A Church Online: An Interview with Bruce Reyes-Chow

March 20, 2012 by Deborah Arca

Continued from Page 2

What's been the reaction so far? Has anything surprised you?

Hardly anything surprises me anymore. I wasn't prepared for so many folks to feel left out—some folks felt left out of the leadership team. Some folks are real excited about it and others are like, "What? This is crazy!" Overall, I've been thrilled with the energy behind it and seeing new names joining the Facebook page. There are lots of new people, and those are the folks we are hoping to connect with. Not just the folks I have 300 friends in common with...

So let's fast-forward a year from your launch this Fall. If all goes well and your church is successful, what would it look like and feel like?

You would see comments with the pronoun switching from "this" church and "your" church to "our" church and "my" church. Just like any church wants its community to own it, you will see that's true. You'll see a church where a leadership is guiding but not dictating. You'll see us on the top ten multiple social media platforms out there and be able to plug in with the community from your favorite hub. And if you're part of this congregation, when you go through trauma or stress, it's one of the primary places you'll go for support and comfort. And in the same way, when there are celebrations that happen, we'll be a community that walks with you.

Again, not unlike any other congregation. Any measure of success for a church will be the same as ours.

For more information about this new online church, the leadership team, and how to join this community, visit their Facebook group, a church online. Or, go to Bruce's blog.

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3/20/2012 4:00:00 AM

Progressive Christian

A Church Online

Bruce Reyes-Chow

church

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About Deborah Arca

Deborah Arca is the former Director of Content at Patheos. Prior to joining Patheos, Deborah managed the Programs in Christian Spirituality at the San Francisco Theological Seminary, including the Program's renowned spiritual direction program and the nationally-renowned Lilly-funded Youth Ministry & Spirituality Project. Deborah has also been a youth minister, a director of music and theatre programs for children and teens, and a music minister. Deborah belongs to a progressive United Church of Christ church in Englewood, CO.

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