There are a wide range of online tools to support you being an online church.
The following sections highlight some of the resources your church communities and workers may find helpful.
Church of England Learning Labs
The Church of England Digital Labs is a hub of resources, news and events to support digital evangelism and digital discipleship in the Church of England. It includes:
- Labs Learning blog: Weekly blogs on helpful topics for churches around maintaining a good digital and online presence
- Labs Learning roadshow: Large events held across the country, where we bring our training to you
- Labs Latest newsletter: Monthly email newsletters filled with digital hints, tips and good practice
- Digital Labs Live: An annual event for Christian creatives
A Church Near You is the Church of England's tool for people to find the nearest church to them with the features that they require. All parishes, regardless of whether they have their own website, are encouraged to use ACNY to help them reach the widest possible audience.
Being church through and beyond Covid-19
A range of collated resources, links and guidance to support your church during tims of social distancing and beyond.
Safer Working Online
(materials appropriate for those working with children and families)
Working online is a valuable way of supporting and engaging with young people. However, it is paramount that this is done in a safe and appropriate way. You can access documentation to support your engagement online by clicking the links below.
- Video Conferencing with Children and their families - 7 April 2020
- Code of Conduct for using Zoom - 7 April 2020
- Social Media Guidelines
- Risk Assessment Example
- REGISTER TEMPLATE
- Template Online Communication Consent Form
- The Church of England policy and procedure templates
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 – 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 – A really helpful ever growing collection of advice, well worth a browse to learn what you can do.
Step Three
- The Church of England 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 learning how to use the technology, churches need to take into consideration copyright and safeguarding implications.
Labs Learning blog
The Labs Learning blogs are a series of resources from the Church of England Digital Team to help you make the best use of the digital resources available.
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.
Learn more about copyright and what you may need in place in your specific context.
The Christian Copyright Licensing International website has a wealth of resources for how to help keep you within the law.