The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and measures being taken in response have meant that churches have had to adjust how they deliver worship services. We have gathered resources to support your parish’s technical, liturgical and health and safety needs during this time. If you have a resource to add that other parishes could benefit from, please email info@toronto.anglican.ca.
Prayer & community resources
- Liturgical Texts Online
- Worship & prayer resources from the Anglican Church of Canada
- Digital resources from the Anglican Church of Canada
- Coronavirus liturgy & prayer resources from the Church of England
- 10 guidelines for pastoral care during the coronavirus outbreak
- Socially, – yet never spiritually – distanced
Technology resources
- Vestry and Special Vestry Meeting Guidelines
- Check out the Communications department’s resources about social media
- Online meeting tools: the basics of Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts & WebEx
- Resources for virtual church: including but beyond worship services
- A beginner’s guide to going live with your service for free
- Streaming to Facebook Live
- Ultimate guide to free video conferencing & collaboration
- Using Zoom for meetings
- What is Zoom and how does it work?
- How to prevent ‘Zoombombing’
- Tech tips for working remotely
- Using Zoom for Sunday School
- Video tips from Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary
- Faith on Facebook resource hub
- Sample survey: Take your members’ pulse about online worship and reopening
- Webinar recording: Churches’ ministry online, from the World Council of Churches
- How to Build Livestreaming Capacity in Your Church, from the Rev. Tay Moss
Tech mentorship available to parishes
The Congregational Development department is launching a small team of remote tech mentors who are available to help parishes set up online worship and small group meetings using digital media tools. Mentoring will take place through phone calls, video calls or email exchanges. If you would like to be paired with a mentor, or if you’d like to offer your skills as a mentor, contact Elizabeth McCaffrey, Volunteer Resources Consultant, at emccaffrey@toronto.anglican.ca.
Resources for kids & families
- The Bishop’s Youth Ministry Committee has videos with suggestions for youth leaders and parents about how to talk with teens and model a sense of calm and faithful trust in God
- The Green Door, a web series from St. Michael and All Angels, will introduce you to Barley the dog and Nosebag the dragon, who are on a journey of making sense of the world and the coronavirus situation day by day. The Green Door helps children and adults alike adjust to the times we’re in. This series takes into full account Jesus’ command: Love your neighbour as yourself. It is carefully made for ALL people, regardless of faith or non-faith. Find all episodes on Michael and All Angels’ website.
- Online Junior Church program from St. Olave, Swansea on its website
- Zooming into Church School activities, compiled by Church of the Redeemer, Bloor St. (topic is prayer)
- Psalm 23 for children and youth, from St. Mary Magdalene, Toronto
- Anglican Family Hub from the Diocese of Niagara
- Resources and ideas from Messy Church UK
- Ideas & resources for families at home compiled by Messy Church Canada
- Kids’ video messages from St. John, York Mills
Outreach and other resources
- Federal government support for individuals & businesses
- Ontario government support for individuals & businesses
- Webinar: Online giving during uncertain times
- Electronic giving during COVID-19
- Recommendations for PPE for Diocese of Toronto Outreach Programs During a Pandemic
- COVID-19 Screening Tool for Frontline Staff and Visitors in Homelessness Service Settings
- COVID-19 Screening Tool for Homelessness Service Settings
- Safe Use of PPE During the COVID-19 Pandemic (video tutorial)
- Outreach programs continue serving during COVID-19 pandemic
Worship live streams & videos
As the situation with COVID-19 shifts, churches across the Diocese are holding a mix of in-person and online worship services. To get the latest details, find a church near you and visit its website or social media channels.
You can keep watching online worship from St. James Cathedral on Sundays at 11 a.m. from the diocesan YouTube channel (10 a.m. during July and August).
Letters from Bishop Andrew
Bishop Andrew Asbil has been writing letters to the Diocese throughout the pandemic. You can read them all in our News section.