Comments on: Is Online Ministry ‘Incarnational’?

By: Charles Cox

Charles Cox — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:57:17 +0000

Online education is also as good as conventional education but interpersonal interaction might be limited.`,,

By: John Dyer

John Dyer — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:55:34 +0000

Tony, thanks for your comment. I’m looking forward to making it up to see your setup with Rhett in January. That way I can copy everything you do.

By: Tony Steward

Tony Steward — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:25:17 +0000

John – great post man.

One of the most frustrating moments I deal with consistently is when churches send us requests on how we are doing church online and all their questions focus on the Technology – that by just having a technological presence online is the ministry answer they’ve been looking for. They see the tech as an end to health, or influence or any number of things, instead of the means to extend their ministry online IF they are called to that sort of mission.

By: Rhett Smith

Rhett Smith — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:09:59 +0000

John,

Really great post…I appreciate that what you have written is something I struggle with a lot.

I think what I am taking away the most is that you talk about how technology can serve both our ends and our means.

There is this idea out there in church that technology equals cutting edge or more relevant, etc…something I’ve said at some point myself.

It’s interesting that no matter how much I love the technological tools, I still end up sitting down with that person over coffee…in the flesh. The technology which I can become so enamored with was really just a means….I can’t help but think that God wired us that way…wired me that way. Blessed me with people I have connected with on Twitter, but has not allowed me to stay there, but has moved me into in person relationships with these people (i.e. you, Scott, Tony, Aaron, etc, etc.)

Rhett

By: John Dyer

John Dyer — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:28:29 +0000

Thanks Adam. I, too, struggle with the right terms and analogies to use. I want to validate online ministry, but avoid accidentally speaking so highly of it that I denigrate physical reality.

By: Adam Shields

Adam Shields — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:16:18 +0000

I really struggle with ways to talk about online ministry. I agree with some of what Shane Hipps has said but differ a lot with him on how he talks about it. You had some really good analogies here. The best (for me as I am read this) was the idea of being present but not incarnate. (The last line of your 1st point.)

Thanks for the post, very helpful.