Webmasters Build a New Church Online

According to this report on the 2004 European Christian Internet Conference, churches are beginning to see the potential of using the Internet to reach "the ever-increasing numbers of the most elusive and high-potential group – youngsters."

"Slowly, the Churches are realising that, against a backdrop of waning church attendance, this booming area of growth might even be vital to them. Many of the Church websites get more visits than the average Cathedral."

The author, Sean Hawkey, writes that the conference attendees charted a "huge spread of online services provided by religious organisations, from responding to requests for baptismal certificates, to enabling diaspora communities, to spiritual and developmental matters."

Chat rooms, in particular, are a popular tool for online communication and counselling. "Counselling manager Hans Peter Murbach told the conference how he shares responsibilities for online counselling with 40 other Pastors to respond to a large volume of religious, spiritual and personal questions through chat rooms from people, who he says 'often do not go to Church' and hints that this is a new type of Church for those alienated by traditional Church."

[Editor's note: The full article is no longer available online.]

Click here for the European Christian Internet Conference website.