Many Americans are still drawn to the appeal of a church for worship and prayer. And yet the thought of trying to figure out where to attend, and then to commit themselves to frequent visits, can be challenging, especially when the comforts of home are so enticing. Internet churches have tried to blur the best of these two worlds by bringing prayer, devotion, and sermons to your home through your computer. Utilizing the World Wide Web to for divine purposes have become a booming new trend in the American religious experience.
As mentioned, one of the benefits that these churches try to focus on is that church devotional services can be available right in your home. Not only that, but they are available whenever best fits your schedule, since many programs or services can be downloaded or stream at any time. Through webcasts, podcasts, streaming video, or many other forms of online media, Christian ministers are able to communicate to their congregation in a much more intimate fashion than from the pulpit of a large chapel. Plus, it has allowed people to be part of a church that would otherwise be hundreds if not thousands of miles away from them. Geographic boundaries are no longer obstacles to the reach of churches based online.
Still, many church goers are worried about losing a real, human connection with both the pastor and the other members of the congregation. No longer can you mix and mingle after a service, or join in a Bible study group, or even just know your neighbors better. People worry that if this human experience is lost, than a very real part of the Christian experiences is lost as well: helping your neighbor and offering service.
One way churches have tried to mitigate against this isolation is by utilizing social media outlets, like Facebook, that help members get to know each other and stay more closely connected. In fact, many traditional churches have turned to the Internet as well to help keep members connected to the latest events and news. Many churches feel the pressure of a society that feels increasingly less affiliated to denominations and has tried to extend the bonds of its community by making it easier to access the church through the computer. In this way, Internet churches have become more like traditional churches, while traditional churches have become more like those churches based on the computer.