Impact of Internet Social Networks on Church Life

A Sense of Community

In the past, people were much more likely to have extended family members living in the same home as them, or at least nearby. Now, things have changed. It is not uncommon to find yourself living in a different city, state, or country from where you were born and raised. People move to other locations for education or employment purposes much more often than previous generations did.

If a person is looking to belong to something bigger than themselves, they may be drawn to the community aspect of a church. Certainly, churches are about more than just weekly worship. They many opportunities for people to socialize outside of the regular church services, with their different groups and activities.

This need people have to belong is a deep-seated one. In some religious faiths, the most severe form of punishment a community can mete out against a wrongdoer is shunning. Just imagine for a moment how devastating it would be to no longer be part of a community that you had belonged to all your life!

The Impact of Internet Social Networks on Church Life

The popularity of Internet social networks means that some churches have started to embrace this technology to expand their church community into the virtual world. Many religious faiths are finding it difficult to attract and keep members. If a church can appear to be in tune with the times, this may be a way to get people to start attending regularly again.

Examples of Christian Social Network Sites

MyChurch.org is free to join and allows members to get information about over 16,000 churches. Browse through the site to learn about the church, including their denomination, service times, what types of social groups they have, and what their vision statement is. If you choose to join, you can post your own profile online and post messages for other members.

The United Methodist Church also has it own community website. Users can post a profile, photos, and share their thoughts and opinions with other users. Registered users who have been designated as "friends" are able to post comments on each other's pages.

The main community pages features the latest discussions and featured bloggers. Instead of interacting only with one's own congregation, members of the UMC.org community can develop online relationships with similarly-minded people from any location.

Leaders of a youth ministry may want to consider joining Tuggle. Once they have signed up, members can sign up under their church's Tuggle page and start interacting with other members. Members are able to send and receive messages by e-mail or through text messaging via cell phone.

The impact of Internet social networks on church life is generally seen as a positive one. People who are actively practicing their religious faith have the opportunity to interact with people they may not have otherwise had the chance to "meet." This technology means that our world is a much smaller place than it was for previous generations. It's a way to get that sense of community that we still crave.