The Context for Using Web Technology as a Church – Tradition, Trend or Truth
There are two dangers when using web technology within the church, trend and tradition, but we need to be concerned with the truth. This post will provide a brief overview on how to recognize trend and tradition then make the case for gospel truth to be our absolute objective when we come to use web technology as churches.
As Tim Keller suggests there are three ways to live, legalistic, liberal or gospel centric, I want to suggest these three ways influence how we approach the use of web technology as churches. Most of our technological shift in the last decade has been communication based and this effects how churches are reaching people with God’s revolutionizing truth. We all sway towards tradition or trend on different issues, I know I do, but it is helpful to understand where we mostly stand so that we can line up with what the Bible actually says and have the Gospel centric view taking time to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying.
Tradition – Legalism
The first mode of thought is often steeped in tradition with the individual thinking that they are made perfect by what they do. This idea of right and wrong often comes from a traditional relativity of right and wrong not from a definitive guide to what is perfect found in the form and action of Jesus. Traditional church methods ultimately end up trying to maintain exclusive comfort, its the only way they know how to keep things “right”. The individual is so convinced by their own standard of what is right and what is wrong that they miss the mark and often fail to accept what is helpful or good. It is a very easy trap to fall in to.
For sure the internet is a place of moral depravity. The same goes for the market place, our workplaces, our schools and universities. And as such we have a reason to be in those places. We don’t take all that the world offers us but instead represent a people reconciled by Jesus showing a better way of living. Saved by the God’s Grace! Being traditional does not always allow us to live like that. As churches we need to be using the internet to speak into these deprived communities as many are looking for meaning.
Trend – Liberalism
Though both legalism and liberalism create comfortable bubbles, liberalism is keeping an all inclusive comfort rather than an exclusive comfort. This allows individuals to say that things are “acceptable” even when they are not. Compromise ends in the dilution of Gospel truth. The standard of perfection, Jesus, often gets replaced by what the majority deems as relatively right at that current time. As a result liberal thought is quickly and easily effected by trend.
In many churches liberalism often goes over board in it’s quest to be relevant leaving wisdom by the wayside. When it comes to using technology often this takes the place of Jesus and become the center. Individuals need a solid relationship with Jesus where he can speak wisdom. “Yes I’m on Twitter” but wisdom would ask how much time should I be on twitter? As followers of Christ we have been given the task of announcing the Gospel not the contents of our breakfast. There is no use in having a website if it doesn’t reach out to unsaved people, believe me they have had bacon and eggs before. “So be careful how you live. Live as men who are wise and not foolish. Make the best use of your time. These are sinful days.” Ephesians 5:15-16
Truth – Gospel Centric
In both legalistic and liberal thinking the truth of the Gospel gets ignored and the Christian faith becomes a sweet shop where you can pick and mix what you do and don’t want. We have a clear guide to what sin is and what to repent from and who to rely on instead. Jesus! Gospel centric thought includes an attitude that is so thankful and amazed by what Jesus has done that the individual knows every time he messes up they’re already saved. Additionally they are even more determined to live the right way that pleases God. This kind of thought wants to bring to people the Jesus story in a way that is effective. When we come to use web tech as churches we need to be propelled by gospel truth and it needs to be both the ultimate context and the ultimate objective.
The Gospel = Changed Lives
The natural progression for the Jesus’ disciples when they understood and they were filled with the Holy Spirit was to share who Jesus was relationally. The web is a medium that is intensely personal, though currently many Church websites don’t embrace that too well. They are more like yellow page adverts, with stock photography and no message of God changing lives. Rather they should be showing people once captive to sin now redeemed by Jesus. The unsaved are always looking for something that will change their lives.
Example AskSeekClick.com
video testimonies from church members
One of the best outreach sites I have seen in a long time is askseekclick.com. Using video testimonies of members from River Church in Manhattan it proved very effective at getting people to find out more about Christ by joining alpha courses. They found that their small congregation was willing to spread the website on to co-workers and family members alongside affordable advertising in the bus stops and metro station. They had 220 people show up at their first dinner, which was split into 25 tables with each table having a church leader fielding questions. They found that 55 people wanted to sign-up for an Alpha course, 20 came to the church, and an additional 40 were skeptical but desired to come to the next dinner to talk more. The majority of people were either unchurched, or came from some other spiritual background outside of Christianity
The Gospel = A Church on Mission
Faith without deeds is dead. As a Church we are called to put our money, time, skills where our mouth is by serving people. It’s another way we get the Gospel in to the hearts of those who need to hear it. Loving deeds open up hearts to accept the Gospel. The web can help to coordinate and equip a serving church. Online church members areas should be more than a list of addresses and be abuzz with practical ways on how to serve the community those members live in.
church serving the community
Example – The City
A great example is a Social Network called “The City” set up by Marshill Church for it’s members. Inspired by Matthew 5:14 Zack Hubert a Marshill elder wondered how technology might serve to help God’s people live as “a city on a hill”. He then set up The City for the church to enhance existing relationships in the church and the various missions which people were involved in. Within two months of the tool’s launch more than 85% of the church’s members had signed up and more than 75% visit the site every single day.
Final Questions
Hopefully you have been inspired by what could be achieved by injecting a Church website with Gospel Truth. In the following articles we will be covering how to set up an effective church website though there are some challenging questions you might want to ask before using web tech in your church…
1. Do I need to break out of an exclusive traditional comfort bubble, am I hiding the Gospel?
2. Do I need to break out of a too inclusive trendy comfort bubble, am I watering down the Gospel?
3. Does/Will my church website get the Gospel out effectively and improve the way we do mission practically?
