With the widespread acceleration of web 2.0 use, including among Christians (giving rise in many places to the name "church 2.0"), We think it is pretty clear that an Connect Our People's community-building system can be of use to churches.  In our FAQ, we are asked, "What if our church members are not yet online?"  We reply:

The good news is that many of your church members  that are not online now may be getting online  soon. Most research indicates that Internet use  in the United States will rise from its current  rates of approximately 65% to 75% by 2007. (www.eTForcasts.com,  Internet User Forecast by Country). Internet use  is projected to grow by roughly another 10% from 2007 to 2010 (from 230 M to 250 M users) in the  United States alone. Besides, some members that  have been debating whether to “get online”  may be persuaded once they see the value your  church is placing on community-building, read  our motivational materials, and see how easy Connect  Our People is to use.

That being said, it is worth pointing out, now that we are offering services based on branches of ministry , that there is a "natural constituency" of Connect Our People's Web 2.0 service.  I was reminded of this recently while reading a blog entry by  Cynthia Ware.  She writes:

A U. S. national survey of teenagers released in January conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project reports that more than half (55%) of all of online American youths ages 12-17 use online social networking sites. (view Pdf) The report concludes that kids connecting online has rocketed from a niche activity into a phenomenon engaging tens of millions of internet users. 

The net generation (millennials, generation y) views online communities as normative.  "Today's youth are different from any generation before them. They are exposed to digital technology in virtually all facets of their day-to-day existence."  (The Net Generation)

 Youth make a natural constituency for Connect Our People and a great place to start if a chuch is hesitant otherwise to commit to using Web 2.0 for ministry.  After all, one of the perennial problems in a youth group is creating fellowship in the small time slots available to a youth pastor.  If the children are from different school situations, they are likely to see their "youth group" time as something to endure rather than a place where they can develop strong Christian relationships.

In a sense, this is where the worries about the detrimental influence of the web on communities can actually be a good thing.  While it is important for Christian students to be involved in their public or private schools, it is also important for them to feel related and involved in their church community.  Daily contact with the youth pastor and with fellow youth can go a long way to nurturing this involvement and helping them feel the importance of it instead of being entirely focused on their other communities.