"How COVID rewired religion"
The Churches in Virtual & Augmented Reality.
For churchgoers, COVID brought some big adjustments. Lockdowns and social distancing meant that many believers stayed at home — either sleeping in, or watching the service over Zoom. But a few pastors responded to the moment by seizing it. They built new churches in virtual reality.
"...a digital church in a digital universe has the grace of God??!! "
Here is an example of a Metaverse Church and its community.
It is very simply called "VR Church" So VR Church states that is a spiritual community which exists entirely in the metaverse to celebrate God’s love for the world. They believe church can be anywhere at anytime with anyone…even in the metaverse. The metaverse is an immersive virtual reality experience where we can work, socialize, and even go to church.
What do you need to belong there
1. GET A VR HEADSET
Confusion exists about which VR equipment to use because many VR headsets line the store shelves. However, not all headsets represent a true VR experience. Our general recommendation is that anything by Oculus is a good option. We highly recommend the Oculus Quest 2. For you hardcore gamers and technologists who want the best VR experience, we recommend the Valve Index. Take note that you will need a powerful computer with a good graphics card for the Valve Index. Here’s an article about the "8 Best VR Headsets for VRChat In 2020” / https://smartwatchfan.com/best-vr-headset-for-vrchat/ 2. DOWNLOAD ALTSPACEVR
Although our church exists in many metaverses (VRChat, RecRoom, AltspaceVR, Facebook Horizons), we recommend first time visitors attend VR Church in AltspaceVR, a social VR platform. If you have never experienced the metaverse, you are about to embark on an adventure. You will meet people from all over the world in a dynamic environment with many worlds to explore. Before visiting VR Church in AltspaceVR, take time to create an account, customize your avatar, and complete the tutorial. Following these steps will provide a solid experience for your first time in church. Click HERE to download AltspaceVR. (Although we highly recommend using a VR headset, please note that AltspaceVR has a desktop mode that can be experienced on a laptop or PC.)
Beliefs
Apostle’s Creed (Variant)
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
We Believe
We believe God loves all the avatars of the metaverse.
We believe each avatar is a real person with a real story.
We believe everyone is welcome to church even if you don’t believe in God.
We believe the Five-Fold Ministry is vital to unleash our God-given destiny. Find out which of the five you are by clicking here.
THE ELDERS
Pastor Bismik
Bismik is a youth pastor from Germany, a trained historian and philosopher (both a masters degree), a doctoral candidate, and a metal band singer. At the age of 17, he experienced Jesus' saving power, which since then has become the anchor and goal of his life. His favorite VR game is Iron Wolf, because of his favorite movie "U96". His favourite beer is the good old franconian "Huppendorfer"
Pastor Alina
Alina was a flight attendant and had a passion for skydiving till she became disabled about 10 years ago. She has an autoimmune conditions as well as a rare disorder called Erythromelalgia. These keep her confined to her home a majority of the time. She is now a pastor at VR Church and has started a charity giving VR headsets to those in need. She is married to a loving, supportive husband and is blessed to have her VR family. She says she has never known so much love as she does today.
THE SPACE
ALTSPACEVR
Their church is in AltspaceVR and they believe it is a great & safe way to connect as a community of a VR Church.
Mary Hynes has done a podcast on the subject worth listening
Source: https://www.vrchurch.org
