Social networking initiative
Zyngla and the Episcopal Church today announced the launch of Churchyville, a new social game allowing anyone, anywhere to create the diocese of their dreams from scratch. Available in beta in the coming weeks, Churchyville has features that allow players to build a cathedral, plant churches, and create governance resolutions with the help of their friends. To build a thriving diocese, players have to balance the theological and political concerns of characters in the game with the needs of the wider church, all within a beautifully rendered landscape.
“Churchyville is where Farmville meets the Book of Common Prayer," said Kelly O'Saughnessy, designer of Churchyville. "We are thrilled to bring the our most social-justice oriented game to date. Instead of farming or being involved in organized crime, you’re helping find fair-trade coffee for your neighbors."
As the “bishop,” a player must guide his or her diocese to become a bustling community of faith, finding places to plant churches and receiving in-game advice from his or her suffragan bishop. Churchyville game features include:
Church planting!
Build churches from the ground up! Once the land is secured, find materials for the building. Keep your congregants busy with mission activities and involved in their communities by creating socially responsible businesses. Build homes for your families, and earn more money for your church by creating special events and appeals that will make parishioners more inclined to fill the collection plate.
Run Your Diocese!
A happy diocese is a lucrative diocese!
Your people!
Dozens of laypeople and clergy will be available in the platform, representing a wide range of theological and political orientations.
The wider Communion!
Love thy neighbor. Visit your neighbors’ dioceses to help them secure more items, including collectibles. Be a good buddy by helping friends accelerate church growth, sharing your extra church supplies, etc. and construct churches faster. Send gifts such as stained glass windows, flowers on the altar, hymnals. The more you participate, the more experience you’ll get, which in turn allows you to expand your holdings and give more gifts.
Utterly brilliant, Andrew. Kudos to you!
I'm tempted to make you a bishop, but I like you too much to do that to you. ;-)
Posted by Lisa Fox![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
|
April 1, 2011 1:48 PM
I have looked all over for this App and cannot find it. I really really want it so I can annoy all those dang Farmvilians. Their constant barrage of buying pigs and cultivating plots of land needs to be countered with achievements like securing a thurible, deposing a false shepherd, installing a first plasma screen or celebrating your first live tweet mass.
Where oh where is the URL.
Posted by Michael Russell![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
|
April 1, 2011 7:05 PM
The one thing that I haven't read yet is that many of the people attending the service may not have known the deceased, but are there instead for members of the family. Remembrances (no more than 3, written down, 3 minute time limit each) happen after the entrance, and help the congregation get a snapshot of whose life and ministry we're celebrating. This also allows the service to proceed as intended. I ask that the remembrances be stories which describe the person's character, not chronologies.
I've only had one really awful situation, early in my ministry, when a son (a lawyer) went on forever. At that time, the remembrances were before the sermon; it went on so long that some folks left when it was over because they had to get back to work.
Other than that, things have been fine.
Posted by Nancy Stevens![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
|
April 2, 2011 12:52 PM