DisciplesNet Emerging as a Church without Walls

Is it possible to find God on Facebook? Can you really “Tweet” spiritual truths? Could Myspace turn into a sacred space?

Deb Phelps, the founder and senior pastor of DisciplesNet Church, believes in the largely untapped potential of the internet as a way to share God’s love with a global community too often left unreached by traditional brick-and-mortar churches.

Planted with a vision of tending, mending and extending the nets of Jesus Christ, DisciplesNet is an emerging church within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indiana. It has the unique distinction to be the first Disciples of Christ congregation with a primary vision of existing as a web-based congregation offering global outreach, a 24/7 prayer network, streaming and recorded worship services, small group ministries, daily devotions, an arts ministry and much more.

While this may sound like a grand vision for an emerging congregation, it’s a vision Phelps believes in strongly with an experienced pastoral leadership team already called into place to assist in the planting, development and the everyday management of DisciplesNet.

Phelps envisioned DisciplesNet while still a student at CTS and quickly grew a heart for individuals with physical, mental and intellectual disabilities. Realizing that these individuals are often under-served, even ostracized, by traditional churches, she began to explore ways in which the internet could be used to reach out to individuals who may not be able to access a physical congregation due to disabilities, geographical locations, traumatic experiences within churches or because their personal or professional lives make it difficult to attend traditional worship services.

As a new model for ministry within the Christian Church, DisciplesNet is faced with many of the challenges and obstacles encountered by other more traditional emerging congregations. The congregation, like its brick-and-mortar counterparts, must work to build community, develop a congregational identity, fulfill the requirements of emerging congregations and grow into a fully self-supporting ministry.

Being primarily web-based also presents challenges such as overcoming language barriers, building community-based activities without face-to-face encounters, intangibly expressing the sacredness and ritual of church life and creating a congregation that is involved, interactive and relational through the use of chat, video, instant messaging, message boards and more.

Currently nesting within Southport Christian Church in Indianapolis, the DisciplesNet leadership team is meeting weekly to work, worship and pray with one another while building several small groups on Facebook to encourage fellowship among Christians in the United States, Canada, Pakistan, Congo, Italy and other nations.

Phelps is quick to express that she believes DisciplesNet will complement the existence of traditional churches, offering a way for all Christians to more easily reach out locally and globally. While DisciplesNet is envisioned as a web-based congregation, the church plans to expand its weekly worship services within Central Indiana and hopes to build relationships with churches globally so that DisciplesNet members will have the opportunity to grow into community if and when they are able to and desire to do so.

Interested persons can visit the DisciplesNet site at http://www.disciplesnet.org. Phelps and her team are working fervently to complete remaining components of the web-based congregation in the very near future.

Chalice Camp Provides Practical Ministry Instruction

Over 40 seminarians and others preparing for ministry gathered at Camp Barbee near Leesburg, Ind., for the first Chalice Camp on October 17-19.  Chalice Camp was organized by the Disciples of Christ Seminarians (DOCS) group at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, with support from the faculty of CTS and the Indiana Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Campers and mentor-leaders pose at the end of Chalice Camp 2008. Photo by Paul Hartig.

Although many Chalice Camp attendees were students from Christian Theological Seminary, campers also came from the University of Chicago Divinity School and from Columbia Theological Seminary in Columbia, S.C.  A couple preparing for service as licensed ministers from the Disciples Central Rocky Mountain Region also attended.

Ron Allen and Linda McKiernan-Allen served as the primary leaders for Chalice Camp, providing valuable leadership and instruction.  Deborah Phelps, a student at CTS and 28-year educator, organized students and leaders to bring the camp to life.

Throughout the weekend, campers received instruction and guidance on practical areas of ministry, including conducting wedding and funeral services as well as performing baptisms.  The camp also included sessions on the Lord’s Supper, ministry structures and identity of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and mistakes ministers make. 

Experienced pastor-mentors guided attendees at Chalice Camp through the weekend.  These mentor leaders shared from their experience and listened to the ministry stories, hopes and aspirations from campers.

Campers and leaders alike received a blessing from preachers who offered a message during each of the four worship services held over the weekend.  Ron Allen’s message on “What It Means to Be a Disciples of Christ Minister” anchored the opening worship service on Friday evening.  Juan Rodriguez, pastor of Iglesia del Pueblo-Hope Center in Hammond, preached on Saturday morning, and Terri Owens, Dean of Students at the University of Chicago Divinity School, gave the message on Saturday evning.

Linda McKiernan-Allen gave the sermon at closing worship on Sunday, encouraging students to rejoice always, whatever the circumstances.  Linda’s message led into a service of commissioning for the campers.

During the commissioning service, campers received certificates of appreciation and a shoot of live ivy suitable for planting.  Giving ivy has historical significance as this was the practice at graduation from the School of Missions in the early 20th century.  Graduates of the School of Missions, who had completed preparation for work as missionaries, were given a sprig of ivy with the idea that they would plant it when they arrived at their mission station.

Initial feedback from the event has been very positive, and plans are underway for Chalice Camp in the fall of 2009.