‘Online Christian communities are a great supplement to being spiritually fed by a local church. You can find nuanced Christian communities with like-minded people and speak more deeply on topics that maybe local churches may not,’ says Maxine Harrison.
Before COVID, online fellowships were less prominent, with the focus being in-person gatherings. However, as we know, the pandemic limited in-person church attendance, and it led churches to meet online. Interestingly there has been a rise in Christian communities recently that are not led by a local church. From Instagram Bible studies where followers interact via comments, to more intimate Zoom sessions with camera conversations.
As someone who has been diagnosed with a chronic health condition, which affects my commitment to in-person events, including church, I have found online Christian communities to be a great fellowship option.
there has been a rise in Christian communities recently that are not led by a local church
Just before the pandemic hit in 2020, I was attending a local Church of England church in person. But the pandemic switched this to online meetings. From there, I attended both Sunday sermons and life groups online throughout the week. Whilst I missed the aspect of in-person community, these sessions were still able to encourage me in my faith and allowed space for fellowship. Whilst attending this church, I also set up a weekly Bible study call with Christian friends. Their feedback from the group also resonated with me, as they found that churches were not discussing topics we did in the group.
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In 2023, I felt a greater need for a discipleship-led group and came across an online global discipleship group community, The Secret Place led by Santoria Bell. Applying discernment to whom to listen is important, and the leader of this group had also discipled a Christian teacher I greatly respected and had been following online for a while (Jackie Hill Perry), so I decided to try it out.
From the first session, I immediately knew it was an answered prayer as topics (like mental health, anxiety, the benefits of therapy) that aren’t often discussed in sermons or small groups in church were spoken about, confirming and validating many things I had thought about before.
More recently, I joined an online prayer group in the UK - New Woman Collective. which happens once a month via Zoom, and there is also a Bible study group. The unique aspect of this group is that it is led by a Christian business coach, Soniamarie. As a freelance writer, self-employment is a unique path not everyone understands. So, fellowshiping with self-employed Christians in this space means that topics are often brought up that relate directly to business. Again, this is something I hadn’t seen much of in church settings.
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But though my health circumstances have led me to more intentionally seek out online fellowship, I don’t want to undermine the impact of in-person community fellowship, too.
But though my health circumstances have led me to more intentionally seek out online fellowship, I don’t want to undermine the impact of in-person community fellowship, too. The local church provides opportunities for local community outreach in ways that online communities cannot. It also allows you to meet people who live in close proximity and therefore can live life closely with you.
Online Christian communities are a great supplement to being spiritually fed by a local church. You can find nuanced Christian communities with like-minded people and speak more deeply on topics that maybe local churches may not.
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However, when considering online communities, wisdom is needed. Try to research the leader of the group and their beliefs or affiliations. Ask God for guidance before committing. During my search, there was a particular online group I joined that, whilst I believe God used it to open my eyes a lot more to the spirit world, there was a point where I felt he told me to stop attending. My knowledge of God’s word guided me in this. A few months later, prominent group members began leaving, too, as conflicting Bible teachings came out. This highlights the importance of discerning when joining Christian communities, both online and in person. Knowing God’s word for yourself is the cheat code to discernment.
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