Church in Web 3D (Second Life)?
Summary of the Workshop.
Sami Kallioinen
Lasse Kastarinen
Johan Mansfeldt
Olivier Schopfer
Tuomas Työrinoja
Simone Heidbrink
ECIC XIII 13/06/ ▪ 17/06/2008 ▪ Lyon (France)

To Go or Not To Go Web 3D?
Questions to be asked (and answered):
Persistence of the platform?
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How to ensure credibility of religious supplies / suppliers?
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Accessibility?
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How to deal with other Christian sites?
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(„Christian plaza“? Oecumenical agreement?)
Human and financial ressources?
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Who is target group?
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How to deal with raditional / institutional
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church hierarchy?
ECIC XIII 13/06/ ▪ 17/06/2008 ▪ Lyon (France)

Basic Requirements.
Before building up any project, it is an imperative
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to gaining Internet / Web 3D / Second Life
„literacy“ in order to find out:
What spiritual demand is out there? (Is there any?)
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What target group does church want to address?
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What services can (and cannot) church provide?
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How can / should the spiritual support of the churches
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look like?
ECIC XIII 13/06/ ▪ 17/06/2008 ▪ Lyon (France)

Style and shape of Web 3D churches.
How can / should Web 3D churches be like?
Churches that look like churches (because it´s
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what people are familiar with) offering:
church services,
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councelling,
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bible study groups.
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AND
new, individual ways of
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expressing faith.
ECIC XIII 13/06/ ▪ 17/06/2008 ▪ Lyon (France)

Key Issues.
One or more of the following topics:
Mission.
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Communication / counselling.
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General expression of „Christian values“.
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...(?)
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ECIC XIII 13/06/ ▪ 17/06/2008 ▪ Lyon (France)

Important Concepts.
Interactivity (e.g. by integrating game elements).
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Involvement / participation of the participants /
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target groups.
Web 3D should offer a surplus that cannot be
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carried out in real-life (e.g. a confirmation camp
meeting of confirmands of different cities /
regions / countries).
ECIC XIII 13/06/ ▪ 17/06/2008 ▪ Lyon (France)

Church in Web 3D.
Extension or Replacement of
Physical / „Real-Life“ Engagement?
Web 3D attendance of church services *could* be
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a replacement for physical attendance (as are
radio and TV services). (But should it really?)
Problems / Differences to other media (if any)?
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Future action?
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Web 3D action as promising *additional feature*
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for certain target groups.
For whom?
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How to go about it?
–
ECIC XIII 13/06/ ▪ 17/06/2008 ▪ Lyon (France)

... to be further discussed ...
ECIC XIII 13/06/ ▪ 17/06/2008 ▪ Lyon (France)

Contact
For further questions or information you are most
welcome to contact me by email, in Second Life or visit
one of the following websites:
• www.rituals-online.de
• www.sl-research.de
• www.om-sein.de
First Life: Simone Heidbrink
(simone.heidbrink@zegk.uni-heidelberg.de)
Second Life: Hana Undertone
ECIC XIII 13/06/ ▪ 17/06/2008 ▪ Lyon (France)