Week 12: Performing Religious Identity through the Digital

 This week I will be summarizing my research on the Block Church thus far.

Through the use of media, the Block Church is able to show perspective members that this church is not like any other. Their mission statement, as stated directly on the website, is We are a spirit-led, gospel centered community, seeking a move of God. The Block is a place where social, economic, religious and political walls are torn down”.  So does their use of media accurately fit this statement? By observing the various forms of media that the Block church offers, it became clear that they do in a terrific job portraying this mission. On their website - http://theblockchurch.org - various photos and texts are portrayed on the site. These photos portray the various experiences people have when they come to the church. This includes things like singing, acting, and praying together. Tying back to the mission statement, the pictures portray people in normal everyday clothes, which shows that they do not expect people to spend any kind of money on clothing when they come to the church. The site also portrays various forms of texts which include things like, “We are servants to our city” “At the block we are passionate”. Also on the website are various videos that include a “Welcome to the Block” introductory video as well as the various sermon’s that have taken place recently. These videos serve more as an informational tool for members and prospective members, as the website makes it clear that to actually be a part of the Block, members must actually show up to the church and experience it first hand.  Aside from the website itself, the Block Church also has a strong influence on social media, particularly through Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/theblockchurch/). On this page they present practically the same material that is present on their website, but what distinguishes the FB site from the website is the interactiveness of it. Users can post comments and ratings on the church, which gives prospective new members an honest review of how the church really is. Overall, through their up to date use of media, the Block Church is able to effectively show what they are all about.