The Forgiven Temple Ministries is a virtual faith community that aims to redefine spirituality in the digital age. It offers a global virtual sanctuary for the faithful, reaching 5000 members across 109 nations. The ministry focuses on fostering deep, personal relationships with Ha’ Moshiach (The Anointed One) through innovative virtual tools, daily prayers, studies, and spiritual nurturing activities. The ministry emphasizes the importance of connecting people to build up each other and His Kingdom, transcending traditional brick-and-mortar congregations. Pastor Mark Rubinoff leads the ministry, and services include counseling, weddings, and pre-marital guidance.

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Our virtual ministry of spirituality consists of a “rule of life” that directs the participants’ prayers and studies; liturgical images with holy emblems; short homilies; music for contemplative prayer; forums and chat rooms for registered members who use their real names; and small groups led by approved leaders. This ministry offers a resting retreat to people living in the complex structure of contemporary society so that they may find themselves strong of faith. We share this loving faith daily in Pastor Mark's "Coffee with Pastor" column, daily.

                                

The virtual church, with its well- established spirituality and real personal relationships with our Lord which can furnish its visitors shared sources for spiritual advancement.  Within our virtual church, we create a more open environment. People can ask questions, share the gospel, debate an issue, and meet to pray together or share in the weekly scripture readings and weekly sermon without the confrontational aspects of some ministries. Planned coffee gatherings are up coming to locals of Daytona Beach.

The faithful in our world today are only vaguely aware of the coming role of the internet in strengthening of the body of the church, and many are stuck on the questions of whether a virtual church is even real, or possible, or just a glorified blog? Most people can think up disadvantages (whether accurate or not), but if they see some praising the virtual church … it may inspired them in a way conventional churches may not. We are not all about Religion and ALL about Faith!

 

First, the most obvious advantage is the increased reach a virtual church can offer to a congregation of Believers. When we say reach, it doesn’t mean it will help Forgiven Temple Ministries gather more tithing members around the world; we mean that it will allow our church to reach others in the exercising of their faith in areas where a brick and mortar church has a harder time reaching. We in the U.S. forget that our particular culture makes brick and mortar churches much more accessible than almost any other world culture (for a variety of reasons).

 

In fact, virtual churches will not just increase reach in communist countries, but also post-Christian societies, cultures torn by war, isolated regions of our world, or places inhabited by busy upper-middle class workaholics. Part of this reach, we hope, will be within our own Western world….where being a Believer may one day have more to do with regular virtual connections with our church and those who join our efforts within our own communities, and a lot less to do with one day a week performances.

 

This leads to a second big advantage of the virtual church: Its ability to redefine and even reform what church means in many parts of the world.  No matter how much a Pastor speaks about being a follower of Yehoshua, it is more in His deeds in which his faith is clearly revealed. Some folks would like to be rid virtual churches to set up something communal, but what the church needs (as always!) is some reformation and some real community. All this to say: The up and coming emergence of virtual churches can retrain the Faithful in what truly constitutes a church.

 

The Faithful must understand that a ministry is not so much about a place or building, but rather about the people who are connecting with the purpose of building up one another and His Kingdom. (I see lots of people on blogs defend virtual ministry by stating that the church is the people … but this is inaccurate.

 

A true ministry is the people united by the presence of Ha’ Moshiach (The Anointed One) on mission for the Kingdom. Just a few Believers hanging out at Starbucks for coffee could be a place of ministry; “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst.” – {Matthew 18:20} So, the virtual ministrymay reform' the church' at large by reminding that ministry at large within the true nature of community (without demolishing Hischurch at large, as some alt-ministry movement’s desire).

 

 

To be fair, many of these comments were not mean-spirited as in the political blogosphere, but there definitely was a strong undercurrent of ‘if you can’t go to a brick and mortar ministry, then there’s something wrong with you.’ To be honest, this torques us quite a bit and has gotten under our skin. Yes, a lot of testimonies from virtual congregant members that we saw, read, or heard about are in fact from people the world would write off…. but why would 'the church' do this? Just because a person feels comfortable within the Virtual ministrycongregation, does this make them unworthy of to some of the “Christian community?”

 

As with any unconventional movement, it is wise to ask questions and probe the underlying values, theology, and implications of any one particular virtual ministry. Even leaders in faith who are not planning to start an internet ministrymay benefit from these questions. For example, virtual ministries force us to rethink long-held assumptions about what ministry is, the impact of technology on the nurturing of our soul, and what it really means to participate in a spiritual community which remains is a very real and dedicated relationship with Hashem. The advent of virtual churches may cause many traditional ministries to reexamine their own ministry values.