Win copies of David Winter's new book Read the first chapter of 'Making Sense of the Bible' on the back page
the
Walkinq Aled Jones on his faith, fame and Songs of Praise page 5
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WE BRING GOOD NEWS
www.oxford.anglican.org
SEPTEMBER 2004
No 155
'Pilgrimage of discovery' as church launches on Internet I-CHURCH, the groundbreaking
new church on the Internet, has gone online. It is the first web community to be a fully recognised Anglican church and it marks an attempt by the Church to get to grips with the 'new community of the internet,' said its founder, the Revd Richard Thomas. Though formally part of the Diocese of Oxford and overseen by the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Richard Harries, it already has more than 700 members from all over the world, including a South American bishop. I-church was formally launched at a service in Oxford. A webcast of the service is available at www.i-church.org. Members from as far afield as the USA and Australia attended, to witness the dedication of the church and its first web pastor, Alyson Leslie. I-church was the brainchild of Richard Thomas, the Diocesan communications director. He told people that internet communities were 'every bit as significant as the local community of faith'. He urged the Church as a whole to grasp the potential of the internet. 'The internet, with its massive connectivity, has created a whole new meaning for the word 'community', and therefore given us a whole new context for
ministry. Those of us who are privileged to have a fast internet connection and good computer equipment discover very quickly that we are developing new kinds of relationships with people we have never met. These relationships can become very close very quickly, and one of the pressing tasks for the Christian Church is to reflect on the nature and possibilities of internetmediated relationships. 'We would be failing if we ignored the new community of the internet. In the many interviews we have given, we have often been asked what i-church will look like, or what kind of services it will offer. That is something we have yet to find out. We have no pre-conceived ideas about what i-church will become. We are engaged on a pilgrimage of discovery.' The Mission for Seafarers has already signed up to i-church. Their members are often hundreds of miles from other Christian communities and ichurch will help them connect with an Anglican community, wherever they are in the world. Members will be encouraged to participate as fully as any congregation - including contributing to a collection. Ichurch is exploring ways of letting members donate their weekly offering via a text message from their mobile phone.
Pop superstar Chris de Burgh performs in the BBC's Songs of Praise, recorded at Blenheim Palace. The show will be broadcast on 12 September. For a full behind the scenes report and more pictures, see page 10 & 11. Photo Frank Blackwell
IN SUPPORT OF CRAFTNIAKERS COOPERATIVES SINCE
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Doorpost One page says it all page 18 :• One place has all this..
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Taize diary
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New ordinands
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Church at war review page 19