Online Worship Toolkit

It brings together clear, practical guidance on copyright, equipment, platforms, consent and accessibility — all in one place, and written for ordinary churches rather than technical experts.

Online worship is part of how the Methodist Church gathers. It reaches people who cannot always be in the building — through illness, distance, disability, caring responsibilities or work patterns — as well as those quietly exploring faith for the first time. Our aim is simple: to help you do it well, and to take away the worry of getting it wrong.

You do not need expensive equipment to begin. And with the right licences in place, music does not need to be the first thing you cut.

How to use this toolkit

You do not have to read it from start to finish. Most people come with a particular question, so start wherever fits where your church is now:

• "We're thinking about starting." Begin with Choosing a platform to weigh up YouTube, Facebook, Zoom and the rest, then the Simple setup how-to guide. You can be up and running with a phone, a tripod and a clip-on microphone for under £150.
• "We already stream, but I'm worried about copyright." Go straight to the Copyright guide and the Copyright lookup, where you can check a hymn at a time which licences cover it. The single most important thing to know: what is allowed in person is not automatically allowed online — but it is usually more straightforward than it feels.
• "I look after the tech." The How-to guides and Platform comparison cover setup at every level, from a single phone to a multi-camera desk — with the honest trade-offs, and a steady reminder that sound matters more than picture.
• "I need to sort out consent and privacy." Consent and accessibility explains what you need to do before, during and after a service in a way that works on a normal Sunday morning — with ready-made privacy notice and consent form templates to download.
• "I'd like to talk to others doing this." Plenty of churches across the Connexion are already streaming well and are happy to share what they have learned. We're looking at how we bring people together in the best way to do this.

Shaped by what you told us

This toolkit was not written in a vacuum. In early 2026 we asked churches across the Connexion how online worship was going for them — through a survey that drew more than 150 responses from 20 of our 23 districts, and through listening conversations with ministers, worship leaders, tech volunteers and administrators.

What you told us shaped all of it. Copyright was the worry raised most often, so it sits at the heart of the toolkit. You told us that licensing felt expensive and confusing, that finding and keeping volunteers was often the hardest part, and that the know-how for doing this well was scattered and hard to reach. Every section below is a response to something we heard.

What's inside

• Copyright guide — plain-English answers on what you can stream, which licences you need, and what each one covers.
• Copyright lookup — a searchable check of Singing the Faith, the Methodist Worship Book and more, hymn by hymn.
• Licensing costs explained — what the main licences cost, and which you need.
• Choosing a platform — an honest comparison of the main options on cost, ease, privacy and accessibility.
• How-to guides — setting up well at three levels, plus nine practical ways to make online worship genuinely welcoming.
• Consent and accessibility — workable guidance on privacy, safeguarding, captions and access, with templates to use.
• Tips and FAQs — the questions churches ask most, answered — and growing as more churches share what works.

You are not on your own

Much of the know-how about online worship has lived in people's heads, scattered across the Connexion. This toolkit gathers it in one place — and connects you to others walking the same road. It will keep growing as churches share what works, so if you cannot find what you need, or you have something that would help another church, we would love to hear from you. You told us what you needed; please keep telling us.

A word on the bigger questions

Alongside the practical side of online worship sit deeper questions about what it means for the Church — how we recognise churches that gather mostly or wholly online, and how Holy Communion is celebrated when a congregation is not together in one place. Both are the subject of reports to the 2026 Methodist Conference: Predominantly Online Churches and Online Celebrations of Holy Communion.

This toolkit does not set out to answer those questions. They are matters of doctrine and discipline for the Conference to weigh, and we would encourage you to read those reports rather than look here for a settled view. What this toolkit offers is the practical help — copyright, equipment, consent and accessibility — for worshipping online well, whatever shape your church's online life takes. The questions clearly belong together, and we will reflect the Conference's conclusions as they become clear.