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.
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.
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 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/ 11.00am 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 Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxCh_msqE8PDXBFkF1AGPA
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://grovedale.lutheran.org.au/streaming/ 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 (10am 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 - every Saturday 12noon-1pm Bethlehem Lutheran Church . NEW! Additional broadcast Sundays, 2.30-3.00pm St John's Unley. Many thanks to both these congregations 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. Bethlehem will have an Ascension Day service available for Thursday 21 May. Bethlehem's Ascension Day service will be live-streamed this Thursday (May 21) at 7.30pm. You can watch it on: The YouTube Site
or via the Facebook Site On Thursday afternoon, liturgy, prayers and printed sermon will be published on the website News Feed
Langmeil Lutheran Church, Tanunda pre-recorded services from 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 9:30am 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
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.
Links to LCA sites and services
See the LCA COVID-19 Response page.
Ideas for Serving Your Community
- If your congregation is distributing printed worship resources or DVDs, why not add a roll of toilet paper or other essentials when delivering to the elderly or vulnerable? Add a tract or an encouraging card, and contact details if people need someone to talk to or are having difficulties.
- Set up phone trees so people can stay in touch and check on those on their own or who are especially vulnerable. This works well if a small group shares telephone numbers, and one of them is asked to alert the church office/pastor if someone becomes unwell or is in distress. Maintaining this kind of social contact and care for each other will be really important in helping people to cope.
- For people on their own, the telephone can be a great tool for worship as well – why not encourage people who are on their own to call each other and read their devotions or the service together?
- How about creating a postcard to drop in your neighbours' letterboxes giving them your phone number and letting them know you are willing to help them with shopping/gardening/a chat if they have to go into self-isolation or can't get out?
- Revive the art of letter-writing or send people an encouraging card. We all need to know that people are thinking of us and praying for us.
Phonecare is an excellent guide to setting up a caring phone ministry. It was created by the LCA's Church Worker Support team.
Creative Ideas
Coming soon! Links to activities, encouraging words and good ideas to help each other.
Please email libby.krahling@lca.org.au if you have any ideas to share!

