In its infancy

In talking about unity and diversity and inclusion within the church, I was inspired by a thought: any way you slice it, an orange is an orange. Wedges or slices or segments, they are still orange. Blend them with vanilla yogurt in a smoothie, open a carton of OJ, add sugar and water for orangeade--still orange. They smell like orange, they taste like orange, they have orange integrity, if you will. So should the church. As we move from a modern way of doing church into whatever the future holds (my contention is that postmodernism is a phase, but who knows what's next?), I'm curious to see how we'll slice the orange that is our faith, and what the finished product will be. Any way you slice it, an orange is an orange. Thanks to the folks who have read this site and posted comments; you are all a big help! Come back and see how it's going as I transition this blog to a survey of a few online church presences and hopefully come out with a successful look at postmodern ecclesiologies from a practical perspective. Coming soon: Interviews with: * Amy Forbus, Digital Community Builder at the United Methodist Reporter and my blogging consultant * Jay Voorhees, UM pastor and preacher at Church of Fools, an online worship experiment of Ship of Fools and the Methodist Church in Great Britain * Jacqui King, pastor and planter of Nu Faith Community UMC, a new brick and mortar church and online church *Phil Wyman, pastor of The Gathering in Salem, Mass, and a pioneer in ministry to the Wiccan and neo-Pagan communities there (this interview will not take place until after Nov. 12; please check back to see it!) Reviews of some online ministry presences with an eye towards how they help people make and maintain connections to the church and to Christ

Thought for today

It's been an interesting week. Last Saturday Ben presided over the funeral of my stepmother, feeling acutely the pressure of ministering to (without offending) my agnostic father and Wiccan stepsister. Today I met with the local Presbyterian and Unitarian ministers, and we talked about our sermons. It's interesting the theological differences we have and don't have, and the varying topics of our sermons. The Unitarian tells us about the topic of her sermon. The Presbyterian is preaching a long series on Hosea and connecting its themes to our times. And I am the faithful lectionary girl, at least for this week. Yet somehow, I know that there will be people in each sanctuary who feel God speaking to them through us. That's pretty good stuff.

Hey, anybody out there?

I'm working on a project for a DMin in postmodern ministry. Anyone know of websites I need to be sure not to miss? I'm thinking of reviewing "web churches" and perhaps interviewing some leaders. Help me out...leave names/email/web addresses in the comments, please!

Solomon's Porch: online calling to in-person community

The Solomon's Porch website is not so much an online church presence as it is an online church description. That said, it's a pretty good one. Solomon's Porch describes itself as "a holistic, missional, Christian community" and it is located in Minneapolis MN. The website on first glance in only minimally interactive, with mostly informational content provided. At the bottom of the home page is a click thru link to the church's newsletter and discussion groups, which is password protected, one assumes to minimize the influence/impact of "trolls". The content, however, is very well done. Unlike many local church websites (mine included, or should I say, implicated), Solomon's Porch provides a large amount of meaningful and easily accessible information about the nature and shape of their worship services (moving beyond simply posting time and place), how they understand Christian community to be formed in and with and around Christ (rather than simply posting a mission statement), and detailed background information on their mission projects (which often get only lip service on a church website). Participation is encouraged first through navigating the site and taking in the content. The arts are a particular emphasis of Solomon's Porch, and the site contains many links to websites and virtual gatherings for artists who are members of the community. This is a website intended for information, not for overt community formation, but it seems to me to be inviting. I want to know more. And for those of us who read the website and want to know more, there's a handy listing of books about and by members of the Solomon's Porch community. As an example of a postmodern church, the website leaves me with the impression that they are doing pretty well.

Church on the Net

Church on the Net's "signature" graphic is a little unusual. From the website:

Why the apple core? Adam and Eve ate the fruit of knowledge, thinking it would tell them everything they wanted to know and make their life complete. In fact, it broke their reliance on God. So, now that we've enjoyed the apple, why are we still looking for answers? What will fill that hole inside us?

Church of the Net, a ministry of Holy Trinity Ripon, which is parish of the Church of England, is an online community aimed at helping those with no church background find clarity about God and the church. Among it's useful features are very spare webdesign without a lot of graphics, so that it loads very quickly. There is also a glossary in the left column to explain a variety of terms from God, Jesus and Holy Spirit to Christian Ethics, Angels, The Bible, and Sexuality. The language is very plain and uncomplicated, all the better to help those who haven't grown up in the church, and don't come "pre-loaded" with the vocabulary. What it is not is a worshiping body: there is a weekly article posted, but not an online service. Church on the Net doesn't mean to be the only church connection for people; instead their goal is to help people become better informed and more comfortable with joining a worshiping body elsewhere. There are three blogs, one on faith and current events, one offering "a wry look at some of the weirder things Christians get up to", and a third on science and faith. There are also forums for discussion on the weekly articles, other articles on the site, and other site feedback. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a lot happening on the site; both blog and forum posts are weeks or months old. The articles, however, are up to date and include a "Go Deeper" section which offers suggestions for prayer and reflection, as well as links to video clips and suggested reading (conveniently available from Amazon). I like this one a great deal. While it provides a very comfortable public space, there are options to move into social space, and potentially personal space as traffic increases on the blogs and forums. However, Church on the Net has no intention of replacing brick and mortar church; while they are intentional about building an online community, they focus on low-demand, easy to accept relational language and efforts, trusting that as they are able to "interpret" the church to their visitors, they will connect with a brick and mortar church for relationship. The site is an expression of the incarnational and missional focus of the church, and so there is no real emphasis on reaching out to others; the visitor is the other here. This is a model I'd like to see succeed, and think parts of it could be duplicated well.

Rev. Jacqui King and Nu Faith Community

Rev. Jacqui King is the Church Planter for Nu Faith Community UMC in northwest Houston, Texas, a new church launch that is starting with a web presence in advance on it's on-the-ground launch in April 2008. Anne: How do you describe Nu Faith to people you meet? Jacqui: I share with people that Nu Faith is a unique faith experience where they can meet God in an on-line environment. I usually ask them about what they search for on-line. This leads to a conversation about what to expect on-line such as Reflections, Study @ and Meet Us @ options. Anne: How are you working to make face-to-face contact with people in advance of the launch? Jacqui: Meet Us @ and Study @ are the two primary face-to-face contacts where fellowship through service, prayer, worship and study occur. Also, launch team meetings, retreats, and Serve @ add extra connection for persons who feel called to build a new community. Other events that will occur prior to Launch Sunday will be preview services and outreach community projects involving Plummer Middle School. Anne: Please tell me a little about the web ministry: what areas do you feel are most effective? What’s your favorite part of the website/interactive web ministry? What do you like the least? Jacqui: The web ministry was launched as virtual church. I enjoy sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in a technological forum where people from all over the world or around the corner can encounter God @ Anytime. My favorite part of the web is the Study @ options because my husband and I have connected our families from various cities together to study God’s word together. I enjoy the broad flexibility that the reflections and study offers persons working non-traditional hours. They can experience worship, study, and prayer like never before. Right now I do not have a thing that I rank least favorite. The virtual church is part of our DNA that will continue to grow beyond Launch Sunday on April 6, 2008. Anne: We’ve been reading Joe Myers’ The Search to Belong and Organic Community. In them, he talks about 4 kinds of relationship space we can occupy: public, social, personal, and intimate. If you are familiar with his terminology, can you tell me a bit about how NuFaith.org is helping people find their way into the spaces? If not, can you tell me about how people are entering into relationships with God and one another as the Nu Faith community comes together? Jacqui: I have read just a few chapters of the book and I believe that Nu Faith offers public space through the study options of Study@ The Line and Study @ Anytime. This is a space where people can connect loosely without a great deal of self-disclosure. For instance, a person can text me on-line a question and I will share it with the group without disclosing their name. Also, the site can be accessed without registering email or password. Worship gathering would constitute public space. The social relationships evolve in the launch team meetings, service projects and Meet Us @. These spaces include relational building moments coupled with fun. Personal and intimate include sessions with family, prayer and retreats. I believe the community is growing and formulating. The Study @ The House is a small group that is both personal and intimate space. Eventually, small groups and service teams will represent social, personal and intimate space for a faith community which operates in both virtual and brick / mortar spaces. Anne: How do you tie together online church experience with “real world” connections where people can be in some kind of physical contact? Jacqui: Study @ The House and Meet Us @ serve as connecting spaces for “real world” fellowship. In situations where people live in other cities beyond Houston, I will respond to those requests via internet by encouraging positive hand-off to churches in their areas. Anne: What do you feel are the keys to success for Nu Faith’s success as a web ministry, followed by a new church launch? Jacqui: I can look at web stats and gauge some success. The reach data coupled with on-line giving is an indicator of connection. I am praying about what success means. However, success is defined the virtual church allows people to meet God in a new way in the places where they live on a daily basis. Accessibility is important; relevancy is crucial; being real is real important; being responsive is important. The success is making disciples for Jesus Christ. Right now people who drive trucks, work late hours, have crazy commute times and small children have a new way to grow spiritually because Nu Faith is alive. God’s grace is sufficient and can meet us right where we are…searching, seeking and wanting answers. When the church launches, the virtual church will grow to reach more; teens will help develop myspace and facebook pages; college students will expand their social networks; families will connect with forums and prayer groups for specific needs. Success is the love of Jesus Christ being shared all around the world over and over so that all will be saved! Virtual Church wants to be a part of the Great Commission in a new way! Anne: Can you briefly describe the model for planting/growing Nu Faith? What will the role of the website be after the April launch? Jacqui: Nu Faith is a parachute drop. I am using a hybrid model that I will share in the writings at Drew in Fall 2008. The website will be integral in the church following Launch Sunday. Anne: How do you see incarnational ministry happening online? Jacqui: I have not explored this ministry area at this time. Anne: How do missions work during this phase of Nu Faith’s development? How will the website be used after the physical launch of Nu Faith Community? Jacqui: Missions primarily are part of community outreach and managed through Serve @ projects. We are a faith partner to Plummer Middle School, where we have various projects for December ’07. Mission trips will be arranged through partnerships with area churches. The website will continue to grow. Anne: Are there other church websites or online ministries that inspired NuFaith.org? Can you suggest any others that you think are particularly good (or not)? Jacqui: http://www.techforall.org/history.html http://www.umtv.org/archives/computer_recycling.htm

What is church?

So now it's time to offer a summation of sorts; I've certainly made my opinions known throughout. But here are some personal reflections on what I think about church in general, and online church expressions in particular: As I've worked through this project, I have come to one conclusion: church is more than worship on a screen, or Bible study at any level of participation, or shared prayer concerns. It's more than a place to give charitably or meet people with similar interests, or join a mission team to some faraway clime. Church to me is the incarnated Body of Christ, and I simply can't separate that image from the need for live and in person community, people participating together in worship, in mission, in study, in life together and out in the world...people you can reach out and touch, if you need to. In my second post on the Church of Faith and the Jay Voorhees interviews, i referred to a story about Jesus with skin on. That's what I need for church to be truly church: Jesus with skin on, in the person of people who I live in community with, in the neighborhood, in the same city, going to the same grocery store, with kids in the same schools, and worship, study, play, and work with in mission to one another and the world. I have seen online churches with a missional emphasis. Church on the Net does an excellent job at interpreting Christian concepts and church language for those who do not have a church background, or seek a way to interact with church in a way that places minimal demand on the individual, but invited interested persons into deeper relationship with the church and Christians. Their mission is to be reach out to such people. Other online churches have mission emphases and high missional sensibilities toward others, but most of them seem to be "other" directed. It's hard to be relational online; there is a distance inherent in packaging one's church interface for a mass audience on the scale of the internet. It's easy to say you are open and welcoming to everyone, but much harder to actually pull it off. Liquid Church stands out to me as demonstrating their high value on relationships in the ease with which their website (actually a blog on typepad) is navigated. I was also particularly impressed with their presence in the community. The account of the church's generosity and accepting spirit at the gay pride event demonstrates the relational character of this church, and it comes off in their websites. As I said above, some kind of physical presence is inherent in the notion of incarnational ministry to me. The best of the websites I've reviewed have sought to draw people into relationship with a brick and mortar church, with real people, live and in person. This is the ideal for me. I am not satisfied with the level of interaction with the virtual environments of St. Pixels and Infinite Church. I've described it as clunky, and it is: cartoonish avatars, text-driven interface (sound takes too much bandwidth to really work), slow movement in a poorly animated environment. I was not able to feel connected in any meaningful way. Also, these are primarily worship environments; it's hard to image what kind of real, personal, relational missional relationships can develop in that kind of space. Some of the elements I miss: the very sensory engagement of the sacraments of baptism and communion, and the sacramental moment that is the greeting time. I miss in person prayer; it's powerful actually hearing someone's prayer for you. I'd miss joint participation in the music; live worship music brings something special for me. And in any online church setting, I would miss the "editability" over a cup of coffee that I share now. Digital coffee just doesn't cut it. Nope, guess I just like my church like I like Jesus: with skin on. At the heart of things, I need people. As Len Sweet pointed out in an online discussion several weeks ago, online relationships increase peoples' desire for in person relationships. I hope that's true.