Worship & Nurturing Community Online

Items on this page relate to online ministry. For information on phasing back to in-person worship, please refer to the Phasing Forward page.

Contents

Content for Online Life Your Church Can Use
(Includes Worship materials - Opens Separate Page)
Copyright
Technical How-To Guides Including Audio and Video
Beyond Worship: Building Community Online
Tips for Creating Effective Worship
Stories from Sibling Churches

Copyright and Music Streaming - information on licensing
Information on licensing, including a free temporary offer from OneLicense
Legal Considerations for Online Worship: What Pastors and Worship Leaders Need to Know
A 30-minute video conversation between Heather Kimmel, UCC General Counsel, Rachel Hackenberg, Managing Editor of The Pilgrim Press, and Sue Blain, Minster for Worship and Gospel Arts for the UCC. Panelists address questions about copyright, legal implications, licensing, streaming, and more.

Streaming Options; Zoom, Facebook Live, others
Information on platforms you can use, with tips on using them

Using Zoom

Beware of Zoombombing - March 23
Quick Guide For Using Zoom
A quick guide for using this video conferencing platform, including a printable PDF version you can share with folks in your congregation. Also Super Easy Guide to Zoom
Hosting Zoom Gatherings with Lots of People
Tips from quick learning, lots of listening, and trial and error. Written for the United Church of Christ (and friends!) by Chris Davies, Faith Education, Innovation & Formation Team Leader

Creating Quality Video - guides by Drew Page

Creating Video For Worship
Guidelines for shooting video
Improving Sound In Videos
Guidelines for improving the sound in your videos
Tutorial on Closed Captioning for YouTube Videos
A video showing how to edit the auto-generated closed captioned subtitles on a YouTube video.

Also: Making Better Videos for Online Church Services - a helpful video by Rev. Paul Bryant-Smith

Virtual Coffee Hours
Many churches are following online worship services with virtual coffee hours, where members can interact with one another via a video conferencing application like Zoom. Depending on your numbers, you may wish to invite people to sign up for particular times, or use something like Zoom's Breakout Rooms Feature to divide into smaller groups. You may also wish to have a phone-only option, so that those who do not have access to videoconferencing can simply call a number and talk to one another (this can also be done via Zoom, or other teleconferencing services.
Yes: An Online Retreat Can Be Holy Ground
April 3 by Karen Ziel
Online Worship (may not be) the Answer You are Looking For
Thoughts on how to build community online - the Contemplative Cottage
Why live streaming is not the full answer for churches during COVID-19 - Benjamin Windle

Marcia McFee - resources on online worship
Tips for Bringing Worship Alive and Keeping It Real in Live Stream - with Marcia McFee, Practical Resources for Churches
Getting Started with Church On-line - Webinar by Practical Resources for Churches
Notes on Sunday’s Live Streamed Church Services - 13 Tips Learned from the first week of church services being streamed, by Phil Cooke
COVID-19 Lockdown: Creating Live-streamed Worship in 3 Days - Hacking Christianity
9 Key Tips for Planning an Online Worship Service -
Zoom Worship Preparation - for those new to Zoom, hosted by Bruce Reyes-Chow, First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto
Practical Resources for Churches Online Church Page

Stories From Sibling Churches

Hope or Havoc: Churches Share Experiences with Covid-19 Changes
March 30
SPOTLIGHT: Honk for a Hallelujah!
Inspired by drive-in movie experiences, a couple of Massachusetts pastors turned a church parking lot into a drive-in worship experience.
March 27