As the web pastor for NewSpring Church, I believe our position is very close to Brandon's: We do not advocate our "web service" as a replacement for church, but a pathway of discipleship toward full, physical communion. I think it's the wisest stance from a practical and a theological one given the current state of technology and ecclesiology that has only just begun to wrestle with living in a hyper-connected world where the line between the virtual and the real is increasingly blurred.

Vince: this is the million dollar question. But it's going to take a brave church to pour lots of resources into creating a completely separate experience when there's no proven audience. If evangelism is the key -- and not serving church members -- we HAVE to explore this from the creative standpoint AND the message, but it feels like this may be an uphill battle for a while.

What a great and much needed set of points about the shortcomings of most church web strategies. more power to you.

JohnD :)

John: incisive comments as usual, and I particularly like the fact that you pointed out the 800-pound gorilla of how so much of the criticisms of online church center on community, which is hands down the weakest aspect of modern (megachurch) evangelicalism. At NewSpring, we think it's best to move boldly but humbly and cautiously in this new area of ministry because all of us believe passionately that we please the heart of God by trying to reach people with his love who aren't being reached right now. Ministry is always dangerous. As you say, we shouldn't let it stop us.

For sure. That's exactly the strategy that we at NewSpring are now wholly committed to pursuing. We want to see people enter an online church experience as a way of hearing the good news for the first time or reconnecting after a long absence and then disciple them into a local, physical community of faith.

Preach it brother! Online church is an extension of how we incarnate the gospel in the world. We cross paths where people are. Simple as that. It's no less living for jesus than knocking on doors in your neighborhood ... or giving your neighbors a cup of sugar. People live in the real world as well as online. If there wasn't some overlap between the two, I'd be more worried!

Right on the money again!

This is the money quote: "I think the best approach is to observe the fruit of church online and baptism online." I'm comfortable letting results judge ultimately. The only issue of course is whether the church has EVER had a good way of evaluating the "success" of discipling its congregations?

Great post, paul. Totally agreed. We definitely agree that narcissm is a danger. What frightens me is that if you take a representative slice of the Christian twittering world, it's just as self-promoting and just as message-blasting as the world. We need to figure out how to come up with a praxis that dials that down ... but I've struggled to figure it out, and I haven't seen any good examples. Have you?