COMMENT / The Rt Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Stockport on Towards a Safer Church: resources for prayer and reflection in worship

A curate has started a local text-a-prayer service for those wanting someone to pray with amid Covid-19 restrictions. 

The churches of St Peter’s and St Philip’s in Highfields and Evington in Leicester began livestreaming services on Facebook and YouTube from the start of the first lockdown last year.

A music producer-turned-priest is using dance music to connect with people, spread the Christian message and attract the younger generations into church. 

A programme of public events that began with mini golf has led to an increase in the numbers attending Sunday worship at Rochester Cathedral.

Vision to be a community hub and sacred space sees Church grow.

The Church of England's Chief Education Officer, Revd Canon Nigel Genders, discusses the new guidance for collective worship in Church of England schools.

Since the government announced that public worship in churches could restart after more than three months of lockdown, churches have been taking innovative steps to help keep their congregations as safe as possible:

St Leonard’s Church, Scawsby, in Doncaster launched ‘Messy Church’ before lockdown and within six months, a new church community was established – which continues to thrive today. More than 80 percent of those attending did not previously come to church on Sunday. 

The pandemic forced the community at Trelawny Benefice to worship outside – a move that has since developed into a fully-fledged outdoor ministry, complete with pet services, farmyard nativities and folk concerts.