Where to start
There is an abundance of online tools and resources, both free and at a cost, to help churches reach their communities digitally. To help support you quickly understand what might be available for you, we recommend starting with the following steps.
Step One
- A beginner’s guide to going live with your service or event for free (click here) – this is a great item from the Church of England touching on the software available, GDPR, Copyright and Safeguarding and should form the start of your learning and research.
Step Two
- Learning Labs Blogs (click here) – A really helpful ever growing collection of advice, well worth a browse to learn what you can do.
Step Three
- The Church of England “Covid-19” page (click here), as well as this section of the website, hold a very broad range of information. Do please have a look and try to digest what you can.
Step Four
- Aside from the technology churches are learning to use, copyright considerations (click here) are important and considerations of safeguarding (click here) remain vital.
Labs Learning blog
The Labs Learning blog are a series of resources from the Church of England Digital Team to help you make the best use of the digital resources available. You can access the blog from the Church of England website here.
A Church Near You (ACNY)
ACNY users and parish editors are able to access a range of digital resources on the ACNY website to help them share prayer digitally. You can find out more about this great resource by clicking here.
Everybody Welcome Online
Through Durham University's Centre for Digital Theology, some excellent work has been done to help support and inspire churches to go online. Church leaders are encourage to visit and read the "Everybody Welcome Online" publication that has been produced and which has been broken down into 5 easy to access sections.
Copyright
Ensuring you're sharing and using material within the law is important.
The Learning Labs Blog entitled "A beginner’s guide to going live with your service or event for free" (click here to read more) has some really clear guidance not only on how to live-stream, but also what considerations you should make with regard sharing hymns and music ensuring you're doing so within the law.
To learn more about copyright and what you may need in place in your specific context, please visit this page on the website
the Christian Copyright Licensing International website which has a wealth of resources for how to help keep you within the law.
Digital Resources - what's available
There are a range of new and existing Christian resources available for people to engage with at this difficult and challenging time. These include prayer apps, accesing prayer through smart speakers. You are encouraged to use and share these resources widely so friends and family in your cummunity are aware and can benefit.
Daily Hope phone line
Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of a telephone line. The line – which is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 – has been set up particularly with those unable to join online church services during the period of restrictions in mind.