It's one thing to watch church online the way you watch a cute animal video on YouTube.
It's another to be fully engaged via live, two-way video feed. That's the vision of World Revival Church’s interactive services that unite congregations around the world in simultaneous worship.
"I thought it would be great if we could have church services where we talk back and forth, worship together and pray for each other, connecting churches worldwide," says Steve Gray, pastor of World Revival Church in Kansas City.
The interactive services are led by World Revival Church and involve a loose affiliation of partner churches that span the globe, including Finland, Holland, Canada and the United States. Camera feeds and high-speed Internet connections allow each church to see the others, even sharing responsibility for parts of the service such as praying for the offering or preaching or leading worship.
The result is more unity across denominational and cultural lines, and more energy and a feeling of encouragement as local church members connect to the efforts of churches worldwide.
Pastor Brent Rudoski of Faith Alive Family Church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, says his life and ministry have been positively influenced by World Revival Church, and that he's excited about participating in interactive services.
"How awesome is it to interact with different churches all over the world?" he says. "It’s great for them to see us and us to see them and produce a lot of unity and strength with everyone pushing toward the same goal."
His wife Barbara believes it is building excitement in their community.
"People are interested in technology, so to tell someone, 'We’re gathering with churches from across the world live — do you want to come and see?' The excitement of participating in this and connecting with churches of different denominations around the world will draw people in," she says. She hopes curious people will see "the bigger picture of what God is doing" around the world."
Pastor Bryan Riportella directs the online church ministry of World Revival Church and knows the pitfalls of online ministry — and the benefits of interactive services.
"If you’re watching a computer screen or TV, there’s a sense of being disconnected," he says. "You don’t have to feel responsible. But when it’s live and Pastor Steve or one of the other pastors is talking to you, things really pop. The pastors in our network are very excited about the opportunity to do this interactive church."
David Woodworth, technical director at WRC, remembers his reaction when he first learned of the idea.
"I was like, 'Are you serious?'” he says. "It seemed like both a daunting task and an awesome and groundbreaking idea. The more I looked at it and put it together, the more excited I became."
Churches in Europe gather on Sunday evening while those in North America gather on Sunday morning.
"Who would have thought you could be part of something global without leaving your home church?" Gray says. "It's exciting to be a part of."
To learn more, and for media access, please contact Elizabeth McKinley Tuttle at elizabeth@wrckc.com or 816-410-1368.