What about a Social Networking Site for Spiritual Formation?

UPDATED - 12/5/07:  Matt Anderson recommends metamorpha in comments.

Author and Pastor Tim Stevens of Granger Community Church blogged today about Wesabe a  social networking site where users can opt to make themselves accountable to other users by letting them view their financial decisions and make comments!

Tim then asks, "I wonder if there is a similar tool for spiritual growth we could develop that would offer the same thing?"

What a great idea! 

Are any digital.leadnet.org readers aware of any existing online applications exclusively designed for spiritual formation?

I could also easily see creating a Facebook Group where that could be the focus.  I can see this working  as a larger group where the accountability and mutual advice would have to do with the exercising of spiritual disciplines generally. 

I can also see great value in a private small group - no more than 12 folks - where individuals could commit to a higher level of spiritual intimacy dealing both with spiritual disciplines and accountability regarding areas of spiritual struggle.  Clearly individuals in this kind of group would have to commit to safety (i.e. "what's said in the room, stays in the room').  And it probably should be a same-gender group.

I might have mentioned here before that one dynamic of online relationships is the way that this medium can helpfully "trick" you into intimacy.  Because the online world allows anonymity, some folks tend to open up more in the same way they might share intimacies with someone sitting beside them on a flight.  It's a temporary relationship with no strings attached.  Moreover, online relationships are highly optional and it's easy to make someone go away.  However, if the private online interchange goes well, the online medium allows for a deepening of relationship to genuine friendship. 

This dynamic could serve such online groups or social networking sites committed to spiritual formation quite well.

Comments

[Matt Anderson]

Metamorpha.com is the closest thing to a social networking site around spiritual development.

[stephen shields]

thanks matt! I'll check it out.

[Paul Bowman]

I was gonna say metamorpha.com also because of their forums. There are quite a few blogs out there (mine included) that focus on spiritual formation, but i don't know of any social network types. Although, I wonder if mychurch.org could work.

[poetryman69]

Consecrating a Holy vessel for my eternal consciousness.
A renewed body and a refreshed mind.

Be thankful. Blessings unto you and yours.

Of Angel hugs and of love and laughter

and of happily ever after.

Of kind words and healing balms.

Of buzzing bees in the tall, green grasses.

[Scotty Benjamin]

I participated with some remote guys that all had some sort of connection and we developed twogather.org. It included a weekly conf call using freeconferencecall.com.

I bought twocubed.org (from 2Tim2:2) with the very idea that is being discussed as the outcome, relational, spiritual development and mentoring. I can't get around the virtual nature of many relationships, and wonder how technology can enhance non-virtual close (near proximity) relationships? Thoughts?

[stephen shields]

scotty,

Thanks for letting us know about these sites.

I have found that online interaction helpfully supplements my f2f proximity relationships. In terms of spiritual formation, I have used email a good bit in personal accountability relationships to supplement f2f meetings. It allows for more frequent and spontaneous communication and is a valuable addition to these accountability relationships.

[Antoine of MMM]

Soical Networks like this already exist in some manners at places like YouVersion, eBible, and 3HLive. There have also been attempts/successes to do similar small accountability groups at FB, MS, Twitter, ad Jaiku. The key is making sure that those who are a part of the group can stay accountabile, and then that the online group is fostered by offline work.