This is one of the most common questions that I receive since starting my new role as Resurrection Online Campus Pastor on November 1. The answer is most accurately answered in two parts and the first part has to do with the online experience.
Since November 2, 2008 there have been an average of 1,004 people worshiping with Resurrection Online each weekend at http://live.cor.org. I serve as the pastor for this community and seek to provide leadership, care and guidance through word, order, service and sacrament. This online experience is built to connect with digital natives who are comfortable in an online space and are seeking meaning. Right now, I am interacting with this community primarily through email and I am working on a survey to gather more information about those who are worshiping online.
In addition, we are looking at ways to increase the interactivity on the website to allow for community to begin to form. I believe that this will most effectively be through existing social networks and tools that people use to interact online and not force people to create a brand new login and profile. Any website improvements will be social to begin to build community around the shared experience of worship. In addition, they will also seek to improve on the experience of spiritual formation of those that are online.
Other next steps as pastor for Resurrection Online include:
- My video presence before, after and / or during the worship experience online with a specific message for those online.
- Developing opportunities for people to grow in their faith outside of worship.
- Equipping people who worship online to serve in the communities where they are located.
- Providing pastoral care and guidance to those who worship online.
- Clearly articulate the ecclesiology of the experience from a United Methodist perspective.
Ultimately, I hope to be part of building a Christian community online where non religious and nominally religious people are becoming deeply committed Christians.
Will you please share what you hope I would be about as pastor for Resurrection Online?
Rev. Andrew Conard 
4 replies on “What do you do as pastor for Resurrection Online? – Part Un”
Hey Andrew, where did you get that term “digital natives?” It’s going to be an important part of my D.Min. thesis that I’m working on right now. I picked it up from one of my professors, but I wondered if you have a different resource you could share.
On another note, based on some of my experiences with online classrooms, how do you plan to move from connection to community?
Matt – We started using the term several months ago, however I am not sure where I first heard it. I have no resource other than Clif Guy, IT director at Resurrection.
I am interested in the distinction between connection and community. Will you help me respond to the question by making clear the distinctions between the two? Thanks!
I have difficulity walking and standing for any length of time. I am looking for a online Church that I can join and worship. I hope that I have found it here.
Beverly – Thank you for the comment. I hope that you have found the experience at Resurrection Online to be meaningful.