Comments on: Saving souls in Second Life http://genesys11.com/lessonsfrombabel/2007/04/10/saving-souls-in-second-life/ ...thinking strategically about Internet ministry Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:31:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: And all God’s people Skyped “Amen” | Lessons From Babel http://genesys11.com/lessonsfrombabel/2007/04/10/saving-souls-in-second-life/comment-page-1/#comment-75 And all God’s people Skyped “Amen” | Lessons From Babel Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:05:48 +0000 http://lessonsfrombabel.wordpress.com/2007/04/10/saving-souls-in-second-life/#comment-75 [...] via a “chat” session, via Skype, or through some sort of virtual world? And again, as I have asked before, does the virtual environment provide truly the same experience as the physical environment?  Will [...] [...] via a “chat” session, via Skype, or through some sort of virtual world? And again, as I have asked before, does the virtual environment provide truly the same experience as the physical environment?  Will [...]

]]> By: Should churches be in Second Life? « Lessons From Babel http://genesys11.com/lessonsfrombabel/2007/04/10/saving-souls-in-second-life/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Should churches be in Second Life? « Lessons From Babel Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:44:44 +0000 http://lessonsfrombabel.wordpress.com/2007/04/10/saving-souls-in-second-life/#comment-10 [...] and Technology and Web 2.0 Tags: second life anglican online church I have visited the topic of the virtual world Second Life before, and I am still planning on incorporating into my research [...] [...] and Technology and Web 2.0 Tags: second life anglican online church I have visited the topic of the virtual world Second Life before, and I am still planning on incorporating into my research [...]

]]> By: brandondonaldson http://genesys11.com/lessonsfrombabel/2007/04/10/saving-souls-in-second-life/comment-page-1/#comment-9 brandondonaldson Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:28:07 +0000 http://lessonsfrombabel.wordpress.com/2007/04/10/saving-souls-in-second-life/#comment-9 Hey Dave, thought I would pipe in. It was a crazy weekend for the Second Life preview. We had 3 planned experiences, but only one went for the full time. Our video server went down. Still we had people who stuck around and waited. Then they stayed for another 1.5 hours to watch the video. This is not like a church experience I have EVER been a part of. It was straight nuts. We had some cussing during the message, some talk of things I can't mention, some talk of Satan…it was just crazy. These are the people you so want to reach, but never think it is possible because of their perspective and their hearts. These are people who would not even come to our Internet Campus for more that 2 seconds, much less an actual building, stayed for over 2 hours and watched a message about what Easter is all about….awesome! I don’t know exactly how God is going to use this, but already we have seen a message go to those who would have never heard…who would have never listened. To your question, I believe real commitments to Christ can be made anywhere at anytime. This is a question of the heart of the person who prays for salvation, it is not determined by their location (physical church, bathroom, living room, airport). Salvation is by faith, and that can happen anywhere. This Second Life idea is crazy and can be uncomfortable for many of us, but there are real lives tied to those avatars (and there are some crazy looking avatars :)). As we continue to use technology and go into unknown territory, we ALWAYS have to make the main point the main point. This stuff (Second Life, internet) is just the tools. Jesus is the answer....period. We use these tools to reach a real soul. I believe that if we can somehow introduce real people to the love of Jesus (whether through their second life, the internet, or their real life), he can do exceedingly more than we can ask, think, or imagine. Can't wait to read more. Thanks for your dedication to research this interesting paradigm in church tools and methods. Brandon Donaldson Internet Campus Pastor (LifeChurch.tv) Hey Dave, thought I would pipe in. It was a crazy weekend for the Second Life preview. We had 3 planned experiences, but only one went for the full time. Our video server went down. Still we had people who stuck around and waited. Then they stayed for another 1.5 hours to watch the video. This is not like a church experience I have EVER been a part of. It was straight nuts. We had some cussing during the message, some talk of things I can’t mention, some talk of Satan…it was just crazy. These are the people you so want to reach, but never think it is possible because of their perspective and their hearts. These are people who would not even come to our Internet Campus for more that 2 seconds, much less an actual building, stayed for over 2 hours and watched a message about what Easter is all about….awesome! I don’t know exactly how God is going to use this, but already we have seen a message go to those who would have never heard…who would have never listened.

To your question, I believe real commitments to Christ can be made anywhere at anytime. This is a question of the heart of the person who prays for salvation, it is not determined by their location (physical church, bathroom, living room, airport). Salvation is by faith, and that can happen anywhere. This Second Life idea is crazy and can be uncomfortable for many of us, but there are real lives tied to those avatars (and there are some crazy looking avatars :) ). As we continue to use technology and go into unknown territory, we ALWAYS have to make the main point the main point. This stuff (Second Life, internet) is just the tools. Jesus is the answer….period. We use these tools to reach a real soul. I believe that if we can somehow introduce real people to the love of Jesus (whether through their second life, the internet, or their real life), he can do exceedingly more than we can ask, think, or imagine.

Can’t wait to read more. Thanks for your dedication to research this interesting paradigm in church tools and methods.

Brandon Donaldson
Internet Campus Pastor (LifeChurch.tv)

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