Digital church . . . friend or foe?

Deep down most leaders are asking the questions, what is digital doing to the local church I lead? How is it helping? How is it hurting? Today’s episode will attempt to answer these questions at a high level.

How is the digital church helping?

1. It is expanding as a front door of the church you lead. For many years unchurched or de-churched people have checked out a church online prior to walking through the physical doors. This has never been truer than it is now.
2. Digital offers continuity. It allows those who are ill or on vacation to still be a part of the faith community at some level.
3. It creates opportunities room for brief touches throughout the week. Instead of connecting with people only on the weekends (and most members attend physically on the weekend 2x/month), digital allows for short but impactful connections during the week
4. Digital reinforces the truth that the church is not a building . . . it’s people. I’ve heard the statement “the church is not a building, it’s people” almost from my first day as a Christian. But a quick glance at our collective behavior as the Church suggests otherwise.
5. Digital gives people options. The people you lead like options.

How is the digital church hurting?

1. Reduced accountability. It’s much easier to hide behind a screen.
2. Digital doesn’t replace our need for human touch. The digital experience by itself is not addressing our need for human interaction. Genesis 2:18
3. Missing out on the impact of the corporate experience. Worshipping online is good. Worshiping in person with a group of like-minded believers is almost always better.
4. Digital alone can stunt discipleship. Discipleship can happen digitally, but it’s harder to do.

It remains to be seen how the digital church will both help and hurt the church in the long run..

What should we leaders do with digital? Ignore it? Criticize it? Go whole hog with it? You’ll have to answer that for your context.