Digital tools – from live streaming worship services to engaging with people on social media – have become a vital part of most congregations’ ministry, alongside in-person connection. Online ministry can blend digital and in-person tools, inviting people to belong to your community, follow Jesus and participate in flexible and accessible ways.
The Cast the Net calls to action invite us all to reimagine ministry. Online ministry can offer ways to “embrace collaboration among congregations and innovation in new forms of ministry” (Call #9).
You can explore the resources below to support your journey in online mission and ministry.
Online Mission & Ministry Working Group
The work of the Online Mission and Ministry Group (OMMWG) is to seek practical ways for each parish in our Diocese to discern and pursue a faithful balance between face-to-face community and online connection. We recognize that each parish is unique and that every local community is deeply invested in serving faithfully in its own context. Our understanding is grounded in a philosophy that is described in Ryan Panzer’s book, The Holy and the Hybrid, which describes hybrid ministry as “a blend of digital and analog which invites individuals to follow Jesus and equips communities for faithful discipleship.”[1]
The Church’s mission is to meet people where they are. Today, many people first encounter community, worship, learning and care through digital spaces. Others participate in parish life across a mix of in-person and online settings because of distance, health, caregiving responsibilities, mobility, work patterns or changing expectations of connection. Online and hybrid ministry aren’t temporary substitutes for “real” ministry; they’re genuine expressions of the Church’s calling to welcome, accompany, teach and serve.
This work matters because it helps parishes broaden their reach, deepen participation and strengthen inclusion. Hybrid ministry can connect those who can’t be physically present, create new pathways for discipleship and formation, and support communication, collaboration and pastoral response across our Diocese. When approached thoughtfully and faithfully, these practices help congregations remain connected, resilient and mission focused.
In this digital age, we’re called to reimagine what it means for our Diocese to be shaped by the possibilities of technology while remaining aligned with the Church’s shared mission and values. This is not a departure from who we are, but a faithful expression of our commitment to proclaim and live the Gospel in a changing world.
Our Diocese looks to clergy and lay leaders to lessen the divide between online and offline life so that the Church can serve people across the full breadth of life. We believe that technology can deepen our presence in our communities through simple, creative and innovative practices. As Christians and as a Church, we must understand how communication is changing, our communities are evolving and how, together, we can adapt the ways we connect within the Church and with those we are called to reach.
We affirm that faith is most often nurtured and passed on through relationships rather than broadcast as a one-way message. To be incarnational is to meet people where they are; and for many people today, that place is also online. For this reason, hybrid ministry is an essential dimension of the Church’s witness, service and pastoral care in our time.
[1] Panzer, Ryan M., The Holy and the Hybrid, Fortress Press, Minneapolis, 2022, page x.
If you have questions, send a note to [email protected]. We can’t wait to listen and share your stories of innovation and enhanced accessibility!
News & upcoming events
Stay tuned or let us know of something coming up!
Stories of online ministry
Over the past five years, new forms of ministry have taken root online and in hybrid spaces, born out of disruption and sustained by imagination. This flipbook shares stories of connection, creativity and community shaped along the way.
Shop Talk Live
Tech practitioners in the Diocese have been gathering to learn from experts and from each other about how to use technology for God’s mission, in particular through live streaming.
Upcoming events
We’re planning some exciting sessions over the coming months. Each one will be held from 7-8:15 p.m. on Zoom, and we’ll share registration details closer to each event:
Monday, Oct. 19: Grounded in Belonging: Theology of Accessibility and Inclusion
How theology shapes our decisions and actions around ability, accessibility and inclusion in online, hybrid and in-person worship.
Monday, Nov. 23: Words, Worship, Welcome: Language that Includes
Exploring inclusive language, church vocabulary, accessibility terminology and multilingual communication.
Monday, Jan. 11: Removing Barriers: Practical Accessibility in Parish Life
Identifying and addressing unintentional barriers in online, hybrid and in-person worship related to vision, hearing, mobility and cognitive differences.
Monday, March 8: Designing Inclusive Online Worship: Practical Approaches
Creating accessible visuals, audio, printed resources and online worship experiences for churches of all sizes.
Past events
See all the videos from our past sessions on YouTube!
The third Shop Talk session about using OBS to mix different live and pre-recorded video and audio sources was hosted on CHURCHx, a resource hub of the Innovative Ministry Centre at the Toronto United Church Council. Members of CHURCHx can access the session for free.
Hybrid ministry sustainability package
This package is an assessment tool for parishes who are on the hybrid ministry development path.
Volunteer consultants Cynthia Majewski, ODT and Tim Ralph, ODT created these tools for any parish looking to take the next step toward hybrid ministry.
Here are the five elements of the Healthy, Hybrid Church Assessment Tool:
- A Church Planning Tool: A healthy, hybrid Church
- Sustainability Package Instruction Guide
- 2×2 Matrix Exercise – A Hybrid Presence
- Worksheet A: Planning for Change
- Worksheet B: Identifying Resistance
You can try them out and send any ideas or comments to Elizabeth McCaffrey at [email protected]. Elizabeth can also provide volunteer facilitators if you want to engage some outside neighbourly help.
Trying to figure our your church’s hybrid capacity? The hybrid assessment postcard might help!
Watch the Video: Technology and Worship Modalities – Where do you fit?
Online communication tips
Below are some resources with links and ideas for churches using social media and other online communication tools. They’re updated periodically.
Have a question about social media and church websites? Contact Martha Holmen, director of communications, at [email protected].
Social media 101
A brief overview of social media for churches and how it fits in with other communication tools.
Church Website Guide
A practical, beginner-friendly guide to planning, building and maintaining a church website.
Facebook Pages tip sheet
Tips to help your church create and manage a Facebook page.
Instagram tip sheet
Get the most out of your church’s Instagram account, from signing up to posting stories.
Twitter/X tip sheet
Advice to help you get the most out of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Writing for the web
Follow these tips to help make your website easier to read.
Social media tips for clergy
Intended to encourage interactions on social media that are positive, respectful and transparent.
Social Media Policy Template
Adapt this template for your own context to consider who’s authorized to post on behalf of a parish on social media.
Helpful links for online ministry
Step-by-step guide to online and on-site services
Guide to online church, tech needs and best practices
Digital Labs blog
Advice for churches on design, photography, social media strategy and many more topics.
Creating and administering a church social media account
Best practices and advice on how to create accounts on various platforms.
Easy video editing tools for churches
A list of video editing software to suit every level of ability.
Digital discipleship made simple
Digital discipleship is about creating space for people to grow, ask questions, and walk with others in faith, online and offline.
Backgrounder on Using Technology for God's Mission
Background on the work of the Online Mission & Ministry Working Group.