Asking the Wrong Questions About Online Community

“Is online community real?”

This has been the buzz question on the minds of many church leaders as of late. With the emergence of online church campuses, ministry leaders seem concerned that people meeting and socializing–indeed sharing their lives–online somehow does not count as community. It’s not that the question is wrong, per se, it’s that the question is irrelevant. It’s a question that’s already been answered.

It’s interesting to note that no one outside of the church is pondering this question. Nike isn’t asking the question, “do thousands of runners who converge on NikeRunning.com every day count as community?” To Nike, the question isn’t, “does this count,” but “community is here, now what are we going to do with it?”

Online community is real. The word “community” is an amalgamation of two words: “Common” and “unity.” Simply put, community happens wherever, whenever, there is a “common unity.”

Professional bull riders are a community because they share the common unity of riding giant, angry mammals for fun.
High school seniors share a community because they’re all in the same stage of life. Their common unity is pimples, where (and if) to go to college, and who to take to prom.
Christians and the spiritually hungry share a community because they desire to experience more of God in their lives. The common unity is a desire for truth.

I would argue that online community for the church is much the same way. When people move from “offline” to “online,” community doesn’t cease to exist. It’s still there. It is an inevitable conclusion, given the technology and the human desire for connection, that people will seek to have their spiritual needs met, in some part, online.

At this point, one must ask the question, “What is the opposite of real?” The opposite of real is, of course, fake. If online community is not real, then it is fake–or at least a mixed version of the two. I don’t know of very many communities, online or offline, that could raise $30,000 is less than a day, do you?

The question isn’t, “is online community real?” That’s been decided already. The question now becomes, “community (common unity) is being found online. What are we going to do about it?”

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Contributor: Justin Wise

A religious deviant who enjoys coffee, collared shirts, spending time with his wife and son, learning about quantum physics and creatively exploring the riches of the Spirit of Christ. Culture + Faith + Technology. Contact the author

@kylelreed

Thank you for talking about this.
I have had this conversation several times and always just thought everyone knew what community is and looks like. But you did a great job of putting flesh on it as well as really taking away any question about online community being real.

You are right, most people outside of the church never question community. Maybe we get a little caught up in it because it seems to be real and we want to question it more then believe in it.

Ray J Gentry

We'll probably manage to continue to ignore its validity and hop on the boat far later than we should :) great post!

Danny Bixby

Good post.

If we don't facilitate the community that already exists, that's not going to stop it. It's going to move it somewhere else.

Jake Bouma

Have you read this: http://www.outofur.com/archives/2009/10/why_vir...

I'd be interested in your thoughts/response...

Justin Wise

Yeah. Saw that. I think he brings up some good points. I don't
disagree entirely. I believe online community should strive to have
it's "end game" be face-to-face connection when possible.

Kevin Ring

I agree "real" is a bad descriptor (it tweets so well!) but the questions still need to be asked.

I think the main reasons this issue needs to be studied are:
- community is important to God; and,
- sin corrupts our ability to be in community/relationship with each other.

In my opinion the way we should be approaching online community is not "is it real?" or "does it count?", but to seek to understand how it impacts true, Biblical community. First, what does God want us to be with respect to community and how can the Internet help us be it? Second, how does sin threaten our efforts at community and does the Internet amplify or diminish those threats.

Community is an essential part of God's Kingdom. So perhaps a better way to ask the question would be "What can't online community do?"