I had promised some reaction to Robert’s trackback a couple weeks ago….the trackback link kept erroring, but i finally got back to it.
I copy it here to coomment….Robert had some interesting comments…..

so, Robert says:
TheoBlogical has some interesting things to say about the role of the web in the continued work of the Christian Church. Some interesting comments were also made by Dale with regards to what evangelism looks like.

At first, I thought that the online, somewhat (or even completely, in some cases) impersonal, mostly one-way interaction that a blog presents would not be a good avenue for evangelism to happen.

But, as i see, R has mentioned, in the section below, that there is “another window” into the faith life….and this is where i believe that blogs are the best online example yet of ways that online communication can “extend” the ftf.

(I should note at this point that I like Dale’s comment on what evangelism is. I won’t say that I agree 100%, but I think we’re very close in our thinking.) But I started to think more about it. I would not say that blogs, or most things online, will take the place of good old-fashioned, face-to-face personal care and service for others anytime soon, if ever.

And i will re-affirm that i am not advocating “replacement”, but rather, extension; adding to.

This occurs as we make available our stories, and our “concerns”. Since we are often “Thinking our reactions” and our opinions, but often have no time or opportunity to “offer” these, blogs give us a way and a vehicle to “vent” without being socially tiresome (who wants to be around someone who always has to goon and on about anything and everything?)

With blogs, one CAN go on and on, and people who are interested can read, and even comment…..or go on and on within their own blog and LINK back using things like tracback, and eac of us can “interject” without the usual social taboos of daytoday ftf interaction, like interrupting……with blogs, the give and take is always PER POST….no interruptions, and an entire thought or series of them can be “submitted” before replies are given…

But they do provide yet another window into a life of faith with all of its varied complexities and questions. And there is most certainly nothing to be lost by that and much that can be gained. If even one person is cared for and knows the presence of Jesus because of any number of the oceans of blogs currently out there, then it will all have been worth it.

My searching around TheoBlogical also lead me to Emergent, which has good things to say, I think. Founded by Brian McLaren, who co-authored Adventures In Missing The Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel with Tony Campolo, who has some great quotes that I’ve heard, but I have not had the opportunity to read yet, this caught my eye. The About section is just full of good things.