Comments on: The Rise of Social Media

By: georges boujakly

georges boujakly — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:57:59 +0000

Just like there is a physicality to the incarnation of our Lord, so there must be a physicality to the gathering of his bride. He didn’t save us by means of Facebook (tongue in cheek!). Jesus chose his disciplies to be “with him” to learn how to “be like him”. Discipleship is an imitative, relational learning endeavor. It is most effective when it is enfleshed.

The value of technology is unquestioned. But it is a categorical mistake, methink, to posit that social media, and technology in general, are capable of deep relationality, as enfleshment and corporeal, presence are. Our relationality is trinitarian derived. That is, it is modeled on the realtionship that exists in the community of the Godhead. In large part, this is what it means to be made in the image of God.

By: DJ Yun

DJ Yun — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:53:01 +0000

“less than 25 percent of the world’s total population has access to the Internet. In many parts of the world, computers are scarce, and connectivity is even rarer. Indeed, some of these third-world nations have barely any online ingress at all. For example, only one percent of the people of Rwanda can connect to the Internet, and no more than 5 percent of all Africans have access.”

By: Virgil Richardson

Virgil Richardson — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:18:02 +0000

I find it ironic and hilarious that at the bottom of this article with a mostly-negative slant towards social media’s implications on the church, there are mutiple one-click links to re-post the article on the social network of our choice.

Thank God for Ed Stetzer and the like who have a voice and understand that the gospel and culture are not mutually exclusive.

By: Brian Russell

Brian Russell — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:30:21 +0000

DJ, LC does in fact have several bricks & motar buildings in which up to 40k people a week enter & worship together. I know there ate several in OK, 1 in Albany NY, TN, FTW, FL, etc. Can’t speak to the extent (or lack thereof) of the bus ministry to seniors w/out Internet access at each campus though. I think Laura makes a good point that the leadership of LC does not merely focus on Online ministry and neither do they claim to be effectively ministering through all the ways & means available to us today.

For the record, I’ve attended a LC campus in OKC and volunteer at Church Online since moving to the States in June. I’m not on staff, nor am I speaking officially for them. They may appreciate me clarifying that . Blessings.

By: DJ Yun

DJ Yun — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:12:54 +0000

Laura,

I was being arrogant. I’m sorry. My own church isn’t perfect and I shouldn’t expect any other church to be that way too. One thing I know to be true is that many bricks and mortar churches are not legitimate. I hope you can agree with me on that.

By: Danny Bixby

Danny Bixby — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:01:17 +0000

Agreed. But in my opinion it’s going to take quite a while for that change of mentality to occur.

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:52:48 +0000

DJ –
Your comment touches upon something I often see in these types of conversations about online churches. There’s often a sense that no matter what an online church is doing, it’s just not good enough. So, the fact that Life Church (or any online church) reaches thousands of people that aren’t interested in going to a bricks and mortar church isn’t good enough.
They also now have to buy a bus, go to senior believers, have missional teams etc before they are considered “legit”. Yet, I don’t see that type of requirement being placed on bricks and mortar church plants before they are “legit” in our eyes.

Online churches, whether they are large like Life Church, or a small house church that livestreams their services, do meet needs of people that bricks and mortar churches don’t.

By: DJ Yun

DJ Yun — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:20:13 +0000

Brian, how does LifeChurch remove barriers for those who don’t have internet connections or computers? Do they have mission teams that take the internet and Lifechurch to the ‘least of these’? If not, there would be an innovative idea, wouldn’t it? You’re probably already doing this, but you could take the virtual church bus and pick up your senior believers in the living assisted apartments!

There should only be one common denominator in your community of faith.

By: Brian Russell

Brian Russell — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:48:57 +0000

No hate mail here, but couldn’t disagree more. One, to limit “gathering together” as being able to physically touch one another is narrow and simply wrong. Two, I think most who are affiliated with Lifechurch’s Church Online know that from the top down they’re interested in seeing participants in Church Online get involved in ‘in person’ communities whenever possible.
I think one time not too in the distant past people were very troubled over individuals having a personal printed Bible translated into their native tongue. While admittedly not a perfect parallel, can’t help but think the obsurdity of such sentiment will soon be shared by the vast majority regarding online communities of faith. I at least certainly hope so.

By: Roger Sharp

Roger Sharp — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:30:11 +0000

I presented the paper: “Social Ethics For A Social Network: An UnApologetic Presence On Facebook” at the Evangelical Philosophical Society’s Annual Meeting November 2009. If you are interested in my thoughts on Social Media as how it pertains to ministry, here is the Google Doc link: http://confidentchristianity.blogspot.com/2009/11/social-ethics-for-social-network.html

Roger Sharp
Confident Christianity Apologetics Ministry