As a bit of an old hand with computers / internet etc and also with churches I was interested in radio 4’s “god.com” - “Dr Robert Beckford examines the popularity of religion on the internet.” I did have it on this morning but I was working so didn’t really take much in. You can listen for yourself at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00hc2cx

I was (still am?) a member of VURCH (http://www.vurch.com/).

The main problem I have with online communities (religious or otherwise) is how easy it is to drop out. Maybe it’s just me & my experience but the online communities I have been involved with do seem to have let people disappear without as much checking from the community that they are OK (as would happen in a real church) and without much thought (guilt?) from the individual.

Sometimes “easy” is not the best option - a bit of commitment from both sides is a good thing in a relationship.