Best Practices for Online Worship
Whether it is done in person or online, worship is central to who we are as congregations and a denomination. This resource contains best practices for congregations experienced with worshipping virtually as well as for those just getting started.
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Fostering Engagement and Connection in Online Church Gatherings
A resource about digital engagement in the context of Christian ministry to help congregations not only meet online but also to connect, build relationships, grow as disciples, discern together and creatively engage with the many different aspects of faith.
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Introduction to Live Streaming for Churches
There are two good reasons to consider live streaming your church services. The first is to accommodate congregants who are unable to attend worship. The second reason is to reach new worshippers. In this connected age, a live stream is a great way of showing people what to expect in worship before coming to your church for the first time.
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Leading with Care Online: Working with Children, Youth and Vulnerable Adults
A resource about how to apply The Presbyterian Church in Canada’s Leading with Care policy to an online setting to ensure the safety and well-being of children, youth and vulnerable adults when using online media and forums for congregational meetings and activities.
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Providing Communion Using Technology
This resource provides clarification and guidance on the process and practice of communion via virtual media and technology.
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Calling a Minister When In-Person Meetings and Public Worship is Not Possible
This resource outlines the principles and procedures for discerning a Call in times when the usual in-person meetings and worship services involved in the search for, calling and inducting a minister are not possible.
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Congregational Meetings During a Pandemic
This resource contains ideas to consider for your congregation’s Annual General Meeting or other congregational meetings if your congregation cannot hold in-person meetings.
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Death, Grief and Funerals in a Time of Social Distancing
This resource addresses the pastoral issue of how to minister to grieving families in times when in-person gatherings and gestures of comfort are not possible.
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Suggestions to Enhance Zoom Meeting Experience
Zoom is one of the most commonly used platforms for video conferencing and webinars. Familiarity with the features of this platform is essential for hosting and participating in effective meetings online. This resource provides guidance to help facilitate smooth and secure online meetings via Zoom.
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Ways Churches Can Offer Connection and Care During Social Distancing
This resource contains creative and helpful ideas for offering connection and support through online communication, traditional communication, innovative communication and general community care.
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A Guidebook for Congregations Looking to Connect with Neighbours
The United & Presbyterian Campus Ministry team that serves three post-secondary institutions in Calgary shares best practices that can be applied by congregations wanting to connect more fully with people and communities outside of the church.
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Joining the Joyful Feast: From Food Ministry to Worship
People are hungry for deep conversations and meaningful relationships. Whether a congregation is feeling called to start a dinner church or to strengthen an existing ministry, it is important to prioritize relationship-building and truly celebrate the loving bonds that Christ makes possible for us to have with each other. In this resource, you will find tools that can be used to foster strong and genuine relationships in your ministry.
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Opening Your Doors to People with Diverse Abilities
In this resource, Dr. Michael Walker from Our Doors Are Open explores ways congregations can welcome people with disabilities into their places of worship.
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Ways for Churches to Create Partnerships in Their Local Communities
God is already powerfully at work in the community, and your church was put there for a reason. This resource contains tips for how your church can build relationships and create partnerships with other organizations and people doing God’s work in your community.
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Ways to Be a Caring Church Community
Pastoral care is one of the most powerful ways we can demonstrate the love of God to one another. It must not be left to the minister and elders alone; God calls all of us to love each other. How well we care for each other will influence how well we care for our neighbours. This resource will help you build or strengthen the culture of caring in your church.
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Ways to Be a Church that Visitors Will Want to Call Home
Being a church that visitors will want to return to is about being like Jesus. The tips in this resource, modelled on Jesus’ way of welcoming others, will help your church be the kind of place that people will want to call home.
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Ways to Be a Great Church Greeter
Greeters are a vital part of a church’s ministry by ensuring that all who enter receive a warm greeting, the information they need to feel comfortable, and a friendly connection they can rely on before and after the service. As you strive to be the greeter that others remember as having warmly welcomed them into the church, this resource contains some important things to keep in mind.
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Can I Get a Witness?
The Rev. Dr. Ross Lockhart shares a reflection about inviting others to come and see the joy that is found in a life of faith.
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Peacemaking in Times of Chaos
The realities of our collective issues, such as social conflict, political violence and environmental destruction, combined with personal struggles leads many people to believe that chaos rules life. This resource offers ideas and tools for exploring how to be peacemakers in times of chaos.
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Sharing Your Faith: A Congregational Workshop Guide
In October 2017, five congregational leaders from across the country gathered to learn more about evangelism and begin crafting the first stages of projects to take back to their congregations. This meeting was the first step towards developing a network that will support a culture of evangelism in the PCC. This resource brings together key learnings from this training and provides practical exercises in the form of a workshop that can be used as a springboard for your own congregation’s evangelism initiatives.
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