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Steve Chase is the webmaster for the One Eighty Teen Center Web site. The center is an organization that is trying to get people to reach God, at least in part, through the Internet. Some Christian organizations use the Web to reach people who may not be comfortable with the formal church structure. (Ross Farrow/News-Sentinel)
Religion moves to Internet in electronic age
From last week's sermon to church schedules, the Internet is bringing busy, Web-connected Lodi-area residents closer to their churches.
Many churches have Web sites to at least provide vital information like the church's address, phone number, e-mail address and service times.
But there are other Web sites for people who want spiritual information, but don't really want to go to church.
"There are people who are too afraid or too jaded or too cynical for organized religion," said Ellen Tanouye, pastor of God's Church in Lodi.
Tanouye has also written daily devotionals online.
Another 21st-century vehicle to reach people is God Tube, a variation of YouTube.
"God moves in all kinds of ways," Tanouye said about religion-oriented Web sites. "He invented (the Internet), after all."
While Jake McGregor, executive director of the One-Eighty Teen Center and leader of a new religious ministry called Sojourn, sees the value the Internet provides to spirituality, he's a firm believer of people forming relationships with other people.
"If your only church is on TV or the Internet, you can have this pseudo faith," McGregor said. "It would be Christianity, but it would miss the key element of being with a group of other people.
"Our encouragement for people is to come," he added. "Don't just read the blogs."
Yes, Jesus has made it to the 21st century, albeit in a new form.
Here are some of the ways religion has embraced the Internet:
GodTube
Patterned after the popular YouTube, this Web site has a videos, chat messages, blogs, ministries and groups. You can post your own prayers on a prayer wall and seek answers from a "virtual Bible."
Yep, a virtual Bible. Click onto the link, and there's the very familiar beginning of Genesis. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." You can click to whatever page and whatever book in the Bible you want.
Click onto the prayer wall and you see such messages as "Comfort us, give us peace," "job for daughter" and "open his heart." Click onto a particular prayer topic, and you get the entire prayer that someone posted. And of course, you can post your own.
Address: www.godtube.com.
First Baptist Church, Lodi
For those of you suffering from insomnia, you can read the transcript of Pastors Steve Newman's and Glen Barnes' sermons dating back to 2004, or you can listen to the sermon on your computer.
For the more practical among us, you can catch up if you miss a service due to illness or vacation, or you research a particular sermon topic.
And if you're out of money for the weekly offering? Never fear. First Baptist is working on a link called "e-giving."
Address: www.fbclodi.org.
Horizon Community Church, Galt
This Web site doesn't go back four years like First Baptist, but it has "sermon notes" from Jan. 6 through April 6 of this year. Podcasts are also available.
Horizon's Web site actually says: "See us before you visit us. Watch one of Horizon's Sunday services online. Click here." And you get a video sermon from Feb. 24.
Address: www.horizonweb.org.
One-Eighty Teen Center, Lodi
The Christ-oriented youth program on West Lockeford Street has a Web site for the center and a separate Myspace page.
Executive Director Jake McGregor says the two sites aren't redundant. He came to realize that young people never read the regular Web site.
They always look at their MySpace accounts and click onto One-Eighty's because people tend to list it as one of their "friends," said Steve Chase, who maintains the Myspace page.
The regular One-Eighty Web site has its purpose as well, McGregor said. It's more for parents to download permission forms for field trips or special events and to read things like the group's mission statement, he added.
Addresses: www.180lodi.org, www.myspace.com/oneeightymusic.
Sojourn, Lodi
Sojourn isn't exactly a church. It's more of a gathering among people who may not be comfortable sitting in a pew and listening to a pastor talking in King James-style English.
Sojourn, which includes some of the same people who are active at the One Eighty Teen Center, also has a Myspace page. It lists upcoming activities, who will be speaking at the weekly gatherings, funny pictures and blog entries.
Address: www.myspace.com/sojournlodi.
Catholic Web site
This is not a Lodi-based Web site, but it has a lot of information about the Catholic faith. It includes social issues, canon law, church history and forums.
None of the Catholic churches in the Lodi-Lockeford-Galt area have Web sites, although the Stockton and Sacramento dioceses do.
Addresses: www.stocktondiocese.org, www.diocese-sacramento.org, www.catholic.net.
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