The result of the current restrictions on social gatherings means that churches have had to cease services as have other meetings such as bible studies where people physically meet. This prohibition has also included Unbounded Church groups, however, as with many other aspects of life, many UC members have moved to meeting in Cyber-Groups.
I don’t envisage that Christian fellowships meeting in Cyber space will be the way of the future, indeed it is expected that when the ‘Pandemic’ has gone, except in special circumstances, UC groups will resume meeting as they did BC (Before Corona). However, the forced cyberization of our network has had an unexpected result. This is that people have joined, and are more than welcome in, Cyber Groups who are geographically remote from any location in which any physical groups meet! As I said above, I don’t envisage that Cyber networks are generally the way of the future for church – But!
The ‘But’ is that it occurred to me that there may be people who for reasons of isolation cannot join a physical community even when the Pandemic induced restrictions on social gatherings are lifted. Reasons for such isolation might be geographic (e.g. living in rural areas with no physical groups in range), health and mobility issues or other personal circumstances. Whatever the reason it will also mean spiritual isolation and lack of spiritual input.
I have no idea the degree to which this is the case or not but, for Christians, and others who may wish to explore faith issues, who are in such circumstances it may be that the ongoing provision of Cyber Groups might be useful.
This post is really a ‘testing the water’ exercise, to see if there is interest in an ongoing cyber network (indeed even if there is any interest at all) which Unbounded Church might be able to facilitate, either by using existing groups or creating new ones.
Anyone who might have such interest, for themselves or someone they might know, please express it by emailing
unboundedchurch@gmail.com
unbounded church 