a class about Multi-Site Churches

Hey DJ, I'd be interested in your thoughts regarding something I wrote in a recent brainstorm with a friend of mine. The video with Ray Chang gets close to some if the issues I'm thinking about.

Here's what I wrote to my friend:

Even a lazy reading of the Bible presents a strong case for God's love for the poor. Hunting Park (while "low income" by US standards) is statistically one of the most wealthy communities in the world. Our welfare moms may indeed be "the rich young ruler" of this world. As we think about Biblical community development, we have to look at God's preference for community thinking. He doesn't just redeem individuals, but nations and generations. Biblical community development begs the question "How does our community reflect God's character?" One of his overwhelmingly obvious character qualities is concern for the poor, widow, orphan, etc. So the question in Hunting Park could be "How do we help Hunting Park embrace its position as one of the world's most wealthy communities and organize itself to love those like the orphan who are so obviously close to the heart of the God of scripture?" My current answer to that question is: relationship. Since I can't pay for every person in Hunting Park to fly around the world, how do we build a bridge? My answer is one church, two locations. Using technology. I'd like to start a church that holds weekly services simultaneously in Hunting Park and among the poorest of the poor somewhere. These services would be interactive via web broadcast. The choir might sing in Philly, the preacher might preach in Kenya. Using the latest technologies (Did you see the CNN hologram on election night? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thOxW19vsTg It will be consumer grade before I finish this paragraph.) Using the best technology available, how do we facilitate true community between rich and poor? If, from the comfort of my own community, I can attend church services weekly with people who have no water or electricity and are on the edge of starvation then what happens to my perception of need? Those new sneakers or that XBox seems less important. These people become my friends. It's no longer an HIV/AIDS crisis, it is the crisis that is affecting my friend Joseph. My world is expanded exponentially. My friend is in deep need and it would only take $50 to solve his problem. I can find $50. But the blessings are mutual. All those passages in scripture that reference agricultural culture mean nothing to a Philly person. My friend in Kenya helps me understand the pain of losing crops to locusts. Moreover, their faith buoys my own as I see them give generously to their church and their community while they live in a home not even fit for my dog. Do you get the picture? Building true linkages between rich and poor is more possible than ever before and the church can truly be one body more than ever before. Remembering the beatitudes, this is a strategy to pull God's richest blessings of poverty and humility into our arrogant and self reliant communities.