It seems a lot of CF members equate "online church" with "televangelist" and assume they exist for money instead of preaching God's Word. But other people say it only means you watch the sermons that physical churches show on their websites. That would mean there is no such thing as an Internet church. How can I figure out which online church is right for me? What is true about online churches - do they actually exist?
Watching churches online doesn’t provide the Eucharist (communion) as well as various other things that we are supposed to do. It also does not provide the same level of community or gathering together as a body of Christ. If someone cannot come to services for some reason, online services are a good resource. If that is the case on a regular basis, for example - having to do that because of health issues, then they should work with the priest / pastor to still get the Eucharist, etc.
Note that I am not equating all online services to televangelists, etc. My parish has Live-streaming of our services on YouTube for those who cannot come, but we also should not use it as a regular replacement, unless, as said earlier, there are reasons why in-person church cannot be done.
It is unfortunate that so many watch services online now instead of coming to the Church in person. It is a blessing for those that cannot attend (i.e. elderly, health problems), but it never should be a replacement if the person is able to come.
In answer to your question, I cannot recommend finding an online church. I do, however, recommend finding a Church with similar beliefs to your own. As far as whether online churches exist or not, it’s possible for some to be online only, but I haven’t seen that frequently.
