portraits of the future church: a rhetorical analysis of ... · 144 concern among congregational...

Portraits of the Future Church: A Rhetorical Analysis of Congregational Websites

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The websites of six American Protestant Christian congregations were examined using rhetorical analysis. Three types of congrega-tions were selected because they represent possible future directions for the American church. The two megachurches drew strongly on metaphors of home and family, emphasizing places for connec-tion within the larger congregation. They offered multiple options for engagement within a strongly unified congregational voice. The two vibrant liberal/mainline churches emphasized inclusion and diversity, while drawing on more traditional genres of com-munication on their websites. The two emergent church websites resembled eco-friendly, artsy coffee houses, with multiple voices on the website offering opportunities for engagement in virtual com-munity and options for face-to-face community. All three kinds of congregations drew on and reified American cultural values, but in distinctly different ways, demonstrating that the future church in the United States will likely continue to be firmly embedded in various movements within the culture. Key words: congregations, websites, rhetorical analysis, megachurch, emergent church, liberal mainline Protestant church

shiftsinchurchattendancepatternsintheunitedstatessincethe1960s(noll,2001;Finke&stark,2005;ostling,2000;hoge, Johnson,&luidens,1994;hunter,1987)

haveprecipitatedanextensiveliteratureaboutthefutureoftheAmericanchurch.A1991book,The Once and Future Church(Mead),anchoredaseriesofbooksfromthesamepublisher,theAlban institute, thataddress the futureof theAmericanchurch.Additionaltitlesfromotherpublishersrevealagrowing

Jcr31(november2008)143–181

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concernamongcongregationalleadersabouttherelevanceofthechurchinchangingtimesandtheimplicationsoftheshiftinchurchattendancepatterns;suchtitlesincludeFuture Church: Ministry in a Post-seeker Age(Wilson,2004),The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church(Mcneal,2003),Changing Church: How God is Leading His Church into the Future(Wagner,2004),andThe Postmodern Parish: New Ministry for a New Era(Kitchens,2003).theseandotherbooks,publishedbymajorreligiouspresses,havebeenaccompaniedbynumerousmagazinearticlesandseminarsforministersfocusedonsimilartopics.thisstudyfocusesonthreekindsofProtestantcongregationswhichare increasingly influentialandthereforemay indicatefuturedirectionsfortheProtestantchurchintheunitedstates.Megachurches,definedasthosecongregationswithmorethan2000peopleinworshipserviceseachweek,havegrownsignifi-cantlyinnumbersandininfluenceinthepastdecade(chaves,2004;thumma,travis,&bird,2005;Mahler,2005).vibrantliberal/mainlinechurchesareentering into thepublic spherebecauseofthegrowthofaprogressivereligiousvoiceinpolitics(Wellman,2002;Wallis,2005).emergentchurcheshavegainedrecentmediaattention,bothinthereligiousandsecularpress,becausetheyrepresentarapidlygrowingformofevangelicalismwhich,withtheiryoungdemographicandconsciousengage-mentwithcontemporaryculture,mayrepresentthefuture–orafuture–ofthechurch(bader-saye,2004;crouch,2004;carson,2005;Gibbs&bolger,2005).

the object of analysis in this study is congregationalwebsites,whichcollectinoneplacemanykindsofinformationaboutthecongregation’sphilosophyandstrategythatusedtobe,andsometimesstillis,dispersedallaroundchurchbuild-ings:welcomebrochures thatused tositona tablenear thechurchentrance,photosthatusedtoappearonphysicalbul-letinboards,invitationstoinvolvementthatusedtobefoundinweeklyworshipbulletins,sermonsthatusedtobeontapeinthechurchlibrary,andarticlesbychurchstaffandleadersthatusedtoappearinmonthlynewsletters(larsen,2001;larsen,2004; dart, 2001). this body of information, patchworked

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togetheroncongregationalwebsites,presentsmultipleaspectsofcongregationallifeandgivesinsightintothecongregation’sphilosophyandstrategy.theway the information isvisuallyorganized and represented on congregational websites pro-videsadditionalinformationaboutthewaythecongregationalleadersviewitsidentity,asdohyperlinkstopageswithinthewebsite and to organizations outside the congregation. As aPresbyterianministerwhooversawacongregation’scommuni-cationduringthetimethatwebsitescameonthescene,isawthesignificanceofwebsitecommunication fororganizations,andibecameconvincedoftheimportanceofcarefulanalysisofwebsites.communicationscholarsneedtoundertakesuchanalysisinpartbecausecongregations,likeallorganizations,areincreasinglyusingwebsitestopresenttheiridentities,1andinpartbecauselifeonlineisbecominganeverincreasingpartofdailylife,particularlyfortheyoungergenerations.2thestudyofwebsitesprovidesawealthofinformationaboutcongrega-tionsand,inaddition,providesaconnectiontothefutureofthechurchbecausesomanyyoungerpeople—oftencalledthechurch’sfuture—getinformationfromonlinesources.

threeresearchquestionsshapedthisstudy:

(1) in what ways do congregations present theirorganizationalidentityontheirwebsites?

(2)inwhatwaysdocongregationsexercisepersua-sionbyencouragingandenablingengagementontheirwebsites?

(3)inwhatwaysdothesepresentationsofidentityand patterns of engagement reveal aspects of thefuturechurch?

Withregardstoidentity,“Whoareweandwhydoesitmatter?”arecentralquestionsforallorganizations,includingcongrega-tions(hatch&schultz,2002;Moingeon&ramanantsoa,1997).congregationsarticulatetheiridentityexplicitlyinstatementsof mission, purpose, or vision, and they also express theiridentitymoreindirectlythroughalltheirdiscourse,including

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visualdiscourseandlinksonwebsites.intheareaofpersuasion,christian congregations have the biblical mandate to “makedisciples” (Matthew 28:19, new revised standard version),topersuadenon-believersofthesignificanceofthechristianfaithandtonurturebelieversingrowingdiscipleship.becausecongregationalwebsitesareconstructedtoaddresstwoprimaryaudiences–potentialvisitorsandregularattenders–theyengagein various kinds of persuasion connected to disciplemaking.thethirdresearchquestion,relatedtothefutureofthechurch,links the discussion of the church’s future with the specificcommunicationtool,websites,whichareincreasinglyusedbycongregationsandtheyoungergenerations.AlloftheseresearchquestionsenablereflectiononthewayWeb-basedcommunica-tionfunctions,withsomeparallelstoearlierformsofcommuni-cation,butwithnewaspectsthatcomefromthepatchworked,visual,andhyper-linkedcharacteristicsofwebsites.discerningthesignificanceofthesimilaritiesanddifferenceswithearlierformsofcommunicationisoneofthechallengesofnewmediaforcommunicationscholars, and this studymodelsonewaytousetraditionalrhetoricalanalyticalmethodstostudyanewformofcommunication.

Rhetorical Analysis of Websites

in1998,whenorganizationswerejustbeginningtounderstandthesignificanceoftheinternet,esrockandleichty(1998)wrotethattheWorldWideWeb“potentiallyoffersanorganizationop-portunitiestomovebeyondpassiveformsofself-presentationtomoreactiveformsofagendasettingwithrelevantpublics”(p. 309). their words have proven prescient, but academicresearchers, including rhetoricians, have been slow to studyorganizational websites. Winter, saunders, and hart (2003)presenttworeasonswhytheimportanceofwebsitesinformingperceptionsoforganizationshasbeenoverlookedinacademicresearch.First,earlywebsitesweredesignedbyhumanfactors3andinternetdesignexperts,ratherthanbyprofessionalstrainedin presenting corporate identity. second, most early websiteresearchfocusedonusabilityandusersatisfactionissues.only

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veryrecentlyhaveorganizationalwebsitesbecomeanobjectofstudyforthepurposeofevaluatingorganizationalself-presen-tation.Winteretal.write,“Websitesareon-stageworkareaswhereaperformanceisgiventoanactualorimpliedaudienceof potential customers, employees, suppliers, partners, andregulators...theyprovideframesofsymbolicrepresentationsthatinformandlurethesepotentialstakeholdersintotakeacloserlook”(p.311).PudrovskaandFeree(2004)echosomeofthesamethemes:“[t]heanalysisofWebsitesprovidesanewanduseful formofdata about anorganization’s identity andprioritiesbecause,unlikemediarepresentationsofthegroup,itisself-directed....thusaWebsiteprovidesanopenspaceforself-representationtotherestoftheworld”(p.118).thisstudyisbasedontheconvictionthatcongregationalwebsitesareself-directedperformancesoforganizationalidentity,designedtoprovideframesofsymbolicrepresentationofthecongregation’sphilosophyandpriorities(seeyoungandFoot[2005]foran-otherstudybasedonsimilarconvictions).

thisstudystands ina longtradition;rhetorichasbeenusedtostudychristiancommunicationsincetheearlydaysofthechristianfaith(Murphy,1974).throughouthistorychris-tianshaveusuallybeenontheforefrontinusingnewformsofcommunicationinordertocommunicatethechristianfaith;theywereamongthefirsttousetheprintingpress,radioandtelevision (Finke & iannaccone, 1993). As christians havenowembraced theweb, rhetoricalprinciplesare stillhelpfultoanalyzethewaystheycommunicate.Warnick(2001)arguesthatrhetoricalcriticismcanbefruitfullyappliedtoilluminatetheworkingsofmanyformsofnewmedia“totheextentthatelectronic messages are designed, ordered, and organized toprivilegecertainideasandtoinfluencethethinkingoftheirusersandreaders”(p.63-64).Applyingrhetoricalcriticismtowebsitesrequiressomenewemphases.newmedialiteracyrequiresanunderstandingthattherelationshipsbetweenverbalandvisualtextsaredialogic,andthatvisualtextsgivereadersasenseofagencyandcreatepossibilitiesofinvolvement(hocks,2003).Accordingtohelmers(2001),applyingrhetoricalcriticismto

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electronicmediarequires theability toevaluate the“textsofeverydaylife”(p.453),becausewebsitesusesomanyeverydayformsofcommunication,suchascasualphotos,testimonials,andinformalspeech.brummettandbowers(1999)notethatrhetorical strategiesmaybe“hidden in the textsofeverydayappearance”(p.117),whichparallelsong’s(1982)observationthatwiththeriseofelectronicmediawemaybeenteringintoaperiodofsecondaryorality.verbaltextonwebsitesmaybemoreeffectivewhenithasaspectsofeverydayspeech—activevoice,firstandsecondpersonaddress,firstnames,andacces-siblestyle—ratherthanthemoreformaladdressoftelevisionandnewsmedia(endresandWarnick,2003;Warnick,Xenos,endresandGastil,2005),andthesecharacteristicsneedtobeobservedinarhetoricalstudy.

thisstudyexploresthegenresfromeverydaylifeevokedonthewebsitesinordertodiscerntherhetoricalstrategiesusedbythecongregationstoconstructtheiridentitiesandpositionthem-selvestobechurchesforthefuture.GenreasarhetoricalconceptoriginatedinthewritingsofAristotle(1991),whodescribedthreegenresofspeeches.Genresare“groupsofdiscourseswhichsharesubstantive,stylistic,andsituationalcharacteristics”(campbell&Jamieson,1978,p.20).studyinggenrerevealstheconventionsandaffinitiesatextshareswithothers,anditcanalsorevealtheuniqueaspectsofthatparticulartext.onewaytodiscussgenreistocompareittotheconceptoffamilyresemblances.Afamilyoftextscoalescesintoagenreinthesamewayasmembersofafamilysharesome,butnotall,characteristics,suchasappearance,personality,andspeechpatterns(Jasinski,2001).thiscomparisonwithfamilyresemblancesallowsustounderstandthatafamilyof textswillhave somecommoncharacteristicsbutwill alsohavesomediversityinstyle,argument,structure,andsituation(Mandelbaum,1965;condit,1985;Fishelov,1993).

thecultureofthecongregationsinthisstudyisillumi-natedthroughthestudyofthegenresusedontheirwebsites.Miller(1984)arguesthatthevalueofgenrestudydoesnotlieintheconstructionofataxonomy.instead,evaluatingthegenresthatareevokedgivesthereadertheabilitytodiscerntheaction

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thetextisusedtoaccomplish.shearguesthataninductiveap-proachhelpstoidentifytheundercurrentsthatliebehindatext;genresserveas“anindextoculturalpatterns”(p.165).Genreshavethecapacityto“‘naturalize’whattheyindex”(Kamberlis,1995,p.147),andmanygenreshavebecomesonaturaltousthatweforgetwearedealingwithdiscursiveformsthatconstructourperceptionsoftheobjectbeingdescribed(Jasinski,2001).Jamieson and campbell (1982) describe the way genres canworktogetheras“dynamicfusions”andas“constellations”ofstylisticandsituationalelementsthatfunctionstrategicallyasresponsestotheexigenciesofthesituation(p.146).thesefu-sionsandconstellationsresultinhybridgenresthatservemorethanonepurpose(lessl,1985).

Websitesare,inthemselves,agenre,withaccompanyingexpectations:attheirmostbasic,almostallwebsiteswillhaveverbalandvisualelementsandhyperlinks.themorecomplexmembersofthegenrewilladdadditionalelements,suchasphotomontages,videos,slideshows(wherephotosorgraphicstaketurnsfillingonespace),downloadablemusicfiles,linksintheformofgraphicsratherthanwords,andopportunitiesforvirtualcommunity(blogs,onlinepolls,chat,messageboards,groups,etc.).theorganizationalwebsiteisasubsetwithinthewebsitegenrewhichpresentsanorganization’sidentity,priorities,values,andgoals(esrock&leichty,1998;Winteretal,2003).congre-gationalwebsitesfitintotheorganizationalwebsitegenre,andtheyvarywidelyincomplexityandquality.Websitescaneasilybeseenashybridgenresbecauseoftheirpatchworkednature(döring,2002).congregationalwebsitesinparticulararelikelytobehybridgenresbecausetheydrawonmaterial thatusedtobe,andoftenstillis,scatteredalloverthechurchbuilding.eachofthesixwebsitesiexaminedfitwithintheorganizationalwebsitegenre,buteachhadcharacteristicsofothergenresaswell.therefore,eachofthesewebsitesisahybridgenre.thisassessmentishelpfulbecauseitenablestheviewertoseemoreclearlythewaythechurch’sperspectivewascrafted.

A secondaspectof the rhetorical analysis in this studyfocusesonthecongregations’useofmetaphorsontheirweb-

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sites.Metaphorhastraditionallybeendefinedasaverbalfigureinvolvingthetransferofmeaningassociatedwithonewordtoanother(leach,2002;lakoff&Johnson,1980;carpenter,1990;ivie,1987;leff,1983;osborn,1967).this transfercantakeplacebetweenimagesaswellaswords,andthiskindoftransferisbecoming increasingly importantasvisualcommunicationmovesincreasinglyintotheforefront(hayles,2002).burbules(1998) discusses the significance of reading hyperlinks on awebsiteasmetaphors;forexample“alinkfromapagelistingPoliticalorganizationstoapageonthecatholicchurchmightpuzzle,outrage,orbeignored–butconsideredasametaphoritmightmakeareaderthinkaboutpoliticsandreligioninadiffer-entway”(p.111).burbulesnotesthatweblinksusingfamiliarshapescanbemetonymicbecauseaparticulariconbeginstostandinplaceforaparticularwebpage,andweblinksoftenhavecharacteristicsofsynecdochebecause linksasgatewaysto informationassociatepartswithwholes.clustersof linkscanthusinfluencethewayspeoplethinkaboutsubjects.theseallhave theirownsortof“deceptivenaturalness”(burbules,p.117),andathoroughrhetoricalanalysisofcongregationalwebsiteswillexposedeceptivenaturalnessof these tropes inverbalandvisualtextsandinthestructureoflinks.

inaddition togenreandmetaphoranalysis, analysisofvisual rhetoricplaysa role in thisstudy.somescholarshavearguedthatvisualtextsexercisepersuasionthroughemotionalappeals(Grossman&till,1998;Kim,lim,&bhargava,1998),but increasingly scholars are describing the ways that visualtexts create arguments (Messaris, 1997; birdsell & Groarke,1996; Jamieson, 1992; McQuarrie & Mick, 1999, Morgan,2005).scott(1994)believesthatvisualtextsmake“complex,figurativearguments”(p.252),andshearguesthatacognitiveapproach is appropriate for the analysis of visual texts. shegoesontonotethatvisualtextscanbecarefullyconstructedto reflect theconventionsofa specificculture.thus,visualshavetobeconsideredinthecontextofspecificcontexts,wheresharedhistoryresultsinsharedinterpretations,andknowledgeofcontextandculturalassumptionsisrequiredtoanalyzevisual

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textsandbringtolighttheargumentsthatarebeingmade.thewebsitesinthisstudymakeargumentsusingverbalandvisualtextsworkingtogether,andtheyusemetaphorsandreferencestoeverydaygenrestomakethoseargumentsaswell.

Forthisstudy,ichosesixcongregationalwebsites,strongexemplarsofeachofthethreeAmericanProtestantchristianmovementsdescribedearlier.ofthemegachurchesintheunitedstates,twostoodoutasleadersofthemovement:Willowcreekchurch in a suburbofchicago andsaddlebackcommunitychurch inorangecounty,california(Wilson,2000;yancey,2005).Forliberal/mainlinechurchesiexaminedthewebsitesofthesixcongregationscitedbyWellman(2002)asvibrant.becauseiwantedthemostcomplexandrichwebsitesinthiscategoryinordertohavethemaximumpossibleamountofwrit-tenandvisualtexttostudy,ichosetwowebsitesfromthatlistbycountingthetotalWebpagespersiteandselectingthetwochurcheswiththelargestwebsites,st.GregoryofnyssainsanFranciscoandseattleFirstbaptist.Foremergentchurches,acoregroupofeightchurcheswasidentifiedfromtheinformationalwebsiteestablishedbytheleadersoftheemergentmovement.4thetwoemergentchurcheschosenwerecedarridgecommu-nitychurchinspencerville,Maryland,andsolomon’sPorchinMinneapolis,againusingthecriterionofthesiteswiththemostwebpages.iobservedthesixsitesforapproximately20hoursaweekforfourmonths.

Megachurch Websites: Sophisticated and Strategic

thetwoprimaryaudiences forcongregationalwebsitesweremadeexplicitinthestrategyofsaddlebackcommunitychurch,inorangecounty,california,oneofthelargestandbestknownmegachurches.saddlebackhadtwowebsites,oneforvisitorsand one for members. 5 the visitor site addressed questionsandissuesofpeoplelookingforachurchorplanningtovisitsaddleback,anditshomepage,whencomparedwithitsmembersitehomepage,hadmorewhitespace,fewerlinks,andfewergraphics,givingitamoresereneandpeacefullook.Aslideshowwithfourlocationsforphotosshowedatotalof18photos,four

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ofthemnaturephotos,oneofthemaphotoofpartofthechurchbuilding,andtherestphotosofpeopleposedinformally,mostofthemlookingintothecamera.totheleftoftheslideshowwasathree-sentencestatementofwelcome,followedbyastatementsetofffromtheparagraph:“remember:youMattertoGod.”belowthestatementofwelcomewasalistofsevenlinkswrittenintheformsofquestionsorstatements,suchas,“Whatshouldiexpectwhenivisit?”and“saddlebackcares:howcanwehelpyou?”thepagealsofeaturedworshiptimesandthechurch’saddresswithalinktoamap,aswellaslinkstovideoofworshipservices,audioofmusic,andthecongregation’snewsletter.inthemonthsiobservedthesite,thehomepageofthissiteforvisitorsdidn’tchangeatall.

intheupperrightofthevisitorhomepagewasalinktosaddleback’smembersite,andthemembersitewasreferencedandlinkedonseveralofthepagesofthevisitorsite.thehome-pageof themember sitehadamorecluttered look than thevisitor site homepage, as if members needed to be aware ofmoreoptionsforinvolvementandneededtoreceivemorein-formationthannewvisitorsdo.themembersitewasupdatedfrequentlywithchangesintext,announcementsofupcomingevents,andnewgraphicallinks.thesecondmegachurch,Wil-lowcreek,inasuburbofchicago,combinedinformationforregularattenderswithinformationfornewcomersonthesamewebsiteandwasexplicitinitsinformationforpotentialvisitorsandnewcomers.onthehomepage,aquestionmarkgraphicallinkwasaccompaniedbythestatement“newtoWillow?lookhere.”6someoftheotherpagesonthewebsitehadaboxlabeled“newtoWillowcreek?”withsixlinks,fourofthemintheformofquestions.7theselinksfornewcomers,spreadalloverthewebsite, gavenewcomersmultipleopportunities togetbasicinformationaboutthecongregation.

The “Demand” Gaze

thetwomegachurches,saddlebackcommunitychurchandWillowcreekcommunitychurch,hadcomplexandsophis-ticated websites. For example, both Willow creek’s site and

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saddleback’smembersitehadthreeslideshowsthatrancontinu-ouslyusingprofessionalqualityphotosandcomplexgraphics.bothsiteshadnumerouslinksintheformofgraphicsandasetofgraphicallinksinaslideshow.Willowcreekadvertisedonitshomepagethatitofferedvideostreamingofoneofitsministries.bothsitescrammedanamazingamountofinformationontotheirhomepages,afeatthatrequiredcarefuldesignbyskilledwebsiteproducers.bothofthesemegachurchwebsiteshadaunifiedap-pearance,incontrastwithmanychurchwebsiteswhichseemabitscatteredbecauseofthediverseministriesofthechurchandbecausethesitesoftenofferlinkstodenominationalorcom-munityministries,eachofwhichhaditsowngraphicalstyle.bothsitesofferedahighnumberoflinkstoministrieswithinthechurch,withWillowcreek’shomepageofferingwellover100links.becausethesemegachurchwebsitesusedsomanyhighqualityphotosandgraphicsanddemonstratedsuchatightandcoherentdesign,theymighthaveconveyedtosomeaudiencesasenseofauthorityandcredibilitybasedonquality,increasingtheirpersuasiveappeal.theirappealwithotheraudiencesmayhavebeendiminishedbecausetheymighthavebeenperceivedasoverlyslickandsomewhatmanipulative.

thesetwomegachurchwebsitesalsohadcharacteristicsthat resembled elements of another genre, the family photoalbum. saddleback’s member site used a slide show that rancontinuouslyatthetopofallitswebsitepages.thefivephotosintheslideshow,whichlookedliketheycouldhavebeentakeninaphotographicstudio,showedgroupsofpeoplewithlabelssuchas“couplessmallgroup”and“singles40+smallgroup.”Atotalof37adultswerepictured,allgazingintothecamera,allposedrelativelyformally,withseveralethnicitiesrepresented.theWillowcreeksitehadaslideshowintheupperleftcornerofthesitebesidethenameofthechurch.thisslideshowalsorancontinuouslyonallthepagesofthewebsiteandshowedatotalofmorethan20peoplepicturedindividuallyinheadshotswithinacircularframe–men,women,andchildrenofallagesandwithsomevariationinethnicity.Again,alltheindividualswerelookingrightatthecamera.thesaddlebacksitedrewon

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thegenreofaformalfamilyphotoalbum,withstudioqualityphotos,whiletheWillowcreeksiteevokedamoreinformalfamilyphotoalbum.becausethephotosrecurredonmostofthepagesofthesetwowebsites,thefamilyphotogenreinfluencedtheentiresite.

thewebsitesofthesetwomegachurchesalsohadcompo-nentsofsophisticatedprintandtvadvertisements,whicharedesignedtopersuadetheviewertodoorpurchasesomething.theunityandcoherenceofthesites,coupledwithalargequan-tityofinformationshoehornedeffectivelyintoasmallspace,spoke of professional graphic designers at work. these twowebsitesofferedmultipleoptionsforworshipattendanceandmultipleopportunitiesforengagement:smallgroups,volunteeropportunitieswithinthecongregation,serviceopportunitiesinthenearbycommunity,missiontripstohelpwithdisasterreliefandlong-termoverseasprojects,tonameonlyafew.theseop-tionsandopportunitieswerecoupledwithahighnumberofimperativeverbs,suchas“join,”“belong,”“grow,”“serve,”“lookhere,”“learnabout,”“rediscover,”and“signup.”themanypho-tosofindividualsandgroupslookingintothecameraalsofittheadvertisinggenre.Whenapersoninaphotographlooksstraightattheviewer,itisaformofdirectaddress,acknowledgingtheviewerexplicitly.Kressandvanleeuwen(1999)callthiskindofimagea“demand,”becausetheparticipant’sgaze“demandsthattheviewerenterintosomekindofimaginaryrelationshipwithhimorher”(p.381).“demand”isagoodwordtodescribetheoverallfeelofthesetwomegachurchwebsites,whichim-plicitlyandexplicitlyaskedviewerstorespondbycomingtothechurchandjoiningintoactivities.Miller(1984)advocatesakindofclassificationbygenrebasedonconsiderationofsocialorsituatedactionsratherthansyntacticorsemanticanalysis.themegachurches,withtheirfamilyphotoalbums,imperativeverbsandannouncementsthatresembledadvertisements,werestrenuouslyurgingaparticularsocialandsituatedaction:comeandengageinourcongregationalactivities.

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Home and Family; Intimate and Very Large

themetaphorshomeandfamilyareusedinadvertisingandpoliticalspeechtodescribemanyinstitutionsandnations(sputa,Marchant,rothlisberg,&Paulson,1996;bundang,2002;lakoff,2002);theyarealsocommonlyusedinchristiancircles to describe aspects of congregational life (Frambach,2003).“Family”isan“ultimateterm”(Weaver,1953)thatdrawsondeeplyheld,archetypalnotionsofgoodandevil.inadditiontoinvokingthegenreofthefamilyphotoalbum,saddlebackcommunitychurchusedthemetaphorsofhomeandfamilyextensivelytoinvitepeopleintothelifeofthecongregation.onthehomepageoftheirvisitorsitewasalistofsevenquestionsandstatements,eachofthemalink.onequestion–“Whatdoessaddlebackhaveformyfamily?”–linkedtoapagewithaseriesoflinkstoage-groupministriesinthechurch,andverbaltextwhichillustratedtheuseofthesetwometaphors:

ourfamilywouldlovetowelcomeyourfamilytochurch next weekend. We have opportunities foreachmemberofyourhouseholdtoenjoythemselvesastheyencounterGodthroughthebibleandotherpeoplejustlikeyou....thebestwaytofindoutallthat’shereforyouandyourfamilyistovisitusthisweekend.ifyou’dlikemoreinfoaboutsaddleback,checkoutwww.saddlebackfamily.com,theWebsiteforthosewhocallsaddlebackhome.thiswillgiveyouan“insiders[sic]view”oflifeatsaddleback.

thecongregationwasdescribedbythemetaphorshomeandfamily,whichtransfertheirmeaningsontothecongregation.inthiscase,insomeplaces,themeaningoffamilywasalsoretained in its usual sense as household. the saddlebackvisitor website used photos to convey that the kind offamiliesandhomesbeingevokedwerehappy,healthy,anduntroubled.totherightoftheparagraphcitedabove,onthepage linked from thehomepage,were threephotographs:a longnarrowphotographofflowers;a larger rectangularphotographofaman,womanandfourchildren,alllooking

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intothecamera,withfiveofthesixpeoplesmiling;andanevenlargerphotographofpartofthechurchbuilding.theverbal metaphors expressed in the three paragraphs wereechoed in the photographs; a happy, healthy traditionalfamily,achurchbuilding,andcheerfulflowerswerelinkedvisually.thesaddlebackmember’swebsitehadapagelistingeightreasons,eachwithaparagraphdescription,whypeopleshouldjoinasmallgroup.thesecondreasonwas,“youwillbegintoreallyfeellikepartofGod’sfamily.”thehomeandfamilymetaphorswereusedstrategicallyonthesaddlebackwebsite,invokingan“insider’sview”aswellasthe“personalandfriendly”aspectofhomesandfamilies,andtransferringthoseconceptstothecongregation.

Whilethefamilymetaphorwasmoreprominentonthesaddlebacksite,theWillowcreekwebsiteexpresseditscom-mitmenttointimacyinmanyways.billhybels’welcomeletter,availableonalinkfromWillowcreek’shomepagefornewcom-ers,mentionedthatthechurchwasverylarge,whichgavepeopletheoptiontojoinintocongregationalactivitiesasmuchoraslittle as theydesired. “but ifyou lookcloser,”hybelswrote,“you’llfindthatinmanywayswe’resmall.infact,we’reactuallyanetworkofsmallgroups.”onanotherpage,linkedoffWillowcreek’shomepage,wasadescriptionofanewinitiativeforthecongregationcalled“neighborhoodlife,”whichinpartinvolvedamonthlymealinneighborhoods.thelinkonthehomepagesaid,“Aplacetobelong,growandserve.”thetext,onanotherpage,asked,“Whyneighborhoodlife?”

neighborhoodliferespondstoafragmentedworld—onewithdecliningsocialtiesandlivesstretchedthinbydemandingworkhours,longcommutes,jam-packedschedules....neighborhoodlifeistheop-timalplaceforlifechangesimilartotheexperiencesoftheearlychurchwherespiritualdevelopmentandoutreachhappenedrightwhereyoulive.

neighborhoodlifewasoneofanarrayoffellowshipgroupsandsmallgroupsthatwerepromotedonWillowcreek’sweb-

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siteasawayforpeopletoconnect.ononepageoftheWillowcreeksite,threetestimoniesweregivenbypeoplewhohadrecently joined the church.eachwasonlyoneparagraphlong,andinoneofthemamannamedrussaidthechurch’smotorcycle fellowship “is such a wonderful, warm-heartedgroupthatthefellowshipiexperiencewiththemislikebeinginaveryclosefamily.”Anothernewcomer,awoman,reflected,“iamdelightedtobepartofsuchacaringandcreativebody.themembershipprocesswasstimulatingand formed friendshipsandbondsthatareongoing.Wehaveasmallgroupthatgrewoutofthemembershipclass!”

boththesaddlebackandWillowcreekwebsitesdidanef-fectivejobofinvitingpeopleintosmallercommunitiesthroughtheannouncementsofopportunitiestogetinvolvedandbecomeconnected.theeffectivenesslayintheirwordsofinvitation;thephotostheyusedthatconveyedasenseofwelcome,family,andhome;andinthemultiplelinkstoopportunitiesforinvolvement.thesetwomegachurchesdidn’tprovideanextensivetheologicalortheoreticalframeworktodescribewhycommunitymattersinthechristianlife;theirinvitationstocommunityseemedtobebasedonexpediencyasmuchastheology.saddleback’swebpageadvocatingjoiningsmallgroups,mentionedabove,saidthatbeinginasmallgrouphelpedapersonobeythecommandsofthebible.thewordsfrombillhybelsontheWillowcreeksitestressedthatsmallgroupswereaplacetonurtureauthenticrelationships.themegachurchsitesseemedtobesayingthatinthisfragmentedworld,intimaterelationshipswereagoodideaandbiblically-obedient,andinabigchurch,intimatesettingsneedtocoexistwiththelargergatherings.onthesetwomega-churchwebsites,effortstopromoteintimatecommunitywereportrayedasexpedientandhelpful,notnecessarilycentraltowhatitmeanstobeachristian.

The Future Church?

usingwords,photos,andlinks,thewebsitesofthesetwoevan-gelicalmegachurchescreatedaportraitoftheircongregations,presentinganargumentaboutwhotheyareandhowtheyare

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invitingthewebsiteviewertojoinin.saddlebackcommunitychurchandWillowcreekcommunitychurchpicturedthem-selvesasbig,busyfamilies.everyonecouldfindaplacetobeproductive,everyonecouldfindafewotherlike-mindedfamilymemberstotalkwithonaregularbasis,andeveryonecouldfeelhappyaboutbeingapartofthiswonderful,lively,andoutgoingfamily.newpeoplewerestronglyencouragedtojointhefamily,andtheywereencouragedtobelievethattheirneedswillbemetinthecourseoffamilylife.Familymemberswerefreetotalkinanintimatewaytothosewithwhomtheyareclose,particularlywiththosewhohavethesameneedsandconcernsthat theyhave,buttheydidn’thavemuchvoiceintheoverallfunctioningofthefamily.theheadofthefamily–thepastororpastors,theboard,and/orthestaff–exercisedafairlytightcontroloverthepublicfaceofthefamily,thewaythefamily’svaluesandpriori-tiesarepresentedtooutsiders.thefamilyembracedtraditionalchristianvalues,anditfunctionedinawaythatwascommoninsomeAmericanfamiliesinthepastwholivedbytheadage,“childrenshouldbeseenandnotheard.”Whilethefamilymem-berswerenotencouragedtobechild-likeineveryway–manywereencouragedtotakeleadershiprolesinsmallgroupsandministries–familymemberswereencouragedtobeseenkeep-ingbusyservingandbeinginvolvedwithlike-mindedpeople,andtheywerenotencouragedtothink“outsidethebox”ortoaskchallengingquestions.thefamilywouldbemosteffectiveinitsfunctioningifallthefamilymemberskeptbusyanddidtheirpart,embracingthevaluesofthewholefamilyandlettingtheleadersspeakforeveryone.

bothsaddlebackandWillowcreekmaybemodelsforthechurchofthefuture.throughtheirvisualandverbaltextsandthroughtheirevocationofthegenreofthefamilyphotoalbum,theystrategicallymadeuseofhomeandfamilymetaphorstocommunicatethattheyareintimatewhilebeinglarge.thisim-pliedintimacyinthefaceofanincreasinglyimpersonalculturemustbeattractivetomanypeopleandwillpresumablycontinuetobesointheyearstocome.thehomeandfamilymetaphorsalsoevokedcontentment,prosperity,andhealth—valuesthat

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connectstronglywiththevaluesofthewiderAmericanculture—whilealsoencouragingengagementwiththecongregation.inaddition,thesetwocongregationsmadewiseuseofthewebsitemedium,offeringnumerouslinkstohelppeoplegetinvolvedandshowingtheyareup-to-dateandcontemporarythroughtheobviouslyprofessionaldesignofthesites.Anastonishingarrayofoptionsforengagementweredescribedvisuallyandverbally–notmanycongregationsofferamotorcyclefellowship–butthediversityofactivitiesandministrieswasnotcoupledwithparallel diversity in voices and opinions. the congregations’unitaryvoiceswerestrong,andonerightwaytothinkaboutmanyissuesoffaithwasarticulatedonpagesthatansweredques-tionsorexpressedfaithpositions.however,thestrongfamily,withforcefulparentalvoices,mayhaveacontinuingattractionformanypeople,andthesewebsitesusethefamilymetaphoreffectively,bothverballyandvisually,sothelackofdiversityofvoicemaynotbenoticedbymanyviewers.

thisunitaryvoicewasalsocommunicated throughtheaspectsof theadvertisinggenrethatwereevoked.themanyphotoswithdirectaddresscreatedademand,whichwasrein-forcedbytheuseofimperativeverbs.theseevocationsoftheadvertisinggenrecreatedahighlyproscriptivemessage.Withtheriseinoptionsfordiversevoicesonblogsandotheronlineforums,thisunitaryvoiceseemsoldfashionedandnotahar-bingerofthefuture.inaddition,theuseofstrategiescommoninadvertisingraisesquestionsaboutthecommercializationofthechristianfaith,indicatingthatfaithmayhavebecomeonemorecommodityandthat“shopping”forachurchhasbecomean appropriateway to think about church involvement.theubiquityofadvertisementsmeansthattheadoptionofadvertis-ingstrategiesonthesecongregationalwebsitesprobablyappearsnaturaltomanyviewers.thesetwocongregationsusetheweb-sitemediumeffectively,andtheirconsistencyofmessageandcoherenceofargumentarecompelling.theirstrategicapproachtochristianministryisclearlyvisiblethroughthisanalysisoftheirwebsites.

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Vibrant Liberal/Mainline Churches: A Gentle, Informed Welcome

thetwovibrantliberal/mainlinechurches,seattleFirstbaptistandst.GregoryofnyssaepiscopalchurchinsanFrancisco,8weremuchsmallerthanthetwomegachurches.Whilethetwomegachurcheswerenon-denominationalandevangelical,bothoftheseliberalcongregationswerelinkedtoamainlinedenomina-tion:theAmericanbaptistchurchandtheepiscopalchurchinAmerica,respectively.however,thesemainlinecongregationshadincommonwiththemegachurchesasenseofvibrancyandlife.theirwebsiteswereengagingandinteresting,andthecon-gregationswereportrayedashavingplentytoofferaprospectiveattender.bothofthesesitesexemplifiedtheconventionalwebsitegenre,withphotos,verbaltext,andnumeroushyperlinks,andbothweremoderatelysophisticatedwebsitesforacongregation.however,bothsiteslackedthehighlysophisticatedandcom-plexnatureofthewebsitesofsaddlebackandWillowcreek;forexample,theyhadnoslideshows,fewerlinkstoaudioorvideo,andfewerphotosandgraphicsontheirhomepageandotherpages.bothFirstbaptistandst.Gregorydrewonothergenresinadditiontothewebsitegenre.

thest.Gregoryofnyssawebsite,likethetwomegachurchsites, looked like a photo album. however, in this case, thealbumdidnotpictureanuclearfamily.thiswebsitefeatureddozensofphotosofthechurchbuildingandofworshipservicesinprogress.thephotosofthebuildingandworshipservicesservedtoemphasizetheplaceandthecommunityassembledas a whole, perhaps a very extended family. Almost none ofthe photos of people involved a demand gaze; instead theyshowedgroupsofpeopledancing,singing,praying,orlisteninginworship,interactingwitheachotherandpresumablywithGod.thecongregational leadersworebrightlycoloredrobesfromAfricaandAsia,ethiopiancrossesdecoratedtheworshipspace,andthefeelwasfestiveandinternational.st.Gregory’schurchbuildingwasbuiltinthe1980sandisquiteinnovative,withtwoseparatespacesfortheworshipservice,onespacefortheliturgyoftheWordandonespaceforthesacraments.the

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photosonthewebsitemadeclearthatthecongregationdancesfromoneroomtotheotherinthemiddleoftheworshipservice.thetall,octagonalwingusedforthesacramentsispaintedwith74historicfiguresinthestyleoficons,allofthemdancing,andthewebsitefeaturedaclearandlargereproductionofeachfigurewithabriefdescriptionofwhoheorsheisorwas.unlikemanyicons,thesefiguresdonotlookattheviewer;theireyesareallfocusedslightlytotheleftoftheonlooker.Kressandvanleeu-wen(1999)usetheterm“offer”todescribephotosinwhichthepeoplelookawayfromthecamera.st.Gregory’sphotos“offer”ratherthan“demand.”

itsverbaltextsalsoofferedwelcomeratherthandemand-ingaction.“howdoweliveasfriendsofGod?Atst.Gregory’s,thisisaquestionweexploretogether.Wemakeuseofancienttraditionsandsharedexperienceaswefindourwaythroughthemodernworldasachristiancommunity.”9thislanguage,withoutdirectuseofimperativeverbs,fitsthegenreofabulletinboardinachurchbuilding.bulletinboardsareoftenusedincongregationstopostphotosshowingthecongregationinaction.congregationalactivitiessuchaspicnics,retreats,classes,andchildren’seventsareoftenphotographedandpostedonbulletinboardstohelpbothnewcomersandcongregationmembersseethekindsofactivitiestheymightparticipatein.thesephotobulletinboardsoftenhavebriefdescriptionsaccompanyingthephotos,describingtheeventandimplyingthattheviewerwaswelcometojoininnexttime.Accompanyingitsphotos,thest.Gregory’swebsitegaveaverbaldescriptionofthetypicalpat-ternofworshipservices;thehistoryoftheconstructionofthechurchbuilding,completedin1995,andthephilosophybehindvariousaspectstothebuilding;descriptionsofthepeoplepic-turedintheiconspaintedonthewalls;anddescriptionsofthevariousoutreachministriesofferedbythechurch.thephotosanddescriptionsonst.Gregory’swebsiteofferedthepossibilityofengagementwithouturgingitstrenuously.

the homepage of the website of First baptist church,thesecond liberal/mainlinechurch,hadmanycharacteristicsofcongregationalprintmediathatprecededwebsites,suchas

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newslettersandbrochures:alotofverbaltext,fewgraphicsandphotos,amissionstatement,abriefhistory,asermonexcerpt,andacalendarofclasses,coupledwithfewimperativeverbsandnophotosofpeoplegazingintothecamera.overthecourseofthemonthsiobservedthewebsite,thehomepageformatstayedthesame,butabouttwothirdsoftheverbalcontentchangedfrequently.eachweekanewsermonwasposted in therighthandthirdofthepage,withthefirstfewparagraphs(approxi-mately250-400words)onthehomepageandwithaphotooftheministerdeliveringthesermon,alwaysdressedinablackacademicrobewithabrightlycoloredstole,notlookingintothecamera.thephotowasafrozenframeofavideooftheprevi-ousweek’ssermon,sothetextofthesermonwasavailableinbothwrittenandvideoform.inthecentercolumn,thecalendaritemschangedregularlyaswell,andtheseitemsincludeddatesandnamesof various eventswithdescriptions ranging from25to150words.10intheleft-handcolumn,thelistofcontactinformation,themissionstatement(61words)andthe“Aboutus”statement(102wordsdescribingthecongregation’shistoryandexpressingwelcome)remainedthesameoverthemonthsiobservedthesite.thiscontrastswiththemegachurchsites,whereonlyphrasesandbriefsentenceswereusedonbothsites.thelongestdescriptionontheWillowcreekhomepagewas20words,11andthatincludedthetitleoftheeventandthedatesitwasoffered.theuseofextendedverbaldescriptions,ratherthannumerousphotos,graphics,orbriefinvitations,indicatedthatFirstbaptist’ssitedrewonthenewsletter/brochuregenre.

thetwoliberal/mainlinechurchesestablishedtheirsenseof authority and credibility on their websites not by theirembrace of the highest standards of website design, like themegachurchesdid,butbymeansthathavebeentraditionalinchurchesforgenerations.st.Gregory’shomepagehadapictureofitsbuildingatthetopright,withthewords“Welcomehome”superimposedonthephoto.Firstbaptistusedaphotooftheminister,againatthetopright,alwaysdressedinarobe.thebuilding and the minister have traditionally been sources ofidentityandvaluesforcongregations.onFirstbaptist’shome-

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page,thepresenceofabundantinformationconveyedauthority.onst.Gregory’shomepage,informationaboutandaphotoofthecongregation’saward-winningfoodpantryconveyedfurtherauthority.thesetwochurchesinvitedparticipationbygivinginformation, both visually (st. Gregory’s) and verbally (bothsites).thesetwomainline/liberalchurchescommunicatedanofferofeducatedchoicetoparticipatebasedonabundantvisualandverbalinformation,ratherthanthedirectdemandofthemegachurchwebsiteswiththeirimperativeverbsandcountlessphotosofpeoplelookingintothecamera.

Explicit Inclusion and Embrace of Diversity

the concept of community promoted by First baptistchurchandst.Gregoryofnyssawascenteredintheircom-mitmenttoinclusivenessanddiversity.Firstbaptist’smissionstatementbeganwiththewords,“Weareacommunityoffaith,”andthecongregationidentifieditselfasa“communityoffaith”inotherplacesonthewebsite.themissionstatementalsoem-phasizedinclusion.the13distinctivesofthecongregationin-cluded“Weareawelcomingandaffirmingcongregation;sexualandgenderminoritypersonsarenaturallyintegratedintothecongregationinarelaxedway,”and“Wevaluecongregationalfellowshipwherefriendshipsandmutualsupportareevidencedamong our members.” the eight values of the congregationincluded:“Wevaluethediversityofopinion,ethnicdiversityanddiversityoflifestyleinthiscongregation.”

theFirstbaptistcoordinatingpastor,onapagetitled“thelearningcommunity,”continuedthisthemelinkingcommunitytodiversityandinclusion:

churchesarenotneutral.theyespousevalues.theyhaveamessage.theyhaveanagenda.theyhavevisionofhowthingscouldbe.thereare,at least,tworesponsestothisreality.oneisthewayofin-doctrination.indoctrinationhastodowithimpartingknowledgefromonegenerationtoanother,orfromasourceofauthoritytonewcomers.indoctrination

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requires agreement as to a message, a vision, anagenda,asetofvalues.becauseseattleFirstbaptistisaplaceofvariedmessages,visions,agendasandvalues,indoctrinationdoesn’tfitourneeds. theotherwayisbybecomingalearningcom-munity...wherequestions,searching,andopennessareevidentthroughoutourcommunallife....Wearenotacomplacentchurch.noristhisanentirelycomfortableplace. it is aplace for seekers. it is aplacewhereactivistscanfindspiritualanchorandspiritualseekerscanfindtheircallingintheworld.it is a place where Great ideas that come from avarietyofsourcesareconfronted.itisnotaplaceofconformityoruniformity.[underlineinoriginal.]

thisvisionofcommunityincludedthediscomfortthatcamefromatruewelcomeofquestionsandawillingnessto listencarefullytoviewpointsthatwerenotone’sown.

inthesameway,st.Gregory’salsoemphasizedinclusionasapartofcommunity.Alinkonthehomepagelabeled,“clickhereifyou’renew,”ledtoanine-paragraphletterfromacon-gregationmember,whonotedbelowhersignaturethatshealsohappenedtobethewebmaster.inawarmconversationaltone,sheacknowledgedthatvisitorslikelyhadmanyquestions.shetalkedabouttheprioritiesofthecongregation,describedtheministers,andinvitedviewerstocallthechurchofficeiftheyhadmorequestions.herlettertonewcomersalmostequatedinclusionwithcommunity:

We’reinterestedinbeinginclusive,inactiveques-tioninganddiscussioninarespectfulsetting....didwementionthatwevalueinclusiveness?Wevaluecommunity,andweconstantlyworktonurtureit.At thesame timewestrive tonotbecomeclosed,tribal,orformcliques.Wewelcomepeoplefromallbackgrounds,andincaseyouwerewondering,thatincludespeoplefromallsexualorientations.Were-allyviewourselvesasaspiritualcommunity.

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thefactthattheletterfornewcomerswaswrittenbyamem-ber,ratherthanapastor,wasanaffirmationofdiversity,aswasanotheraspectofcommunityexpressedintheletter:“Wereallyvaluegettingtogetherinperson,andhearingandhonoringeachother’sstories.We’dlovetohearyours.soidohopeyou’llcometryoutafewserviceswithus.”

The Future Church?

these two vibrant/liberal mainline congregations used theirwebsitestopaintaportraitofthemselves,makinganargumentaboutwhotheyareandthekindofinvitationtheyextendtothewebsiteviewer.seattleFirstbaptistchurchandst.Gregoryofnyssaepiscopalchurchportrayedthemselvesasnurturingpar-ents.lakoff(2002)arguesthatconservatism,whetherreligiousorsecular,isbasedonthestrictfathermodel,12whileliberalismiscenteredaroundanurturantparentmodel.nurturantparentmorality,accordingtolakoff,requiresempathyforothersandhelpingthosewhoneedhelp.inordertohelpothers,oneneedstotakecareofoneself,nurturesocialties,andhaveempathyforoneselfinordertohaveempathyforothers.Moralityisempathy,andmoralactionisnurturanceofsocialtiesandself-develop-ment.theportraitofvibrantliberal/mainlinecongregationsontheirwebsitescloselyfitsthisdescription,withtheadditionofoneaspect.these twovibrant liberal/mainlinecongregationsfoundat leastsomeoftheirstrengthtobenurturingparentsthrough their continued embrace of traditional ties to theirbuildings,denominations, and communities, aswell as theircontinueduseoftraditionalstylesofministry,rangingfromtheirtraditionalmusicchoicestotheiremphasisonprintmedia.

nurturingparentsenergeticallyencouragetheirchildren;in thesamewaythesevibrant liberal/mainlinecongregationsprovidedavoicethatencouragesandembracespeopleonthemargins. While the two megachurches as big, busy familieswanted theirmembers tobeactive inministry, thesevibrantliberal mainline congregations as nurturing parents wantedtheirmemberstohaveempathyforpeopleinneed.thesevi-brantliberal/mainlinechurcheslackedthestructures,ranging

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fromlinksontheirwebsitestosmallgroupstojoin,thatthemegachurchesusedtoencourageinvolvement.therefore,theytalkedaboutempathybutdidn’tpresentopportunitiestomakeitconcrete.thevibrantliberal/mainlinechurchesdidencour-ageengagementwiththecongregationasawhole,butinalessstructuredwaythanthemegachurches,withthegoalofhelpingmemberstoembracethisethicofempathy.

WithincreasingglobalismandtheincreasingdiversityoftheAmericanculture,thesetwochurchesmayrepresentdirec-tionsforthechurchofthefuture.theseminarsatFirstbaptistonworldreligions,andthevisualelementsfromotherregionsoftheworldatst.Gregory’s,providedavenuesforcongregationmemberstoengagewiththewiderculture.theirwelcomeofdiversevoicesparallelstheriseinblogs,realitytelevision,andotherforumsthatencouragepeopletotell theirownstories.thisbroadnessofinclusionasanessentialpartofcommunityinthesetwochurchesgaveadifferentfocusthanwasfoundinthetwomegachurchwebsites.thisinclusivenesswasakeyaspectoftheidentityofthesevibrantliberal/mainlinecongregations,andpositionsthemtobethechurchofthefutureinamulticulturalsocietythatencouragespeopletospeaktheirtruthinvariousways.Fewdirectinvitationswerepresentonthesesites.Mostoftheencouragementtobecomeengagedwiththecongregationortoparticipatemorefullycamethroughthegivingofverbalandvisual information.Agentleand informedwelcomewasextended with little of the urgency of the invitations on themegachurchwebsites.

these two congregations placed a high value on manyof the traditional values of the christian faith, like the twomegachurchesdid.however,theformwasdifferent.thesetwoliberal/mainlinecongregationsusedphotosofthechurchbuild-ingandtheministerinarobetodrawontraditionalsourcesofauthority forchurches.thesecongregationsdrewonmodelsthat pre-date websites, with a gentle invitation of welcome.inthecaseofst.Gregory’s,achurchphotoalbumorbulletinboardshowedaplaceforinnovativeworship,andthephotosmighthelptheviewerfeelinclinedtojoin,and,inthecaseof

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Firstbaptist,agreatdealofnewsletterorbrochure-likeverbalinformationmightgivetheviewerinformationabouthowtofitintothecongregation’sactivities.thegentlewelcomeseemsappropriateinamulticulturalworld;howevertheuseofolderstylesofcommunicationmaymakethesecongregationsseemoutofdate.

Emergent Churches: a Trendy Coffee House

thetwoemergentchurchesanalyzed,likethemegachurches,werenot affiliatedwith adenomination. solomon’sPorch inMinneapolis and cedar ridge community church outsidebaltimore13appearedfromtheirwebsitestobesimilarinsizetoseattleFirstbaptistandst.Gregoryofnyssa.emergentchurchesare generally viewed as evangelical, like the megachurches.notably, though, thewebsitesofsolomon’sPorchandcedarridge had a different feel from both the two megachurchesandthetwomainlinechurches,drawingonneitherthefamilyphotoalbumgenrenortheprintednewslettergenre.thetwographicalelementsonthehomepageofsolomon’sPorch14weredreamyartisticmontagesofphotosandgraphics.thephoto-graphicelements includeda tree, apartofabuilding,andaperson’sshadowonacrackedsidewalk.cedarridgecommu-nitychurch15hadsixphotosofindividualsonitshomepage,andallthephotoswereslightlyoutoffocus,eliminatinganycomparisontoslickadvertising.Further,thephotosdifferedinstyle,gazeandcolor,conveyinganartisticapproach,andeachofthesixphotosfunctionedasalinktoapersonalstorybythatindividual,ranginginlengthfrom6to20paragraphs,describ-ingtheirfaithjourney.cedarridge’swebsitealsohadaphotooftherooflineofthebarnwherethecongregationmet,aphotoofanoutdoorscene,andawidebandofwallpaperthatlookedliketexturedpaperwithbitsofmostlyindecipherablewritingonit.thevisualcomponentsonthesesiteswerereminiscentofagallerydisplayofcontemporaryart.thesetwositesusedonlyafewimperativeverbsandofferedmoreopportunitiesforvirtualcommunitythantheothertwokindsofchurches.overthefivemonthsiobservedthesite,solomon’sPorchoffereda

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memberlogin,aplacetosubmitprayerrequestsbyemail,andalinkonthehomepagetosignupforanemailnewsletter,whilecedarridgeofferedasitemapandalinklabeled,“Joinavirtualcommunity! clickheretojointhetalkingPoints,Announce,Prayer,classifieds,ore-Postlist.”Atonepointduringthosemonths,cedarridgealsoofferedalinkforpeopletosubmittheirthoughtsaboutthevisionofthechurch.

theartsandtheenvironmentwereprominentonthesesites.solomon’sPorchoffereda link from itshomepage toavirtualartgallerywiththeworkofnumerousvisualartists.inaddition,anartsgroupmeetingwasdescribed,aswereplacesintheirchurchbuildingwhereartwasdisplayed,anartists’co-op,andartopportunitiesconnectedwiththechurchyear.cedarridgemetinaconvertedfarmhouseonapieceoffarmland,andthewebsitedescribedthewaysthecongregationwastryingtopreservethelandinanenvironmentallyfriendlyfashion.thegenremostparalleltothesewebsiteswasatrendy,eco-friendlycoffee bar offering a contemporary art display and wirelessinternetconnection.16theabilityofthesewebsitestopersuadeviewersintheirtwentiesandthirtieswaslinkedtotheirabilitytoenterintotheirdailyworlds,whichformanyincludedworking,talking,readingemail,surfingtheweb,andjusthangingoutatcoffeeshops.Kennethburkearguesforaconnectionbetweenidentificationandpersuasion:“youpersuadeaman[sic]onlyinsofarasyoucantalkhislanguagebyspeech,gesture,tonality,order, image,attitude[and] idea, identifyingyourwayswithhis”(burke,1950,p.55).thefamilyphotosinthemegachurchwebsitesaccomplishedthissenseofidentification,asdidsomeofthephotosontheliberal/mainlinesitesthatshowedpeopleengagedinvariousactivities.thetwoemergentchurchwebsitesusedidentificationevenmorecleverlytoestablishconnectionwiththeiraudience.theirartsyphotographicmontages,envi-ronmentalemphasis,andopportunitiesforvirtualcommunity–which combined to give the feel of a contemporary coffeehouse–spokethelanguageofGenerationsXandy,asdidthelinkstoMapquest fordirectionsonthesolomon’sPorchsiteandthevirtualcommunitylinksonthecedarridgesite.the

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emergent churcheswere invitingpeople to come to an artsycoffeehouse,withopportunitiesforconnectionifdesired.theemergent churches invoked an audience in their twentiesorthirtieswiththeoptiontojoininthecongregation’scommunitybutwithpermissionnottojoininaswell.thisapproachwasmilesapartfromthemegachurches.

Authentic and Missional Community

inthepastfewdecadesmostchurcheshavedevotedtimeanden-ergytocreatingplaceswherepeoplecanconnectwitheachotherinthemidstofaculturecharacterizedbyfragmentation,isola-tion,andbrokenfamilies.Asshownearlier,themegachurchesandmainlinechurchesinthisstudystronglyemphasizedcon-nectionsbetweenpeople.inthisanalysisofsixcongregations,the two emergent churchesused theword “community” themostfrequently.solomon’sPorch,inthethreeparagraphsonitshomepage,usedthewordfourtimes.onapagewiththeheader“Aboutus,”fourcharacteristicsofsolomon’sPorchwerelisted(holistic,missional,christian,andcommunity)withabriefex-planationofeach.17theconceptsofcommunityandconnectionrecurredfrequently.onthewebpagelabeled“ourdreams,”oneof23statementswas:“christiancommunityistheattractiontooutsidersandtheanswertoquestionsoffaith.”theword“con-nected”alsoappearedseveraltimesonthewebsiteinphraseslike“opportunitiestobeconnectedwithoneanother.”

Manyofthesesameemphasesappearedonthecedarridgewebsitewhencommunitywasdiscussed,aswasevidentinthemissionstatement:“cedarridgecommunitychurchexiststohelppeoplehavelifetothefull.Wewelcomepeopleintoa dynamic christian community where they can connect—withGod,withoneanotherandwithopportunities tomakeadifferenceinourchangingworld.”Atcedarridge,communitywasviewedasthespacethatprovidedoppor-tunitytoconnectinthreedirections:withGod,withotherpeople,andwithplacesforservice.Again,communitywaslargelyseenasanendinitself,notasameanstoanend.cedar ridge’s 2005 strategic plan had four components

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(connection, disciple-making, leadership and impact). inadditiontoanemphasisoncommunityinthecomponententitled “connection,” the component “disciple-making”emphasizedthatbeingandmakingdisciplestakesplacein“authenticcommunity.”

cedarridge’sstatementofvaluescontainedsixpairsofwords,eachdescribedwithaparagraph.Fiveofthesixparagraphscontainedareferencetocommunityorrelation-shipsasasmallormajorcomponentofthevaluesexpressed.under “Authenticity/integrity”was an encouragement forpeople“tobeauthenticwithGodandoneanother.thisvaluemeanswedon’thideour roughedges and struggles.”under“balance/Wisdom” was a description of wisdom as a guide“toward integrated, holistic, systems thinking, encouragingsynergyinsteadofcompetitionwithinourcommunity.”under“spiritualvibrancy/Mystery”wasanencouragementoffellow-shipasaspiritualdiscipline.under“Acceptance/diversity”wastheexpressionofthedesiretobe“asafeandacceptingplaceforpeople,whatevertheirbackground....Wereachouttoawidevarietyofpeopleandencouragethemtoexploretheirquestionsandprogressintheirspiritualjourneyattheirownpace.Wewelcomethemwiththeiruniqueblendsofexperiences,gifts,challenges,andinsights,believingthatwewillbeenrichedasacommunitybythecontributionsofeachindividual.”

Further,oneofthesixvalueswaslabeled“connection/community.”Manyofthesamethemesfromthesolomon’sPorchwebsiteappearedintheparagraphdescribingthisvalue:

Forus,churchisnotjustadisconnectedcrowdofpeoplewhoattendpublicprograms together.ourideal is a dynamic balance that we call “missionthroughcommunity”...[h]owcanpeopleexperi-encetherichlifeGodintendsforthemunlesstheyareconnectedwithothers:servingandbeingserved,challengingandbeingchallenged,givingandreceiv-ingforgiveness,teachingandbeingtaught,givingandreceiving,failingandbeingencouragedandofferingencouragementtofellowstrugglers?

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cedarridgestressesthatcommunityrequires“time,effortandvulnerability.” serving,being challenged, forgiving, teaching,giving,receiving,encouraging,laughing,crying,working,com-municating,experimenting,andresting togetherare laidoutasaspectsofthekindofcommunitythatwasencouragedandequatedwith living“life tothefull.”onthesetwoemergentchurchwebsites, theconceptofcommunitywasnotabstractorexpedient.communitywasdefinedanddescribedwithspe-cificverbsandattributes,andtheencouragementtoengageincommunitywasgroundedinextensivediscussionsofchristiantheology.Forthesechurches,engagementincommunitywascloselyrelatedtotheiridentities,andtheirofferofcommunity– which the website viewer or worship attender was free toengage inornot–wasparamount inwhat they encouragedpeopletoconsiderdoing.

The Future Church?

solomon’sPorchandcedarridgecommunitychurch,usingphotos,graphics,andwords,madeanargumentontheirweb-sitesaboutwho theyareand theways theyexpectothers tojoinin.thesetwoemergentchurchespresentedthemselvesastrendy,artsy,eco-friendlycoffeehouses,withoptionsforface-to-faceandonlinecommunityifdesired.theyaloneaffirmedastyleofcommunitythatdidnotdrawonfamilyimageryormodels. they affirmed community and connection that arehighlyself-revelatoryandhonest;authenticityandtheabsenceofmasksarevalued.thereasonforengagementincommunitydidnotcomefromexpediency;insteaditwasrootedintheo-logicalunderstanding.theemergentchurches,inpartbecauseoftheiraffirmationofauthenticity,providedmultipleopportu-nitiesforthevoicesoftheirmemberstobeheard.individualself-expressionwasvalued.Justlikethemegachurchesandthevibrantliberal/mainlinechurches,theyvaluedcertainaspectsoftraditionthatharmonizedwiththeirpriorities.theemergentchurchesvaluedearlychristiantraditionthatteachesthesignifi-canceofcommunityandthatstressesspiritualdisciplinesthatcanbeexercisedaloneorwithothers.theircompetencewith

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electronicmediagavethemacontemporaryflavor,whichwasbalancedinaninterestingwaybytheirloveofancienthistoryandtheirembraceofevangelicaltheology.theyspokedeeplyaboutthetheologicalissuesthatundergirdedtheirvalues.Justlikeapersoninacoffeeshopmightgetintoalongphilosophi-caldiscussionaboutcurrentevents,emergentchurchwebsitesengagedtheviewerindeeptheologicalconversationsabouttheministryofthecongregation.

thetwoemergentchurchwebsitesdidnotmakedirectinvi-tationsfornewpeopletovisit;theirinvitationwasinherentintheirevocationoftrendycoffeeshopasgenre.theyseemedtowantnewpeopletofeelcomfortableiftheycame,justliketheywouldbeinacoffeeshop,withnopressuretoconnectbutwiththeoptionforcommunity–bothinonlineandface-to-face–alwayspresent.yetatthesametimethewebsitesexpressedtheologicalurgencyaboutcommunity;theymadeclearthattheircentralpurposeasacongregationandtheirabilitytodomissionintheworldwereintricatelyconnectedtothekindofcommunitytheydeveloped,andtheydesiredthat theircommunitiesbeauthentic,honest,andmissional.thesetwocongregationsillustratedtheirwelcomeofthediversevoicesoftheircongregationmembersbypostingmembers’storiesandartworkontheirwebsites,andbymakingblogsandotherformsofonlineinteractionavailable.Whiletheypracticedcommunityon theirwebsites, inaddition to talkingaboutit,theylackedthelargenumberoflinkstospecificwaystogetinvolvedthatwerepresentonthemegachurchsites.theirevocationofthecoffeehousegenrepositionsthemtobechurchesforthefuture,placeswherepeoplecangatherinformallyinwaysthatarecomfortablefortheyoungergenerations:opportunitiesforengagementarepresentbutnotforced,peoplearewelcomedbytheambiancebutnotcoerced,andcontemporarypatternsofeverydaylifeareaffirmed.

Conclusion

churchesusetheirwebsitestopersuadevisitorstoattendandto encourage current members to keep attending and to beinvolved.thesethreekindsofcongregations,representedon

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thesixwebsitesstudiedhere,dothatbyevokingsocietalpat-terns—thebig,busyfamily;thenurturantparent;andthetrendycoffeehouse—thatareattractivetosub-groupsofAmericans.thesecongregationsseemtoacceptthevaluesofthegroupsofAmericanstheyattract,andtheyseemuncriticalofthesocietalpatternstheyreifyintheircommunicationontheirwebsites.Allof themusethewebsitemediumstrategically,withlinks,and verbal and visual texts that construct arguments aboutwhotheyareandwhattheyexpectofthepeoplewhoattendtheirchurch.inawaythatissimilartoeffectiveadvertisements,manyofthestrategiccomponentsonthesewebsitesprobablyseemnaturaltotheviewer.oneofthevaluesofthiskindofstudyliesinrevealingtheargumentsthatarebeingmadeandthatlooksonatural.

thesewebsitesrevealcharacteristicsofthechurchesthatcarry warnings for their future. the many imperative verbsand photos with direct address on the megachurch websitescreateademandforactionandresponsethatleaveslittleroomforquestions,doubt,anddiversefaithexperiences.theevoca-tionoftheintimacyoffamilythroughwordsandphotos,inanonlineenvironmentwithnoopportunity fordialogueonthewebsiteitselfandwiththeencouragementtovisitachurchwiththousandsofmembers,seemsslick,deceptive,andincreasinglyirrelevantinanageofblogsandrealitytelevision.thevibrantliberal/mainlinewebsitesdrawheavilyongenresthatpredatewebsites,whichmakestheviewerwonderifthechurcheswillbeflexibleenoughtorelatetothechangingculture.inaddition,thewordsofinclusivewelcomealone,withoutcorrespondingwebsitestructurestoenablepeopletobecomeinvolved,seemdisingenuous. the emergent church websites imply a placewherepeoplecanhangout,be themselves,anddowhatevertheywant.theirwordsemphasizethespecificsoftheirchristiancommitment,buttheevocationofthecoffeehousegenremakestheviewerwonderifthesecongregationstrulyareanydifferentthanacoffeehouseorothergatheringplaceinthewiderculturewherejustaboutanythinggoes.inaddition,therelativepaucityoflinkstowaystogetinvolvedraisesthequestionofwhether

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theirtalkaboutchristiancommunityissimplywordswithoutcorrespondingaction.

ineachcase,thewebsitemediumgivesopportunitiesfororganizational self-expression. the words, photos, graphics,links,andoveralllayoutconstructidentityandmakearguments.theseargumentsandconstructionsofidentitycanbeanalyzedusing thesameresearch tools thathavebeenhoned throughdecadesofanalysisofotherformsofcommunication.rhetori-calanalysiscanbeusedtoevaluatethepersuasiveappealofthewordsusedonwebsitesinmuchthesamewaysthatverbaltextshavebeensubjectedtorhetoricalanalysisforcenturies.inthesameway,thephotosandgraphicscanbeanalyzedindividuallyusingprinciplesofvisualrhetoric.however,effectiveanalysisofawebsitewillnotstopwithaconsiderationofthecomponentsinisolation.thevisualrhetoricoftheoveralllookoftheweb-siteandthewaysthewordsandimagesinteractdialogicallytoconstructargumentsmustalsobeevaluated.

inaddition,theuniquecharacteristicsofwebsitesmustbekeptinmind,particularlythesignificanceoflinksandthepatchworkednatureofwebsitematerial.linkstootherpageswithinthewebsiteandlinkstootherwebsitesexpressvaluesandorganizationalidentity.thepersuasiveappealofthewordsandimagesusedinconnectionwiththelinksissignificant,par-ticularlyonthehomepage,asisthepatternofthekindsoflinksusedaswellasthemetaphoricalandmetonymicaspectsofthelinks.thevariouswebsitecomponentsworktogethertoevokegenresthatmayormaynothavebeenintendedbythecreatorsof the website. An exploration of the genres evoked, as wasmodeledhere,isparticularlyvaluablebecausewebsitespatch-worktogethernumerousformsofeverydaycommunicationincreativewaysandbecausethegenresinthemselvesmakesubtlebutpowerfulargumentsabouttheorganizationrepresentedbythewebsite.Alloftheseconsiderationsillustratesomeofthenewchallengesandopportunitiespresentedbyonlinediscourse.Websitesareheretostay,atleastfortheforeseeablefuture.A28-year-oldinmyextendedfamilycallswebsitesthe“newfrontpage” fororganizations,andnotes thatalmostnoone inhis

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generationwouldvisit any institutionwithoutfirst checkingoutitswebsite.thiscreatesasenseofurgencyforcongrega-tionsandotherorganizationstoevaluatethewaytheypresentthemselvesontheirwebsites,andacorrespondingurgencyforcommunicationscholars toengage in thoroughstudyof thisincreasinglysignificantcommunicationform.

lynneM.baab(Ph.d,2007,universityofWashingtondepartmentofcommunication) is the Jacksomervillelecturer inPastoraltheol-ogyat theuniversityofotago.Addresscorrespondence to theauthoratdepartmentoftheologyandreligiousstudies,universityofotago,Pobox56,dunedin,newZealand.oremailheratlynne.baab@otago.ac.nz.theauthorwishestothankthefollowingfacultyattheuniversityofWashingtonfortheirvaluablehelpwiththisresearch:daviddomke,leahceccarelli,crispinthurlow,andKirstenFoot(inthedepartmentofcommunication)andJamesWellman(inthehenryM.Jacksonschoolofinternationalstudies).

End Notes1dataregardingthepercentageofchurches,synagoguesandother

placesofworshipthathavewebsitesishardtofind.havingengagedin the academic study of congregational websites for the last fouryears,iwouldestimatethatmorethan75%ofchristiancongregationsintheunitedstateshavewebsites,butihavefoundnoresearchtosubstantiatethatestimate.

2According toresearchconductedoctober todecember2007by thePew internet andAmericanlifeproject, 92%ofAmericansbetween18and29usetheinternet.Percentagesarelowerintheoldergenerations.downloadedMay3,2008fromhttp://www.pewinternet.org/trends/user_demo_2.15.08.htm.

3 human factors science and engineering refers to a field ofstudyfocusedonthecognitivepropertiesofindividualsorthesocialbehaviorsofgroups.itoverlapswithergonomics.humanfactorsprac-titionersareusuallypsychologistsorphysiologists,althoughtheycancomefromavarietyofbackgrounds.humanfactorsengineerswhostudywebsiteswouldbemostlikelytobeinterestedinhowpeopleuselinksandnavigatethroughsites,particularlythecognitiveprocessesinvolvedinmakingthosedecisions,nothoworganizationspresenttheiridentities.

4 http://www.emergentvillage.org, downloaded october 20,2005.

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5AGooglesearchconductedoctober26,2006forthechurch’snameresultedinthevisitorsitefirstonthelistandthemembersiteafewitemsdownthelist:www.saddleback.com(saddleback’svisitorsite)andwww.saddlebackfamily.com(saddleback’smembersite).

6Allquotationsandobservationsinthisparagraphweredown-loaded/observedonoctober26,2006fromwww.willowcreek.org.AlladditionalquotationsfromtheWillowcreekandsaddlebackwebsitesweredownloadedoctober31,2006.

7Willowcreek’slinkfornewcomersonthehomepagewastypicalofmanymegachurchesbutthepresenceoflinksfornewcomersonotherpagesofthewebsitewasunusualandmaybeoneofthemanyfactorsthatcontributedtoWillowcreek’sphenomenalgrowth.

8http://www.seattlefirstbaptist.organdhttp://www.saintgrego-rys.org.

9downloadedoctober24,2006.AlladditionalquotationsfromthewebsitesofseattleFirstbaptist andst.Gregoryofnyssaweredownloadedonoctober28,2006unlessotherwisenoted.

10onnovember10,2006.11onoctober24,2006.12Asportrayedby theirwebsites,megachurch leadershipdoes

functionlikeastrictfatherinafewways,butnotineveryway.there-foreiamnotsettingupacontrastbetweenmegachurchesandvibrantliberal/mainlinechurchesbasedonlakoff’scategories.

13http://www.solomonsporch.comandhttp://www.crcc.org.14onoctober19,2006.15onoctober19,2006.16twoweeksaftericametothisconclusionaboutthecoffeehouse

genreoftheemergentchurchwebsites,Leadership Journal(ajournalforevangelicalpastors)hadtwoarticlescomparingchurchministrytocoffeehouses.botharticleswerewrittenbypastors,oneinillinoisandoneinWashingtonstate.onepastorworksparttimeasabarrista,andhedescribedwhathelearnedaboutchristianministrythroughhisroleofpreparingandservingcoffeedrinks(swanson,2006).thesecondarticlefocusedonthewaysthatcoffeehousesresembleaspectsof healthy congregational life: they create places where people areknown,wherediversetastesareaffirmed,andwherecommunitycangather(Asimakoupoulos,2006).Whilethearticlesdidnotindicatewhetherornotthesetwopastorsserveemergentchurches,thecom-parisonofachurchtoacoffeehouseparallelswhatiobservedontheemergentchurchwebsites.

17Allquotationsfromsolomon’sPorchandcedarridgecom-munitychurchinthissectiononauthenticandmissionalcommunityweredownloadedonnovember2,2006.

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