tim White I don’t write fiction.
    February 11 at 10:34am · Like · 1
  • Tim White You know I’m funning.
    February 11 at 10:41am · Like · 1
  • MeLissa LeFleur Houdmann If you don’t get a taker, let me know.
    February 11 at 12:57pm · Like
  • Steve Ray Webb Not to take away from your suggestion, but I would remind such people that church can be where two or more are gathered together. They don’t need a ‘church building’ to be a church. In fact, that is so often the way great churches start.
    February 11 at 6:30pm · Like
  • Tim White Just, please, do not minimize the demand for fellowship and mutual encouragement found in a real (yet imperfect) local assembly.
    February 11 at 7:14pm · Like
  • Elizabeth DeVore Yeah, we’re not talking a lazy 40-year old American man. We’re talking like a teenage Chinese or Pakistani boy whose parents refuse to let him go to church.
    February 11 at 8:03pm · Like · 1
  • Olivia Bortner If no one else is available, I would be more than happy to contribute, if you’d like.
    Yesterday at 6:39am · Like
  • Tim White My concern is the Barna report that states in 2017, the prevailing attitude about going to Church will hit an all time low. Today, 92 % of high school graduates leaving for college will not return to Church.
    Yesterday at 11:38am · Like
  • Tim White That is according to Sammy Lopez.
    Yesterday at 11:39am · Like
  • Wendyl Leslie Tim, that’s an extraordinary number of young folks who for whatever reasons have been disenchanted by the church, but have grown to love the world. Sad, sad commentary on the state of the church today.
    Yesterday at 12:19pm · Like
  • Sarah Van Baale In a world where people are delving more and more into an “online reality,” the subject cannot be avoided. However, it is best to emphasize that face-to-face relationships and in the flesh fellowship is always preferable to anything done remotely onli…See More
    Yesterday at 1:12pm · Edited · Like · 1
  • Steve Ray Webb One of the elements here is that in this age of information people can get great sermons and spiritual music on TV, internet and videos. and thereby rationalize that they don’t need to attend church. And in those respects I have to admit they have some basis for it. I typically receive much more benefit from my own personal Bible reading or book reading than listening to the typical sermon. That is why the church needs to further emphasize the importance of fellowship, communion and community aspects rather than the typical emphasis of putting on a ‘performance.’
    20 hrs · Like
  • Ed Chait Every good thing can be abused, but online churches and communities are a good thing for people who cannot attend church for valid reasons. I wish I knew some that I could recommend.
    19 hrs · Edited · Like
  • Sarah Van Baale Except, I might argue, that online church presentations tend to focus on what we can get from it rather than what we can give to others. Before they passed away, my grandparents became home bound in that they couldn’t get out and around to go to churc…See More
    19 hrs · Like · 1
  • Ed Chait I agree Sarah, those are all excellent points.
    19 hrs · Like
  • Sarah Van Baale I should probably also clarify, I’m not all out against online church communities, but I think it bears mentioning the pitfalls.
    18 hrs · Like · 1
  • Steve Ray Webb As far as being able to contribute (rather than receive) at an assembly service, it sounds good but many are not very qualified to do this. And for that matter, many churches provide very little opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way if you aren…See More
    8 hrs · Like
  • Tim White Steve Ray Webb, I respectfully disagree. All of us (I hope) have known someone who sat quietly in the service, served quietly in the Church and never sang a special, read a public scripture, gave a devotional, etc… but the sight of them in their faithful spot was an encouragement that cannot be replaced. I can think of several in each Church I attended.
    7 hrs · Like · 1
  • Sarah Van Baale You don’t have to have a formal “job” in order to contribute to fellowship. You simply have to be observant and in tune with the Holy Spirit. Newcomers need to feel welcomed and loved. People need to be able to make meaningful connections with one another. Hurting people need to be hugged. There is a lot more to fellowship than actually participating in the formalities of a service. And there is so much more that goes on in person than watching a service online or participating in a Christian chat room.
    3 hrs · Edited · Like

Team GotQuestions Blog

a Blog for Sharing Stories, Tips & Encouragement