From the end of the twentieth century, the Internet has become increasingly popular. It has also become a household necessity.
In the Internet age, the church also keeps up with pace of the current times. Most of sectarian groups, theological schools, local halls, Christian media companies and pastors make full use of the Internet. They preach the Gospel and shepherd believers on WeChat, QQ and other online platforms.
The Internet can spread vast amount of information in a short period of time. What’s more, it is easy to operate. The platform set up by Christians has provided rich spiritual information for brothers and sisters anytime, anywhere.
The Internet age has profoundly changed the faith life of Christians. In the past, Christians generally get spiritual information by listening to preachings on Lord’s day, participating in Bible classes and reading books. Now, as long as we have a computer or a mobile phone, we can learn about theological books of different ages, preachings of contemporary famous pastors, learn ancient and modern hymns and news regarding church activities.
In recent years, the online church has thrived. Christians can even worship God and listen to the sermon at home without going out. The Internet Age has also deconstructed the pattern of the church. Traditional sects and churches have been shuffled.
A common believer used to grow up in the church where he was baptized and was influenced by the sects of the church, Nowadays, believers can open the window to the colorful Christian world with the use of a little mouse. They can learn about Evangelism, Catholicism, spiritual, pietism, mysticism and different sects. Theological thoughts also become more diversified.
The original gaps between different sects have been bridged. For example, a believer may have the background of Calvinism; but, his theological ideas and mode of worshiping may come from Lutheranism, Methodism or even Catholicism.
In addition, the boundary between orthodoxy and heresy has become increasingly blurred. Some orthodox churches may accept false teachings of Extreme Charismatic or Prosperity Theology. Some careless believers may accept information regarding heresy online. And some believers of heresy may return to the correct track of Christianity after receiving rich theological information online.
The Internet age plays a positive role in the growth of Christians and the development of the church. Some brothers and sisters, who haven’t studied in a seminary or received formal training classes, can learn a lot of useful information online. Their theological accomplishments may even surpass that of some pastors who have graduated from theological schools.
The Internet age has also facilitated communication and understanding between different sects. It is a good platform to bridge the gap. Many churches promote and report their ministry activities online, which has attracted many brothers and sisters. Some churches also learn from other churches’ experience of construction online.
However, the Internet age has also brought about many challenges. Some brothers and sisters think that evangelism in the church is too boring or they feel limited in the church. So they choose to listen to the Gospel online instead of going to the church since the online evangelism is now mature. This phenomenon may make many believers drift away from the church. As a result, they will lose their personal and deep exchanges with the saints.
Many heretical organizations also make advantage of the online platforms to sell their fallacies, which have confused many brothers and sisters. In addition, some believers are unable to study on their own. Although they have learned about much information online, they couldn’t understand it thoroughly. As a result, they only have an isolated or extreme understanding of their faith and become the "angry youth" in the church.
Faced with the challenges of the Internet age, the church should have a clear understanding on how it works and what it can trigger. Pastors need to strengthen their learning of the truth so that they can deal with all kinds of problems both online and offline. It is wrong for believers to give up going to the church due to the rich information available online. It is difficult to digest and distinguish complex information without actual guidance. We need the correct guidance of pastors to understand these facts.
In addition, the growth of Christian life is not just the accumulation of knowledge. The practice of love is more important. If we want to reach heaven, we must serve in the church and care about the people in need.
Translated by Emma Ma
