Church and the Interwebs, Part II

Continuing my thoughts on Here Comes Everybody.

So what are the things that are the essence of the church? On the United Church of Canada's website they describe Five Marks of the Church:

Kerygma (proclaiming)
Didache (teaching)
Koinonia (fellowship)
Diakonia (service)
Liturgia (worship)

It is possible to do all of these things online.

Of course, not all of these things will be as good online as in person, or, the online piece will be better as a reinforcement than as the actual thing. But teaching online, in general, is already a big thing - witness the University of Phoenix. Fellowship online is basically what Facebook is. And podcasts of sermons and livecasts of worship services exist now. Are they a perfect substitute? No. But is the extra effort worthwhile? As you can see, I have more questions than answers at the moment.