The Internet as a Blessing and a Curse

This summer, Luke Lindon was the chaplain for the United Church of Christ Society at the Chautauqua Institution. He heard a great talk by Paul Raushenbush entitled, "BEHOLD! I set before you a blessing and a curse; the internet and our spiritual life."

You can watch the full lecture here:


The main thing to lift up from the lecture is “One thing is very clear: The Internet and the technologies involved with it are not going away,” Raushenbush said. According to a poll administered by Pew Research Center in 2011, 79 percent of religiously active Americans use the Internet.

Whether you're looking up a scripture passage, looking for worship materials, or reading the UCC Daily Devotional; the internet is part of your spiritual life.

Yet many view the internet as a hostile place. Raushenbush states “It’s all about the intention. There’s good and bad — it’s what we bring to it.” Raushenbush stated that the internet is a useful tool, perhaps the most remarkable, at delivering information. There are blessings and curses that go with this tool. The trick is being actively engaged in social media and the internet so that we, as Raushenbush stated at the end of the lecture, "how we — all of you — can be a part of the force that bends the Internet away from the curse and towards the blessing."

The hope of the Faith Formation Team in this series is to get your comfort level with the "new media" up so that your church can be a force of blessing on the internet.

What are your thoughts on this talk? Was it helpful in laying out the issues of the internet? Are there lingering doubts or concerns that weren't addressed? Do you have a story of the internet being part of your spiritual life and blessing it?

Getting Your Church Wired

A Digital Church

Introducing our fall project: 

Getting Your Church Wired: A helpful guide to social media, online ethics and your congregation. 

The internet has given our churches new tools to use for evangelism, yet many churches don't know about these tools or fear them. The Faith Formation Team will guide you through the ethical use of these tools, what tools are helpful (and which aren't), and how to create opportunities for connection throughout the week (not just Sunday morning).

If you’re looking for resources, helpful tips, or even how to ethically use the internet then this series is for you. You can send any questions, comments, or requests for topics you want covered to Luke Lindon, lukeATsylvaniauccDOTorg. 

Why did we spell out Luke's email like that? Well, here's your first tip: to avoid spammers who search the internet for email links! Luke doesn't want to be notified of the lottery he has won in Gambia, his long-lost royal relative's inheritance, or his Russian bride. He does want your requests for topics, issues, and questions. So please, send away!

Thanks!

Social Media for Congregations Event

This fall, the Faith Formation Team's theme will be "Getting Your Church Wired: A helpful guide to social media, online ethics and your congregation."

It seems that the Ohio Conference also thought that this would be a good idea. They are hosting two events that fall under this theme. Click on this link to see the invitation and sign up!

Where & When Friday, September 28, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Bath UCC 3980 W. Bath Road Bath, Ohio 44333 Map/Directions Saturday, September 29, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. St. John's Church 59 E. Mound Street Columbus, Ohio 43215 Map/Directions

Reformatting

The Faith Formation Team is hard at work! We will get you (pastors and lay leaders) more resources for advent, lent and summer!

Until then, may you feel the movement of the Spirit in the warm breezes of summer. May the sun warm your skin and remind you of your Creator's love. And may you have a meal on the beach with friends like Christ. In God's many names, Amen.

A Great Liturgical Resource

If you are looking for a one-stop-shop for fresh liturgy, look no further than the blog re:Worship. Christine Longhurst is the author of the blog and pulls from a variety of online resources. 

The site is easy to navigate and well labeled. Say if you were looking for a call to worship for Easter 7 Year B, you would be able to find it quite easily on the right hand side under "labels." 

I use re:Worship when I have to plan worship and find that is a great resource.

Textweek Resource

Are you looking for creative ways to put together liturgy? Do you have an upcoming Children's Moment to lead? Are you involved in a lectionary-based Bible study? Are you preaching next week?

If you answered, "Yes" to any of these questions, you might want to check out www.textweek.com. Textweek.com is a lectionary-based site that has gathered resources from all over the Web. From the site, you can research upcoming texts, read sermons, match movies and music to scripture, and discover options for children. 

Easter Morning Celebration Ideas

Here is a list of ideas generated by the our team here. We're still looking for submissions, so if you have any thoughts or ideas, send 'em our way!

• Place ribbons with the world Alleluia on them and on Easter morning, the ribbons are tied to balloons and released in the sanctuary
• Decorate the railing and entrance to the church with helium balloons to give a festive feel
• Hold an Easter Breakfast
• Have a cross with notes people would like forgiveness for placed up with tacts or nails throughout Lent and on Easter Sunday those notes are burned or simply gone
• Have people write on rice paper things for which they want to be forgiven for and then on Easter morning they are placed in the Baptism font where they dissolve
• Host a Holy Humor Sunday the Sunday after Easter to continue the laughter and joy of the resurrection.