There are a wide range of resources to use to connect with your congregation and the wider community digitally when you're not able to meet in person. Here are a few which you might want to explore:
Digital worship
- The Church of England has produced this beginners' guide to live streaming your services.
- Try a Facebook Live broadcast by following this tutorial.
- Set up a YouTube Channel and broadcast live through that. Read this introduction to live broadcast)
- Explore Google Hangouts
- How to live stream your worship - a practical guide from the Gospel Coalition.
Zoom is generally limited to 100 people. This can be extended to up to 500 with the purchase of a special licence - if you buy this, make sure you have added the licence to your account ahead of your meeting.
Pastoral visits
Why not set up a 'telephone tree' with members of the church leadership team each having a group of congregation members to call regularly to keep in touch and share news.
Using FaceTime, Skype, Facebook and WhatsApp video calls you can connect, pastorally, with those who need face-to-face connection during any time when church is unable to meet.
Instructions for making video calls through:
Download these top tips for having good conversations around Coronavirus .
If telephone conference calling is easier than video, why not try Pow Wow Now.
iKnow Church is being made available at no cost to churches until 30 September 2020. Churches can use iKnow to communicate with people, accept online donations, small group messaging, have forms filled in for people who need assistance and more. Why not see if it would be useful to you.
Small groups and church meetings
Google Hangouts, Zoom and group chats on Facebook can mean that small groups can still meet, talk together and see each other using their smartphone or computer. Discussions, prayer, encouragement and fun can still happen when congregations are unable to meet and are all the more important.
- Zoom meetings and chat (You can find good tutorials here)
- Group conversations on Google Hangouts
- Facebook group chats
- Using Skype for group meetings or video calling people without a Skype account
Youth Officer, Simon Hill has put together a guide to video conferencing with young people .
Read the experience of John Preston, Diocesan Secretary, of holding a house group meeting using Zoom!
Other resources
- Weekly sermon podcasts from clergy and lay ministers throughout the Diocese
- The Vicar of Broadway is producing a prayer booklet which includes simple worship, prayers and details the lectionary bible readings.
- Prayer and Liturgy resources from the Church of England.
- Church of England's services for daily prayer.
- 100 ideas for Ministry Leaders - a wide range of ideas in this blog.
- The Archbishop of Canterbury's video bible studies.
- The Ignatian Pray-as-you-go App, for a daily 10 min prayer/guided meditation.
- YouVersion – a bible app with an abundance of reading plans and verses for the day. You can invite people to join you using a reading plan.
- Medium blog features ideas and tools for digital discipleship.
Ideas and resources for different groups
- View resources for connecting with children and families when church is unable to meet.
- View ideas and resources for those working with young people.