On this page, you will find:

• Diocese in Europe stories on virtual worship and engagement
• Advice and resources on digital support
• A Diocesan Communications Zoom User Guide
• Advice on Coronavirus scam emails

Latest update: 23 April 2020

Praying the Daily Office on the Costa Azahar during the Coronavirus lockdown

This week Fr. Louis Darrant, Chaplain, St Christopher’s on the Costa Azahar in Spain shares his reflections with us:

“When the lockdown was announced in Spain, I knew we didn’t have much time to plan. It was the least I could do to get the word out that there would be no services the following day. 

Everybody knew that I prayed the Daily Office from home. I had written about the tradition of the Daily Office in the Anglican Church and have shared forms of it over the past couple of years, so the concept would have been familiar. We don’t have our own church building, so occasionally I pop into the local Catholic Church where I live and say the Office there. 

On the Monday I had the idea of live-streaming a simple service on Facebook which was well-received. I shared an order of service by email so everyone could join either via Facebook or, if not on Facebook, then at the same time. 

On the Monday I started sharing Morning, Evening and Night Prayer online. I was doing it as much for my own benefit, not wanting to succumb to the isolation, as well as encouraging the community here to develop their own simple pattern of prayer. The response was remarkable. Members of the church and others alike found it a very helpful discipline - not just in Spain but further afield too.

The situation has enabled a window to be opened to the regular activity of the Church and people have connected. I never once said - come and do this with me! The simple act of ‘opening the door’ online has enabled people to take a look for themselves without and relate to it on their own terms. Perhaps it’s a form of hospitality we are offering.

I don’t consider myself to a guru or suchlike on what I’m doing. I’m just doing what I know how to do simply and consistently. Maybe there’s an intimacy in sharing the Office from my prayer desk in my apartment which is different from the dynamics of a large church space.

I imagine that in months to come I’ll look back on the experience and try and make a little more sense of it all. Hopefully I’ll be able to build on it and see it as one of the tools at our disposal for offering hospitality and creating new forms of community."

https://www.facebook.com/St-Christophers-on-the-Costa-Azahar-101420624801015/

Please keep your chaplaincy stories, pics and videos coming across your media that tell the life of our Diocese in these virtual times. Send them to communications@europe.anglican.org

Church of England Digital resources:

National Church guidance continues to be available via the main Coronavirus link:  https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches

We are advised updates on topics are planned over the coming week so watch this space! 

Zoom guidance and training

Zoom has become hugely popular as a teleconferencing and webinar solution.  We know many of you across the Diocese are using it.

Diocesan Communications has produced an initial Diocese in Europe Zoom User Guide originally prepared ahead of our virtual service for Maundy Thursday.  It was great to welcome people to our "Zoom clinic" before the service to talk through how to use Zoom.

We're all learning more about managing Zoom everyday and so this Guide is a living document, which will address everyday use, as well as issues that have been raised. Diocesan Communications will own this Guide with advice that everyone across the Diocese can access and use.  

As users of Zoom, we need your help with this.  Please send us your learning tips and suggestions at communications@europe.anglican.org. If people are interested, discussion on Zoom Guide development can easily be arranged with us in Diocesan communications.

You can also sign up for Zoom training webinars, organised by Zoom, at this link

Coronavirus scam emails

And finally ...

We are aware of an increasing volume of scam emails being sent to people.  Some of these emails seek to invite you to donate money to support those affected by the pandemic.  Others suggest you have been awarded money, with a request to submit bank details to an account number.

As with any email of this type, our advice is this: 

• If the email address and/or subject title looks unfamiliar to you, do not open it, delete it from your main inbox and delete it again from your deleted items.
• Do not reply to the email.  
• Do not forward the email on to others, as the email could contain viruses.
• If the email originator sends further emails to you, you may wish to consider blocking sender options on your account.