Diocese of Chichester

The new churchofengland.org is the culmination of a two-year digital transformation project involving research with more than 5,000 people and close consultation and testing with over 100 clergy and local church leaders.

A major overhaul of the site’s design, functionality and accessibility has two simple aims:

• To help people explore the Christian faith and find out more about the work of the Church of England.
• And to support local churches with redesigned access to resources, from liturgy to legal guidance in clear, accessible formats.

Plain-English explainers guide people through everything from what Christians believe and how Anglicans worship God to the major seasons and events of the church’s year.

There are resources for people exploring faith, practical explanations in text and video on everything from prayer to questions like what the call to ‘love your neighbour’ can mean in everyday life.

And there is help and advice for those seeking out a church at the major moments in life such as weddings, funerals and baptisms.

The other key aim of the overhaul of the Church of England’s digital presence has been to help take the pressure off local churches by bringing together key resources, previously spread across different websites, into one place, fully accessible.

This ranges from easily downloadable liturgy and music for those planning services to guidance needed by local PCCs and clergy, dioceses and cathedrals, clearly showing whether it is mandatory, best practice or general advice.

Alongside significant accessibility improvements and a more intuitive design, these changes will help church leaders spend less time searching for information and more time focusing on ministry and mission.

The Church of England’s Head of Digital, Amaris Cole, said: “Over the past few years, thousands of people have helped shape this new website, from members of the public and churchgoers to clergy, volunteers and colleagues from across the Church of England.

“We've listened carefully to what people told us they needed and worked together to create a website that is simpler, more accessible and far more useful for everyone who visits it."

Take a look at the new website here - any broken links can be reported to digital@churchofengland.org from Thursday.