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“Have the children of God traded  manna in the wilderness for the  gluttony of the digital age? Maybe so. But we ought to remember that Christianity has a long tradition of  eager participation in technological advancements. . . . Like the printing press, digital technology offers the possibility of getting Scripture to the masses in unprecedented ways. . . . Traditionally, missionaries have been among the first to  embrace technological advancements – from Roman roads to jungle flight paths. In some parts of the world, even the internet has made good on its promise to open  new doors to the gospel. . . . From satellite broadcasting to podcasting, churches have welcomed new ways of communicating their  message, increasing membership and keeping the  community connected.”
—Melody Pugh, ctlibrary.com
“I access the internet on a regular basis to assist me with information gathering, culture-watching, Bible study and communication. My primary question about the ’net – as it is with many other things in my life – is the question of mastery. Do I have control of it or does it control me?”
—Brad
“Sometimes I think e-devotionals can take people away from quality time with their Bibles, as it’s quicker and more convenient on the web.”
—Christine
“I try to avoid the internet as much as possible! I use it only for curriculum writing and personal banking. I realize there is much good, but I find the constant ads and media bombardment annoying, frustrating and, at times, spiritually oppressive.”
—Nikki
Random web fact: According to Computer Industry Almanac, there are approximately 1.08 billion internet users in the world – amazing for a communication tool that had its genesis in the 1960s as a U.S. defense force project.
New forms of religious experience and expression are growing in popularity, drawing millions of people closer to God but farther from involvement in a congregational church. New ways of experiencing and expressing faith, such as through house churches, marketplace ministries and cyberchurches, are becoming the norm for millions of people.
—Oct. 2005 study by The Barna Group
“I can’t live without Sermonspice.com! It provides a downloadable assortment of brief videos that we use at our church gatherings.”
—Brad
“I can’t live without BibleGateway.com! It makes it easy to locate verses, and the variety of translations is great.”
—Christine
“I can’t live without Arts and Letters Daily. It’s my sine qua non. It promotes learning and debate (and perhaps a little elitism) by linking to the latest and most influential essays, articles and book reviews.”
—Peter
“I can’t live without free e-cards to brighten someone’s day (Hallmark or CrossDaily Cards). As well, Geez magazine has some fascinating countercultural tidbits.
—Laura
Current discussion threads on MB Forum:
Check out Church Marketing Sucks for ideas on creating a website for your church or ministry. Topics include brand and identity, and graphic design.
Random web fact: Christian dating sites are gaining popularity. ChristianCafe.com (“the largest database of Christian singles online”) and eHarmony (“the fastest growing relationship site on the web, with more successful couples per match than any online dating service”) are two.
Overheard on Napoleon Dynamite:
“We met in a chat room
Now our love can fully bloom
Sure, the World Wide Web is great
But you, you make me ‘salvivate’
Yes I love technology
But not as much as you, you see.”
“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. . . . He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16–17).
“Will spends a ‘well above average’ amount of time on the internet. . . . He finds he is ‘more teachable’ when doing research this way because he feels as though he is selecting his own sources and teaching himself, so he invests more authority in what he reads.”
—Sara Wenger Shenk, Thank You for Asking (Herald Press)
“Religion has taken to the internet like a duck to orange sauce.”
—Philip Jenkins, “Religion and the Media,” Books and Culture, Nov./Dec. 2005
Recently overheard: “I have a website . . . therefore I am!”
Musings at a blog: “Blogging is a new thing for me, and it feels a little strange to be sharing my thoughts so publicly. The odd reality of pastoral work is that my theological, philosophical and moral beliefs take on a representative quality. . . . Through this blog I am searching for a place to express my beliefs, opinions and ideas without them being associated with the beliefs of the church. Naive, I know. But, I need a place where belief is unfettered from expectation. It is not without fear that I crack the door of my theological closet open.”
Musings at a blog: “This morning I wandered through a cathedral, . . . looking up at the infinite, vaulted ceiling, around at the artwork, the icons. I saw the most gorgeous web, and gave thanks. Leaves of all colors. I noticed how cold the place had become, how I could see my breath. And there was music. Ancient tunes. Later would be modern stuff with it, but now it was only the ancient choir, robed in leaves, feathers, furs. And me. My feet, my breath joined their refrain: ‘Glory!’ (a wordless translation of that). ‘Glory!’ ”
“[Students] are going to the internet to feel less alone. On the ’net, they can be whoever they want to be: good or bad. They can confess their deepest secrets and speak their darkest desires. They can sign on at 2 a.m. and find a friend – someone else who can’t stand to shut their eyes.”
—Renee Altson, “Virtual Community,” Youth Worker Journal, July/Aug. 2005
“The internet provides the option of connecting with people who are geographically distant in a format I can turn on and off at will. I can have conversations of a spiritual nature with people I otherwise don’t see, or hardly see, in person. This also presents a challenge – you can only keep up with so many people.”
—Brian
“One of the dangerous things about the ’net is the lack of accountability. Because of the anonymity and the impersonal–personal, people often say things or threaten things for which they never have to be held responsible. There’s little follow-through online.”
—Renee Altson, “Virtual Community,” Youth Worker Journal, July/Aug. 2005
- blog n. abbr. (web log) an online journal updated regularly and shared publicly.
- website n. a location on the World Wide Web used to share one or more pages of information.
- cyberchurch n. an internet site that facilitates Christian community, worship, education and evangelism. It may or may not be a ministry of a “real” church.
- IM n. & v. acronym (instant messaging) a method of sending pop-up messages to another user’s computer screen, allowing instant communication between two people.
Brad, Christine, Nikki, Peter, Laura and Brian, quoted above, are real MB people connected to the virtual world.
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