Archbishop of York leads fifth anniversary of National Online Service

Since its inception during the first COVID lockdown, the service has become a key lifeline for many worshippers, especially those unable to attend church buildings due to illness, remote living, or other circumstances, offering a vital sense of community and connection.

During the past five years the online service has reached millions, providing a spiritual gathering for individuals who are housebound, in care homes, working irregular shifts, in prisons or living in areas with limited access to local churches. Last year alone, the service saw over 21 million views.

The anniversary service, broadcast at 9am on Sunday, 25 March, combines highlights from the past five years with new content, celebrating the vibrant online community that has developed. Archbishop Stephen, in his welcome, acknowledges the service’s far-reaching influence and its ability to connect people across the country. “Whether you have been joining us weekly or occasionally, you are very welcome,” he says.

“These services have connected us as a Christian community and as an online community.

“My prayer this morning is that in our worship, we will be more deeply connected to Jesus, who comes to show us the love and mercy of God.”

As part of the ‘best bits’ from the past five years, the service features highlights including Rev Richard Allen leading the confession from a lifeboat in Cornwall’s Trelawny Benefice, and hymns from St Martin’s Voices in locations like Holy Island and a stable, where Clover the donkey famously interrupted filming with her own chorus of braying. The sermon is given by Fr Angus Ritchie.

The service also features a reflection from Rev. Canon Gill Behenna, National Deaf Ministry Advisor for the Church of England and one of the regular sign language interpreters. She discusses the importance of deaf people accessing the Bible in their language and how the team ensures the service is fully accessible, including through services entirely in British Sign Language – which features during the compilation.

Regular viewers share how the service has become an important part of their spiritual life, offering worship and connection from a distance. Carol Holdsworth, a Licensed Lay Minister, describes how the online service has allowed her to stay connected despite ill health preventing her from attending in-person worship. She finds it “a joy” to see the diverse parish traditions of the Church of England, but also “bittersweet” as a reminder of what she can’t engage with in person.

The music for the anniversary service is provided by St Martin’s Voices, and the service closes with a song from Gas Street, Birmingham.

With its mix of traditional and contemporary worship, the service continues to reflect the breadth of worship within the Church of England, which is also encapsulated in numerous local weekly online services.

While churches have long since returned to offering in-person worship, a significant number still provide online services as part of their ministry.

In 2023, 31 per cent of churches were offering some form of online worship, down from 71 per cent during the peak of the pandemic. This percentage has stabilised, with around 30 per cent of churches continuing to offer a regular Church at Home service.

Larger churches and cathedrals, many with advanced streaming capabilities, continue to broadcast their services with excellent production quality, extending their reach to wider audiences. On our church-finder site, AChurchNearYou.com, there have been 33,540 online services added by local churches. These local online services go hand in hand with the National Online Service, which remains a central resource for those unable to access their local church.

The service is available every Sunday at 9am, and viewers are encouraged to sign up for weekly notifications and stay connected with the broader Church community.

Sign up for the Church of England's weekly service