
Welcome to Church@Home! Whether you are in self-isolation, your congregation has suspended services, or you’re just looking for some spiritual support and encouragement, we hope that we can help you find what you need. Soon this crisis will pass, but in the meantime, let’s keep the body of Christ healthy…
From the LCA
Visit the LCA Covid-19 Response page for the latest advice and updates.
Links to Public Health websites
Australian Department of Health
For weekly Family Worship Service videos for home use, please go to the current week on the Prepare Services tab.
Christmas Livestreaming/Online Services
You can also access a LCA Christmas Lessons and Carols Service on Youtube here. Or visit the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day service resources by clicking on Prepare Services on the Navigation pane above.
Victoria
St Paul's Lutheran Church Box Hill - Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols service (released on Youtube by 8:15 AM on Christmas Eve). Christmas Day service (released on Youtube by 8:15 AM on December 25th). https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxCh_msqE8PDXBFkF1AGPA
St Pauls Parish, Grovedale - Christmas Eve 7 pm AEST Carols and Reading service. Christmas day service 9.30 am AEST. Watch services live or 24/7 after they have concluded on https://video.ibm.com/channel/vLCnAB32GAQ
Tasmania
St Peter's Lutheran Church Hobart - livestreaming Christmas Eve 6.30 pm, Christmas day 9.30 am https://www.splchobart.org/
South Australia
St Michael's Hahndorf - Christmas Eve 7pm (SA time) streamed presentation https://livestream.com/luthworship/events/2472486 AND on Channel 44
Bethlehem Lutheran Church Adelaide - Christmas Lessons and Carols Sunday 20 December (can be watched after this date) and Christmas Day 9.30 am on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgbcejJndMFcNPazB7pdNaw
Golden Grove Lutheran Church -We will live stream our Christmas Eve service at 8pm on 24th December and our Christmas Day service at 9.30am, on YouTube https://bit.ly/gglc_youtube or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gglc.lca
Western Australia
Rockingham Mandurah Lutheran Church- livestreaming 7pm WA time Christmas Eve but not Christmas Day www.rmlc.org.au
NSW
Lifeway Epping - livestreaming Christmas Eve, 7.30pm (AEST), Christmas Day 9.30am (AEST) on https://www.youtube.com/c/LifeWayLutheranChurch
Temora Lutheran Community Church - Carols on the Airwaves (www.bit.ly/TemoraCarols2020).
Livestreaming
Livestreaming services are broadcast straight from a church to your computer. Simply sit down in front of the computer at the scheduled service time and join in. Many of the sites below also have an archive, so you can watch as many sermons as you like!
(For advice for pastors and congregations on how to prepare online and other resources, please see the Worship@Home section)
Lutheran Media Livestreaming
Worship online live or during the week at:
St Michael’s Lutheran Church, Hahndorf, South Australia Streamed live at 9:30am (Aust CST) each week
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Toowoomba, Queensland Streamed live at 9am Queensland time every Sunday.
Or go to www.livestream.com/luthworship and click the location.
You can also order free Worship DVDs and CDs at www.lutheranmedia.org.au/worship or call Lutheran Media on 1800 353 350
Other Livestreamed Services
Many churches are now livestreaming their services or are loading prerecorded service on their websites, and welcome others to access these services . Some of these include:
ACT
Immanuel, Woden Valley livestreaming at 10:30 am http://woden.lutheran.org.au/livestream/
Good Shepherd Community Church, Tuggeranong pre-recorded services and links to all Canberra congregations and their resources. https://tuggeranong.lutheran.org.au/church-at-home/
NSW
Lifeway Epping, NSW - Simply go to http://www.lifeway.net.au and click on the play icon underneath that countdown timer or click this link which will take you straight to YouTube. The YouTube link will be active approximately 10mins before the service starts (ie: from 9:20AM AEDST).
St Paul’s Sydney https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyYJ36Yro9td6xbK3oD0n6Q?
Indonesian Sydney http://indonesian-sydney.lutheran.org.au/khotbah/
QLD
For additional live-streamed services and other congregational support in Queensland, visit the QLD District site https://qld.lca.org.au/resources/ministry-and-mission-resources/
Ipswich Lutheran Church https://ipswich.online.church/ - Services times this Sunday (AEDT): 7:30am, 9:00am, 10:30am, 4:30pm. (For NZ - add 3 hours and 45 minutes, for NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, ACT - add one hour, for South Australia- add half an hour, for NT - subtract half an hour, for WA subtract 2 hours)
Living Faith Lutheran Church, Murrumba Downs https://www.livingfaith.org.au/church-online
Immanuel Lutheran, Buderim https://ichurch.net.au/churchathome/ 11.30am Sundays You can also find archived audio sermons and discussion handouts at http://www.gracespace.info/
VIC
TV broadcast on Channel 44 - (Channel 31 broadcasting on Channel 44)- every Friday 1-2pm. Many thanks to St Paul's Box Hill for filming these services in advance.
St Paul's Lutheran Church, Box Hill https://www.stpaulsboxhill.org.au/ or now livestreaming on Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxCh_msqE8PDXBFkF1AGPA NOTE: We will NOT have a broadcast on Sunday December 27 th but will resume live-streaming the following Sunday .
St Paul's Lutheran, Shepparton https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCTupHYtPmWzZQDEpnNQE2RA The same link also offers devotional resources.
St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Grovedale https://video.ibm.com/channel/vLCnAB32GAQ Services are live 9.30am AEST or ‘Catch up’ anytime as the last 6 services are always available.
St John's, Southgate live stream Sunday services (9am Melbourne time): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCVBi8-sniGdCLeFxwkx3Bg
St John's Ballarat Sunday Services from 10:00am on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJlTtBt1kJ4glCGFOhA6vcA Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services also available.
SA
TV Broadcast on Channel 44 - Sundays, 2.30-3.00pm St John's Unley. Many thanks to Unley for so generously giving of their time and resources to provide these broadcast services.
St Petri, Nuriootpa https://stpetri.org.au/small-worship/ This is a prerecorded service, which will be uploaded on Fridays.
St John's, Unley https://www.stjohnsunley.lca.org.au/sermons
or on Youtube https://bit.ly/2wOdI3l
The Ark, Salisbury on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/arkchurch.com.au/
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide View pre-recorded sermons at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgbcejJndMFcNPazB7pdNaw . Visit https://www.bethlehemadelaide.org.au/news/ to download printable service orders, Bible readings and devotional resources for each week.
Langmeil Lutheran Church, Tanunda live-streaming each Sunday at 10:30 a.m https://www.langmeilchurch.com.au/resources/langmeil-church-online/ or on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyjtxYH3fbTuP95lGrbJZlA
Golden Grove Lutheran Church - Full services are live streamed every Sunday morning at 9:30 and can be viewed on YouTube. https://bit.ly/gglc_youtube or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gglc.lca. Past services and daily bible studies are also available on YouTube or via the website at https://www.gglc.org.au/church/index.php/publications/pastors-messages and https://www.gglc.org.au/church/index.php/publications/bible-study-Pastor-Greg
Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Port Lincoln www.portlincolnlutheran.org.au or on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNJuD_0UXHBB0jSTqbpAEvg?view_as=subscriber
WA
Concordia, Duncraig streaming Sunday services at 9:30am AWST to their Facebook and Youtube accounts, https://fb.me/ConcordiaLC/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl-rjgjl2XMHP2QygABPdtA Their webpage has a collection of past services and materials. https://concordiachurch.org.au/at-home-resources
Rockingham Mandurah Lutheran Church weekly worship live stream available at 10:30am WA time (+ 2 ½ hrs for SA, NT & Qld and + 3hrs for Vic, NSW & Tas) via their website at www.rmlc.org.au by pressing the "watch church service livestream" button.
Tas
St Peters Lutheran Church, Hobart Livestreaming at 10:00am Sundays. Previous services available online. https://www.splchobart.org/
New Zealand
Wellington Lutheran Pre-recorded services on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGqlgGNi-ahBnOakXyRhDmw
Services in Languages Other Than English
Note: Congregations wishing to publicise their livestreamed or pre-recorded services on this page must ensure that they abide by the Livestreaming Checklist provided here. This list was updated on 9 July 2020 to cover the additional privacy issues involved with worship gatherings, where congregations are present.
Indonesian Sydney http://indonesian-sydney.lutheran.org.au/khotbah/
There are a number of ways you can worship at home or in your small group.
You can watch a livestreamed service (see View@Home) or use one of the following:
Printed Service Order for the week
(go to Prepare Services on navigation pane, and select the current week, and then go to Service Orders and select Ready to Go Resources)
This will have all of the liturgy, prayers and readings of a regular service, along with the lyrics of suggested hymns. You can choose a sermon from the selection for the week. You could either read through the service order and sermon yourself, or take turns in your group reading the parts (one person to read the leader’s part, someone else reads the Bible passages etc). Youtube clips for the hymns are available on teh Church@Home section for each week.
Church@Home Worship Service for the week
(go to Prepare Services on navigation pane, and select the current week)
Intended for families and household groups, this is an interactive short worship service with readings, activities, a message, prayers and a blessing. Groups of all ages can use this in combination with a selection of YouTube music clips. Available as a PowerPoint or in printable format.
Advice for Pastors and Congregations
In relation to producing live-streams, the Prime Minister’s media statement, 3 April 2020, reads: 'Churches and other places of worship, will be considered places of work so that services can be live-streamed to the community. This will ensure that religious services, including Easter services, remain accessible to congregations. National Cabinet agreed that providing access to services is important for a sense of continuity and social connection. Services may be conducted and live-streamed providing only essential staff are present, the venue/facility remains closed to the public, and social distancing principles are adhered to. Any church wishing to conduct religious services, including Easter services, must use the minimum number of participants required to deliver and live-stream the service, which may include a priest, attendants, organist, videographer and sound recordist.'
The social distancing rules (1.5 metres apart and 4 square metres per person) still apply.
Note: Congregations wishing to publicise their livestreamed or pre-recorded services on this page must ensure that they abide by the Livestreaming Checklist provided here.
The following advice has been prepared by Lutheran Media and the Commission on Worship to assist congregations in planning how to best support their people during this challenging time. We understand that not all congregations are the same.
Ideas for Low-Tech Congregations
CCLI Update
- CCLI would prefer contact from congregations / parishes via email in the first instance, as they are experiencing very high volume of call loads.
- YouTube and Facebook are starting to ‘takedown’ or serve infringements to videos that are using copyright covered music, even if you have the license to use it (they don’t know that). Congregations just need to appeal saying that they have the appropriate license through CCLI (or OneLicense)
- The CVLI and the ScreenVue content is not to be use in a congregation's stream or podcast. The License does not cover this usage at all.
Getty Music has advised us of the following:
As churches around the world experience the new reality of delivering worship services online during this unique season of COVID-19 prevention and social distancing, Getty Music is providing music and video resources to help. During this time, please feel free to use songs from the Getty Music Publishing and Getty Music Hymns and Songs catalogs (these are names you’ll see in the copyright notice) on a license-free basis as part of the transmission of your services. We also gladly make available the use of our recorded materials, especially our lyric videos and accompaniment tracks, as part of livestreamed services during this prayerfully limited period. As you are able, please also check into the licensing options from CCLI and others that are appropriate to your church’s use of music on an ongoing basis. Your support of these licensing outlets is in many ways a support of Getty Music. God’s blessings on your worship services and the health of your people as we all navigate these waters together.
Visit https://www.gettymusic.com/videosandmusicresources for more information.
Spotify
Immanuel Worship Songs, a playlist by Jacob.traeger. Immanuel Woden has a Spotify playlist of contemporary songs from their Sunday morning service. You can listen to these songs by clicking here.
We know that life might feel quite challenging during this difficult time. Prayer is a powerful tool God has given us, and we encourage everyone to develop an active and positive prayer life each week.
Weekly Contemplative Prayer Sheets, the Prayer of the Church and Prayer Points are available each week by going to Prepare Services and selecting the current week.
Prayer Resources from the LCA
Everyday and Seasonal Prayer booklets – available online here or order from Australian Church resources here.
Prayers and Bible Verses For Troubled Times
Prayers for a Time of Crisis and Loss written for the LCA by Pastor Aub Podlich
Bible verses to meditate on during COVID-19 compiled by Glenice Hartwich, St John's Unley.
Other Prayer Links
Pastor Matt Thiele, Pastor Doug Fitzpatrick and Immanuel Congregation Buderim have an excellent prayer website JustPrayer.org
Prayers from other church bodies
The Lutheran World Federation has released the following prayer documents:
Intercessory Prayer in the midst of the spread of COVID-19
Intercessory Prayer in exceptional times
The LWF have also released Communion Prayer for the Easter Season 2020, which includes daily Psalmody, Bible text, meditation and prayer. You can download these resources here.
The National Council of Churches of Australia is organising a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Australia, which will be observed from 24 - 31 May 2020, in the week between Ascension and Pentecost. This year’s theme, “They showed us unusual kindness” (Acts 28:2), calls us to move from shared prayer to shared action and remembers the historic shipwreck of Paul on the island of Malta. It calls us to a greater generosity to those in need. Resources are now available on the website page The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity . Further resources will be added to this page in the coming days.
The Christian Conference of Asia has sent a resource entitled, 'God Heal Us As We are Vulnerable', which includes liturgy, songs and prayer intercessions. They ask that we join with all the churches of Asia in praying for the victims of COVID-19. You can find their resources here.
Lutheran Media’s Messages of Hope
www.messagesofhope.org.au and www.messagesofhope.org.nz has content on this current situation that offers people hope.
For crisis: www.messagesofhope.org.au/natural-disaster
For stress: www.messagesofhope.org.au/stress
For loneliness: www.messagesofhope.org.au/loneliness
For mental health: http://www.messagesofhope.org.au/mental-health/
There is also a short video on Living with Uncertainty, a 15 minute discussion message with the opportunity for people to read and watch other content to help them through these changing times.
Mental Health Support
If you are experiencing significant depression or anxiety, please contact your local pastor for support. There are agencies who provide excellent support if you are struggling, and we encourage you to contact them if you feel overwhelmed.
Lifeline https://www.lifeline.org.au/
Phone: 13 11 14 (24 hours/7 days)
Text: 0477 13 11 14 (6pm – midnight AEDT, 7 nights)
Chat online: https://www.lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat (7pm - midnight, 7 nights)
Kids Helpline – for children that may need support 1800 55 1800 https://kidshelpline.com.au
Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636 https://beyondblue.org.au
This section is for sharing resources which can help you grow in your faith during this challenging time.
Links to LCA Resources
Daily Devotions https://www.lca.org.au/category/daily-devotion/
Local Mission's New and Renewing Churches team has a range of books and online studies you may find helpful https://www.lca.org.au/departments/local-mission/new-and-renewing-churches/book-and-resources/
Links to Children’s and Intergenerational Resources
GROW Ministries has a great range of resources for children and families. Visit their website here.
To help people navigate these tricky times, GROW have produced some resources specifically for COVID-19:
Growing Faith Moments - In a Time of Crisis
Growing Faith Moments - Waiting for Holy Communion
Growing Faith Moments - Welcoming Jesus to Our Table
You can find other Intergenerational resources on this site here.
Links to other Christian sites
Illustrated Ministry has beautiful downloadable colouring sheets and prayer resources for children and adults. Normally a pay-to-download site, they are offering free resources to support people during this crisis. https://www.illustratedministry.com/flattenthecurve
Concordia Publishing House has a range of online short courses you can take for free during this crisis, on a wide range of topics. https://cphfaithcourses.com/care/ They also have some great resources for Holy Week, including a Youtube hymn playlist, children's resources and a great video explaining Holy Week. Click here.
Christmas Services - for a full listing of livestreamed or online services, click on View@Home. You may also like to check out the Christmas eve and Christmas Day resources under Prepare Services.
Here are a few creative ideas to help you and your congregation navigate Advent and Christmas this year. We hope, whatever your situation, that this Christmas period is a time of great joy and thanksgiving as we celebrate our unchanging and ever-loving God coming to us in human form.
Advent Ideas for Everyone
There are lots of fantastic resources to help congregations and households of all kinds enter into Advent.
Lutheran Tract Mission has put together an edownloadable resource, as well as many excellent Advent and Christmas tracts and resources for all ages.
GROW Ministries have a fantastic GIFT (Growing in Faith Together) pack for Advent, which we can highly recommend. Many of the ideas and resources here have been drawn from the GROW team.
Here are a few ideas:
- Make an Advent Wreath – light a candle each Sunday of Advent as you wait for the birth of Jesus. Instructions for creating the wreath and liturgy and prayers to accompany the candle-lighting can be found in Prepare Services each week in Advent. The Church@Home services for Advent will include candle-lighting prayers from GROW Ministries.
- Jesse Tree – an interesting alternative is creating a Jesse Tree to help you remember God’s promises and the path leading to the birth of the Messiah. Instructions and devotions can also be found in Prepare Services during Advent.
- Advent Calendars – open a window each day to build excitement.
- Advent Paper Chain – a really fun and easy way for people in their homes, aged care or schools to focus on the real meaning of Advent and Christmas – while making the place look festive! Instructions and a template are linked in the Children page for each week in Advent.
- Growing Faith at Home sheets– GROW have made these excellent weekly devotion sheets available for free. They include discussion starters, daily readings, creative responses and ideas for service. You can access these on the Children page each week through Advent and Christmas.
Spread the love!
Sharing the good news of God’s love is always important. This year especially, sharing some joy with people who are lonely or struggling is a great way to bless them and lift your own spirits.
- Go old-school and write Christmas cards this year – in a year when we are often separated by distance and borders even more than usual, make someone’s Christmas by sending them a word of encouragement in a Christmas card. With so much digital technology now, a hand-written card is a physical reminder that other people care about us.
- Donate to your local community care organization to help people less fortunate than you this Christmas. In many areas, these organizations gather donations of food and toys to share with families in need each Christmas.
- Support ALWS’ Gifts of Grace, and bless people around the world with school supplies, chickens, pigs…
Christmas and public worship
Every state and country has different restrictions on public worship. If your congregation is struggling with limited numbers or social distancing, consider these options:
- Offer a combination of live and online options – it might work well to record a Christmas service for people who can’t be there in person, and still have some “live” services for those who can attend.
- Change venues – can you worship in the park or at a school or community hall which allows for more people?
- Pre-record some elements of the service – if you are running multiple services, or want to have a children’s presentation, consider pre-recording parts of the service such as the music or nativity play. This means you could share the joy with multiple services or online without a lot of extra work. It also means you can take your time and record in advance so Christmas week isn’t so hectic.
Christmas Plays
In many congregations, a Christmas play is an important tradition and a great chance to involve children and others in the service. With restrictions this year, the traditional Christmas play might be harder to stage. Every area is different – how you incorporate this will depend on your local regulations. Here are a few ideas to help you adapt this beautiful tradition to current times:
- Pre-record your Christmas play and then share it during the service. If sharing online, make sure participants and their families know how it will be shared. This might be a good option if you have limited space and need to have several services.
- Consider a Zoom Christmas play – have families/households act out different parts of a shared script. Encourage everyone to dress the part. It doesn’t have to be perfect – it just needs to share the great news of Jesus’ birth! And who doesn’t love a tea-towel and dressing gown shepherd? You could use a script from the Seasonal Resources section.
- Ask families to take photos or videos of themselves acting out different parts of the nativity story, and then use these to illustrate the Christmas Carols or readings during the service.
- Rather than a complicated play with multiple speaking parts, consider using a narrator and having children or adults mime each scene, so you don’t have to reuse microphones or have lots of rehearsals. Remember that people in the same household don’t have to physically distance from each other – so perhaps have one household come up at a time. It doesn’t matter if you have more than one Mary or Joseph.
- Screen a short Christmas video instead – A Unexpected Christmas (https://youtu.be/TM1XusYVqNY) is a really cute video from New Zealand, and the church who produced it has given permission for it to be screened publicly – but NOT broadcast.
- An alternative is setting up a nativity display outside, and having a small devotional style service (even a DIY version) prepared so people can still come and worship together in small groups or households. This could be a static display, or have scheduled times for a live nativity, where people and animals gather around the manger.
Christmas@Home
If you are unable to worship in public this year or you are separated from the people you love, there are still ways to make this Christmas special.
- Contact your local church and ask what they are doing for Christmas – they may have a way for you to worship with them.
- Watch a Christmas service online. You can find a list of congregations who will be livestreaming or pre-recording Christmas services on the Worship Planning Page. If you live in Adelaide or Melbourne, you can watch Lutheran services on television. Some families who are separated by border closures or ill health are finding comfort in watching a service at the same time and talking to each other on the phone or online.
- Use the weekly Church@Home resources for Christmas in Prepare Services. You will find:
- a printable service order with a matching PowerPoint,
- a list of links to Youtube music clips so you can sing along to the recommended carols, hymns and songs for the day,
- printable Bible readings and prayers.
- Links to a Lessons and Carols Service on Youtube and Spotify
- Lots of fun crafts and devotional activities to brighten your day and your home
Wherever you are this Christmas, we pray that you are filled with the joy and hope of the Messiah’s birth!
Please email libby.krahling@lca.org.au if you have any ideas to share!