Real Community
What is it and why does it happen online at Riverside?
Hello!
“That’s not real community!”
Has anyone else heard that said about the ways we connect in online spaces? (Or maybe you’ve even said it?!)
It’s easy to dismiss online community as a step down from “real” community, as if sharing the same physical space and breathing the same air is essential for community. (And don’t get me wrong, there is something incredibly rich and valuable about sharing physical space together, but we a know that it isn’t always possible!)
I think there are two essential elements to community, be it online or onsite: The first is a shared experience. And the second is consistency.
A shared experience can be almost anything, from watching the halftime show this past Sunday to reading the same book or listening to the same music to a shared worldview or idealogical perspective to a Sunday morning worship service. (Yep, that last one is one our most regular shared experiences here at Riverside!)
But it’s not just the shared experience that makes community happen. We also need consistency.
Consistency means we keep showing up, again and again and again. And it means the same people keep showing up. You’re new for a minute and then you are quickly a regular. I believe that this kind of consistency, combined with a shared experience, will inevitably lead to a real community.
And that is exactly what we experience online here at Riverside.
On a Sunday morning we spend an hour together on Zoom in Open Bible Study, seeing and hearing one another as we explore the scripture we will hear later in worship. We learn, we ask questions, we share ideas, we get to know the text and one another.
Then we spend the next 90 minutes watching the same Sunday morning worship livestream, a shift in digital modality (from Zoom to YouTube) but still connected, knowing we are participating in the same digital space and online experience. Many of us fill the live chat and join Communion on Zoom.
And we end our Sunday with another hour on Zoom for Virtual Coffee Hour. We connect with one another, share updates from our lives and the ministries we are involved in, dissect and discuss the worship service, and talk with Sunday’s preacher.
We are spending three and a half hours together every Sunday (not to mention other online spaces and groups throughout the week). Add it up over a year and that’s 182 hours — over a week!
This is more than just turning on church in the background. This is real people connecting in real community.
These shared experiences become excuses to share our lives.
The consistency deepens our connection exponentially.
All this to say, if anyone tells you that online community is not real community, just invite them to join us on a Sunday at Riverside.
Rev. Jim Keat
Minister of Digital Worship & Education
Meet [Your Name Here]
Yep, it’s that time again. I need you to click the link below, fill out a simple form, and upload a photo so we can all get to know each other a bit more. What are you waiting for?!
The Word Made Fresh
This Sunday at Riverside, Rev. Derrick T. Jordan is preaching from John 9 — the story of the man born blind.
It’s easy to think this chapter is about eyesight. It’s not.
It’s about perception. Assumptions. Fear. Courage. It’s about what faith does to the way we see ourselves and the world around us.
In a time when so many people are navigating uncertainty and anxiety, this text feels especially timely. Faith doesn’t just fix what’s broken. It reshapes how we look at what’s in front of us.
Coming Sooooooon!
This month brings so many ways to connect and engage with Riverside online! Here’s a list of some of the ways that you can join us:
Sunday, February 15 at 9:00 am ET: Fresh Start
Sunday, February 15 at 9:30 am ET: Open Bible Study with Rev. Jim Keat
Sunday, February 15 at 10:30 am ET: Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday, February 15 (after worship): Virtual Coffee Hour
Wednesday, February 18 at 12:30 pm ET: Midweek Bible Study (Exodus 14-15)
Wednesday, February 18 at 7:00 pm ET: Ash Wednesday Worship
Thursday, February 19 at 8:00 pm ET: Circle of Grace with Rev. Charlene Wingate
ICYMI
You can’t keep up with all the incredible things online. But in case you missed it, here are a few from Riverside that you won’t want to miss. Enjoy!
You made it!
Guess who’s almost maybe beginning to start to figure out this snowboarding thing! I made it all the. way down without falling and going mostly forward the whole time! Give me four more years and I’ll be ready for the next winter Olympics.
Leave a comment or send me an email and share something from your week!