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This page contains:

• a short story;
• a theological rationale;
• some examples;
• some things to bear in mind;
• suggested reading.

A short story: In 2004, the 3D Church of Fools website was opened as a three month experiment in online church. Users interacted by controlling on-screen characters or 'avatars' that appeared on the screen in a traditional Gothic Church of England church background. Sunday services were held, and throughout the week people gathered via their avatars to talk and pray spontaneously.

In 2004, online church was a novelty, but as the net has become increasingly social, creating an online presence is easier and cheaper. A growing number of Christians believe they are called to create a Christian presence online to meet people where they are.

Online churches, ministries and communities have continued to spring up and are arguably important fresh expressions of church. Thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of online ministries now exist at all levels, from Facebook pages through to customised sites offering professional standard worship via live streaming, videocasts and podcasts.

A theological rationale: Are we talking about online church or online ministry? Indeed, who decides whether something is a church? How might contextual mission be helped or hindered by the label of 'church' and the demands that the label imposes? These are some of the questions thrown up by online church and are relevant to other fresh expressions of church, especially as they mature.

Online communities can provide prayer, fellowship, discipleship, study and even worship, just like offline churches. Participants are usually insistent that they are members of a church, despite the obvious differences between online and offline communities.

There is no doubt that authentic relationships can be formed online - just as they can be formed by pen friends. Even the keenest critics of online community will admit, if pushed, that they have meaningful working relationships conducted mainly by email.

In many ways, the question 'Can you have church online?' is a distraction, though it has interesting resonances for offline fresh expressions that do not demonstrate all the 'marks of a church' (One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic) that are seen to qualify a community for that description.

Perhaps more pertinent are questions like:

• Can people find faith online?
• Can you pray online?
• Can you worship with others online?
• Can people deepen their journey of faith online?
• Can people be in community with other Christians online?
• Can the Holy Spirit work via the internet?

The answer to these and other more practical questions is a clear 'yes' from those who have tried it.

WebChristian.org.uk provides a short theological rationale for a Christian presence on the internet here.

Some examples of online church and ministries include:

i-church - a continuing experiment in online missional community set up by the Diocese of Oxford. Anglican priest in charge; ecumenical membership.

Lifechurch.TV – online worship via satellite with an online 'church'. Lifechurch TV is planting offline churches among members of the online church who live in the same area. Based in the US.

Anglican Cathedral of Second Life - based around the cathedral building on Epiphany Island in the virtual world of Second Life. Membership is strongly ecumenical and international, with an Anglican liturgical identity.

St Pixels – forum-based successor to Church of Fools. Offers member blogs and online worship via a chat room. Ecumenical and independent.

Partake Ministries - produces podcasts and other materials for individual and church use. Independent and ecumenical.

Church on the Net – set up by a Church of England parish for online evangelism and discipleship. Provides material about the Christian faith and offers 1:1 response to enquirers.

Scripted Scriptures – an area of Second Life where scriptures are interpreted through art and visitors can leave prayer requests. Independent and ecumenical.

Some things to bear in mind include:

Resources - While it's fairly cheap to set up a basic website, it takes time and money to stay online and build up a community. It is notoriously difficult to make money out of websites. Be realistic about what can be achieved with the available resources.

Responsibility and accountability – The idea of legal responsibility doesn't sit well with the free-flowing culture of the internet, but people who run websites are responsible for everything that's posted there! The internet is not outside the law and you need to keep an eye on what members are posting.

The most common issues are breaches of copyright and defamation. Data protection, child protection, disability, employment and privacy legislation also need to be considered. If you ask for donations, you need to be able to account for the money you collect.

Privacy - People often assume that their communications online are completely private. If this is not the case, be up front about what can be read and by whom.

Identity and authenticity - Someone can quickly build a high profile in an online community and move to a position of responsibility, but may disappear equally rapidly. Reputations tend to be built on what people say about themselves and are often not checked out.

Some people join online communities with the deliberate intention to deceive; others get carried away by the apparent anonymity. Be aware that not everyone is who, or what, they claim to be.

There is no one style or methodology that defines 'online church'. The best way to find out more is to have a look and talk to those who are doing it.

Suggested reading:

• Douglas Estes, SimChurch: Being the Church in the Virtual World, Zondervan, 2009.
• Richard A Bartle, Designing Virtual Worlds, New Riders, 2003.
• Clay Shirky, Here Comes Everybody - a book about organizing without organizations, Allen Lane, 2008.
• Charles Leadbeater, We-Think: Mass innovation, not mass production, Profile, 2009.
• The Church in a Spiritual Age website - lists resources around engaging with contemporary culture.

This page was written by Pam Smith, currently priest in charge of i-church, an online community founded by the Diocese of Oxford. Before she was ordained she was a Reader (Licensed Lay Minister) at Coventry Cathedral and a lay prison chaplain. Images on this page are from shipoffools.com and the Anglican Cathedral of Second Life.

What are some examples of fresh expressions?

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