God is on demand and available for download.
More churches are using the latest Internet technology to deliver worship services online.
Moving beyond static Web sites, churches are turning to streaming video, podcasts and Internet radio. Parishioners who can't make it to church can hear their pastors' messages at their convenience.
Churches, realizing roughly 74 percent of American homes have Internet access, are using the Web to spread the word as well as alert people to their congregations.
The result: Members never have to miss a sermon even if they miss a service. And faith groups connect with their congregations and potential new members.
The Islamic Community Center of Tempe hosts links to Islamic Web sites with video and audio on its Web site.
"There are so many Web sites. Some do not provide the right information," said Ibrahim Emran, office manager of the center. "We try to provide links to trusted Web sites."
Using more-advanced Internet technology has been a learning experience for church leaders.
Although some built elaborate studios, Pinnacle Presbyterian records sermons on the cheap with a microphone attached to an iPod nano, a $240 setup. A church member then edits the files and puts them on the Web site, usually from his home.
Schafer said video would be a logical step forward.
"With the popularity of YouTube, it totally makes sense," he said.
National offices of denominations report an increase in requests from churches for Web help.
About 13 percent of Protestant churches had sermons available as streaming audio in 2005, according to a study conducted by Ellison Research of Phoenix for LifeWay Christian Resources. The study surveyed 871 Protestant ministers nationwide about their churches' Web technology. Four percent of those churches use streaming video on their sites.
"[Streaming video] will be growing as people use technology more in worship," said Paul Edison-Swift, director for interactive media and networks at the Chicago headquarters of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
For now, podcasting is the most common feature churches want to set up, Edison-Swift said.
Some congregations create a congregation Intranet, where members would need a user name and login to access it but could do so from anywhere. Many of these sites have photo albums, forums and member directories, he said.
"It's an important trend for people having more dynamic Web sites," Edison-Swift said. "They are figuring out ways to provide fresh content to people."
First Christian Church in Phoenix learned that the ability to put sermons on the Web means spreading the word around the world.
Ninety-seven percent of the site's traffic comes from within the U.S., but people in more than 40 foreign countries, including Afghanistan and Iraq, also visit the site.
Members with busy lives benefit from the accessibility of online sermons, said Kerbey, of Calvary Community Church, adding that office workers will listen to Calvary's Internet radio featuring contemporary Christian music and teachings.
Marilyn Sorenson, a Pinnacle Presbyterian choir member, said she listens to the sermons online if she misses a service. But she doesn't see herself succumbing to the temptation to skip the traditional sermon.
"I would never choose to sit in front of a computer and listen as opposed to coming to church," Sorenson said.
