Why the Church Still Matters in an Online Age
The digital revolution has transformed nearly every aspect of modern life. We work remotely, attend classes online, shop without leaving our homes, and maintain friendships through screens. The Church has embraced this transformation as well. Livestreamed services, online Bible studies, digital devotionals, and virtual prayer meetings have enabled millions to hear the gospel and remain connected to their spiritual family, especially during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. These technological advances are genuine blessings. They allow the sick, the elderly, travelers, and those living where no faithful church exists to participate in worship and biblical teaching in ways previously unimaginable, and they open unprecedented opportunities for evangelism and discipleship that the early Church could scarcely have dreamed of. Yet from its very beginning, the pattern God gave His people was a gathered one. Luke records that the first believers “continued steadfastly in the apost...