Southlake Minister Uses Web To Preach The Word

SOUTHLAKE (CBSDFW.COM) – Minister Dusty Craig has been spending a lot of time lately in front of the camera. He's trying to spread the message of Christ, and he's not doing it in a sanctuary.

Instead, the minister of Next Generation Ministries has turned to the web.

"There's a lot of people floating around in cyber space that are deeply spiritual," Craig said. "But the idea of church in the physical sense that we are used to? They have no desire to be a part of that."

Four times a week Craig, 29, delivers sermons online for White's Chapel United Methodist Church in Southlake.

The virtual church includes music, a sermon and prayer.

One of Craig's goals is to reach people who don't want to sit through a service inside a church.

"They have questions about life, faith. They are looking for hope they are looking for connection," Craig said.

Josh Allard, 31, teaches Sunday school. He said he never gets a chance to make it to a service.

"For me, it's the only way I can experience church because I don't get to go to a service," the Fort Worth resident said. "I don't get the opportunity to sit in a pew next to someone. I don't' get the opportunity to have that kind of corporate worship experience so that's why this has been really good."

The online worship experiences are about 30 minutes and have gotten a pretty good response.

In fact, one of the church's biggest nights was during last Wednesday's Winter Storm.

"I long for the day we crash the site because too many people come," Craig said.

The church has reached people from as far away as India and Brazil with the web sermons.

Craig said it's very real and a little different than being in a sanctuary.

"I have more interaction in a chat room online than I do Sunday morning because everybody is busy apart with 'hey how are you doing,' that's really all I'm able to interact wit," he said. "So I'm able to ask deep questions. I'm able to see how people's weeks went."