the ONLINE world of .com
Updated: Mar 24, 2021
About two days back myself and my wife, Maryke, with our 3 year old boy, MJ, were walking inside a big mall in Cleveland, TN. We have been in this mall before many times supporting the few shops that's still open in this mall. We also took our four (4) kids to some movies in the Theaters a while back as well as to some other fun things presented in this very nice and clean Mall. This is truly a clean and decent place to take your family too.
Upon entering, we noticed once again the quietness of this very nice Mall. We came here often, but never thought about it to much cause we like the non-busy Malls. I told Maryke that I realize why this Mall and many others are so very quiet. The problem is 'ONLINE' shopping. Most people do not realize that the comfort of online shopping is taking away the smaller business as well as the interaction experience in shops and stores. Maryke added and said that online eating won't work and that's the reason why the Restaurants do not feel the impact of Online shopping so much as the merchandise and goods shops or even the bigger franchises.
A Online presence will definitely grow your business, but would also direct business away from your competitors or the people with the actual store whose paying the rent, etc. People are living in a time of comfort and in the comfort of their own homes order online for shipment to their address. Getting gifts in your doorstep probably also allow for a lot of excitement in the house, especially the ladies. There remain a problem for the businesses in Malls and on street corners.
The Problem: the ONLINE world of .com takes away physical contact in shops as well as kill non online businesses all over America and the world. Well, I'm no expert on the foretold matter, but surely would like to take this conversation in another direction.
WHAT can you find in the ONLINE.com world?
You can find anything you want these days -
Food
Spares for cars
Beauty and accessories
Paint and accessories
Technology
Anything you can think of will be in the box if the power is on and you've paid your online experience.
Also Church will be in the ONLINE.com market and you can watch a variety of sermons and teaching on a click of a button.
How ONLINE.com impacts the church?
Well, ONLINE.com impacts the buying market as well as the selling market. It influence everything. I love doing shopping online, because in that way I will have more time for my family. A Piece of cake, you would say. The Church is facing the same issues like the business world having buildings to pay (ABC of church growth - Attendance, Buildings and Cash). People run to churches when they're in real big trouble, but mostly people would find an excuse not to be involved with church folks. Online sermons are mostly free so why do I need to attend a church if I could listen or even watch it online? The Online mentality have taken many people from their church homes. The Microwave era has influenced not only private, business and the merchandise world, but also the church world. The Church world can surely reach more ONLINE than in their pews, but people still need interaction with other people.
As those shops go empty and 'quiet', in the same way the church has become 'empty' and even quiet. The voice of the church is stronger when we work together. Adapt or die is the word out there. For the church, this changing world dynamics can hurt the smaller congregations. The larger congregations do not feel the impact as much as the smaller ones. Normal weekly attendance, for churches, are on their lowest like in for ever. The current trend is: PEOPLE ATTEND LESS
Read about this at:
Also please read Thom S Rainers' article about the declining church attendance numbers and how to address it:
The situation becomes an opportunity. We do not need more teachers out there, but we need more enthusiastic members willing to take the message out to the lost world. Not only being a Monday, Wednesday and Sunday Christian, but an everyday follower of Christ. People tend to forget what Paul said :
2 Timothy 4:3-4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
-5 You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. But you—keep your eye on what you’re doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God’s servant.
Watch out for the Spiritual Junk food on the tables of many online sermons and reading material. Are you using discernment in choosing what sermons to choose from and what books to read? Are you still praying for the wisdom in understanding the difference between Junk food and MEAT.
M - Monitoring E - Energizing A - Activating T - Teaching YOUR MEMBERSHIP.
Take Care
Thanks for reading
In His Service
Till the End
The South African
Morné