Is a Facebook Group a Flock? Redefining 'Church' and 'Community' Online
We’ve all seen it. A church Facebook group, buzzing with activity. Prayer requests garner dozens of "praying for you" comments within minutes. A beautiful photo from a recent baptism gets hundreds of likes. A theological question sparks a long, thoughtful discussion thread. In these vibrant digital spaces, it feels like community is happening.
It leads us to a question that is fundamental to the future of the church: Is this digital gathering a flock? Can an online group truly be the "church"?
To answer this, we can't start with technology. We have to start with theology. We must ask what the Bible means when it speaks of community, and then hold our digital experiences up to that ancient and enduring light.
The Richness of Koinonia
The New Testament word for the kind of community God calls us to is koinonia. We often translate this as "fellowship," but that word has become too weak in our culture, often meaning little more than coffee and donuts after the service.
Biblical koinonia, as seen in the early church in Acts 2:42-47, is a radically deep and multi-faceted concept. It is a "joint participation" or "sharing in common" that includes:
Shared Belief: Devotion to the apostles' teaching.
Shared Life: Breaking bread together in their homes, sharing possessions, and meeting one another's needs.
Shared Worship: Meeting together in the temple courts and praying.
Shared Mission: Seeing the Lord add to their number daily.
Koinonia is not just a feeling of connection; it is the tangible, often messy, and deeply rewarding reality of sharing a common life in Christ. This is the standard by which we must measure our digital communities.
Where Digital Spaces Shine as Pastures
Let's be clear: digital spaces like Facebook Groups can be powerful and legitimate expressions of Christian community. To deny this is to deny the real connections and spiritual growth happening there every day. They serve as excellent pastures—places where the flock can be fed and cared for.
They Foster Constant Connection & Encouragement: A church service is once a week. A digital group is 24/7. It is a place for the immediate prayer request, the shared praise report, and the quick word of encouragement that can sustain a person's faith through a difficult Tuesday afternoon. This reflects the "encouraging one another daily" aspect of koinonia (Hebrews 3:13).
They Are Centers for Teaching & Discussion: Digital groups are incredible tools for fulfilling the teaching mandate. You can share resources, host Q&As with pastors, and facilitate discussions that allow people to wrestle with the sermon text long after Sunday is over.
They Are a Digital "Front Porch": For seekers or those deconstructing their faith, a digital group can be a low-pressure environment to ask questions and observe Christian community without the initial fear of walking into a church building. It is a modern-day Areopagus.
In these ways, digital spaces are not a substitute for the flock, but a vital tool for the flock's health and mission.
The Irreducible Importance of Being Embodied
However, a digital space alone cannot fulfill the complete vision of koinonia. There are essential, theologically-grounded aspects of the Church that require physical presence.
Theology is Incarnational: The central truth of our faith is the Incarnation—that the "Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). God did not send a message; He sent a person. We are the "body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27), and a body is a physical thing. The laying on of hands in prayer, anointing with oil, a hug for the grieving, a shared meal with the lonely—these are not secondary to the mission; they are the mission in bodily form.
The Ordinances are Physical: The two central ordinances Jesus gave the church—Baptism and Communion—are irreducibly physical. Baptism involves real water. The Lord's Supper involves real bread and a real cup. These tangible signs of God's grace are meant to be experienced by a gathered, embodied people. You cannot digitize a sacrament.
Community Requires Inconvenience: Digital connection allows for a curated presence. We can log off when a conversation gets difficult or ignore a post that makes us uncomfortable. True koinonia involves inconvenient, costly, and sacrificial love. It means showing up when you're tired, bringing a meal to a sick friend when you'd rather stay home, and sitting in silence with someone who is hurting. This is the messy, beautiful work of an embodied flock.
Conclusion: A Pasture, Not the Entire Flock
So, is a Facebook group a flock? No, not in the fullest, biblical sense.
But is it a vital, God-honoring, and mission-critical pasture where the flock can be nurtured, taught, and connected? Absolutely.
Our goal should not be to replace embodied church with digital church. Our goal must be to use these powerful digital pastures to enhance and extend the life of the flock. We use them to strengthen the bonds that lead to a shared meal, to encourage the faith that leads to a baptism, and to build the relationships that result in showing up in person, ready to serve. The digital is not the destination; it is the bridge to deeper, more tangible, and ultimately, more Christ-like koinonia.
