This Week's Herman Trend Alert The Consequences of Virtual Meetings

The Herman Trend Alert November 11, 2009 Gimme that Online Religion What is the best place to build a church today? The World Wide Web, of course. "LifeChurch.tv", an Oklahoma mega-church, founded the first Internet church in 2006. This leading-edge organization had already expanded to include bricks and mortar locations in several cities of the United States, when its pastors launched what they now call their "Church Online". Now broadcasting more than 25 online services weekly, LifeChurch.tv says its services collectively draw "up to 60,000 unique views weekly" and their broadcasts draw viewers from more than 140 countries. Seeking to attract the not-so-religious, the congregation buys Google ad words "sex" or "naked ladies", so people searching for these words will see an ad inviting them to a worship service instead. Then there is the Flamingo Road Church. With five physical campuses in Florida, their Internet Campus provides online services for adults on Saturday and Sunday, for youth on Wednesdays, and for kids on Saturday afternoon. The Internet Campus is fully interactive and features a dedicated Internet pastor, live chat in an online "lobby", Bible study, one-on-one prayer through Instant Messenger (IM), and communion. (Viewers use their own bread and wine or water.) There is no exact count of these interactive online campuses. Studying and supporting innovative churches, The Leadership Network has found at least 40. The churches cited here report they receive calls regularly from other pastors starting their own. There is even a book, titled "Finding Faith on the Internet". Edited by Lorne L. Dawson and Douglas E. Cowan, this book provides and in-depth introduction to this flourishing new religious reality. From cyber-pilgrimages to neo-pagan chat room communities, the editors address a wide variety of core issues including youth, religion and the Internet, new religious movements, propaganda, and innovation. Expect more religious institutions of all denominations worldwide to capitalize on the growth and popularity of this technology and appeal to a wider audience on the Internet. This expansion to religious opportunity will result in the exposure of more young people to a wider variety of worship alternatives. Eventually all large (and some smaller) religious organizations will offer online worship options. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: RETENTION SPECIALIST PROGRAM A growing number of people have expressed an interest in attending our Employee Retention Specialist Certificate Program. We'd like to schedule on that's convenient for those who want to attend, but need your feedback to do so. Please place RETENTION SPECIALIST in the subject line and Joyce will personally call you back to schedule the workshop. Or you can call Joyce directly at 336-210-3548 (PDT this and next week). BUSINESS IS PICKING UP Most employers are unprepared. The recovery will bring a new set of challenges for employers that have been in prolonged contracted mode. They will need more skilled workers or will need now to begin to upskill their current staffs. But organizations can not engage in Strategic Workforce Planning, when they don't know how. That's where The Herman Group can help. We can help you with your "People Review"----large or small---so that you will know who you will need and when you will need them. . . and we can also guide you to the best sources for the people you will need. For more information, call Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail joyce@hermangroup.com. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR EMPLOYEES REALLY THINK AND FEEL Discover what’s really going on in the hearts and minds of your employees. Our InnerViews interviewing service uses SPHRs and PHRs, certified human resource professionals to probe for the information you really need to know. Exit and Stay Interviews, as well as Why-Didn't-You-Take-Our-Offer Interviews. Call Rosalie Catalano at 937-416-7066, or read more at: http://www.hermangroup.com/retentionconnection/exit_interviews.html. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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