Ushers ,recruited by the pastor ,greet people as they come into the main area of the church.  There is a worship ensemble  playing music to set the tone for the worship service that will begin in a few minutes. The pastor leads group prayers and tells others he is available to pray for them after the service.  The sermon is given  and the last hymn is sung. People exchange email addresses to keep in touch during the week before the next worship service. This may sound like your regular church service ,but this service takes place in a chat room serving as a sanctuary ,online.

Online churches have exploded on the internet; allowing those who live a large portion of their lives online to worship too.  The churches tend to be interactive ;offering worship services, prayer meetings , and even communion through chat rooms and instant messaging.  Those who wish to celebrate communion provide their own wine and bread at home and partake of it at the same time their other parishioners online. Some churches also perform baptism this way. If the sacrament takes place in the ‘real ‘,church sanctuary it can still be shared online with other parishioners and relatives via web cam.

Some people reject the idea of online church communities as the least acceptable form of Christian community . Others see it as a way to engage in worship those people who would not ever set foot in a brick and mortar church.  Many  see it as a way of attracting the savvy tech youth to the church and eventually get them to attend a service in person. Certainly , for college students away from home online church service  offer a great way for them to stay in touch with their home congregations.

There are at least forty very active congregations online.  It is a way for many to investigate their faith in a way that they feel more at ease. It gives churches a chance to reach out to those who come to their site to learn about the faith offered. It is a type of evangelism ideal to people who meet their future spouses online a long time before they ever meet in person.  It makes sense for those who bank, work, and socialize online to look to develop their spiritual life online. Still, it is important for those who work from home online and are so caught up in online life to come out for air in the real world. The best of online ministries encourage small groups of people to meet up in real life on a regular basis and not just socialize online.

Online church of course is ideal for the homebound and those who live in isolated areas far from their type of denomination.  Still , most ministries for the homebound still strive to give housebound parishioners  ministerial visits to receive the sacraments and visit.  Online churches also give an opportunity for those who are very computer literate to give back to the church by helping the church establish and maintain its online presence.  It also gives pastors a chance to counseling with congregants who would be hesitant to come to the church for in person spiritual guidance.

While online church will not replace brick and mortar church communities it certainly  offers a unique way for the  technically savvy to experience Christian community.