How to get your congregation connected to the diocesan communications network.
 

Diocesan Media

Click here for current diocesan News & Publications

TIDINGS
TIDINGS is an electronic newsletter distributed on Tuesday each week that highlights diocesan news and events. Anyone may sign up to receive the newsletter by going to our website. Church communicators are encouraged to use the newsletter as a source of content for their own newsletters and bulletins. Deadline for submissions is every Friday at noon.

Facebook
Facebook is a social network on which the diocese maintains a page, www.facebook.com/diosova. You can like our page and receive updates, photos, and useful articles in their news feed. We encourage comments and conversation so that you can get to know other members of our diocese. Users are also encouraged to share our posts on their own Facebook page or that of their church. We also have a Diosova Communicators group page. This is a useful place to network with other church communicators, share ideas and best practices and ask questions.

Instagram
Instagram is a social network on which the diocese posts photos. Instagram users can follow us @Diosova.

YouTube Channel
The diocesan YouTube channel is where you can find video from our diocese and the national church, including video messages from our Bishop. You can find us at www.youtube.com/user/TheDioSoVa.
 

Official portraits of Bishop Haynes

Click here to access official portraits of Bishop Haynes that can be used in digital and print media.
 

Communications Grants

Communications Grants from the Diocese of Southern Virginia provide congregations within the diocese with funding for development of digital communications. Grant funds are intended to assist churches that do not currently make use of digital communications methods to create and implement a new digital communication program. Funds may also be used to assist churches with an existing digital communication program that have discovered needs within their congregation or community that can be addressed with a new digital communication initiative. Click here for more info and application form.
 

Communications Resources

Church Communicators Manual (March 2021)

Episcopal Church Style Guide (web page)

Diosova Communicators Facebook Group

DioSoVa Communicators is a Facebook Group in which members can share resources and ideas, ask questions and support each other in their communications ministry. The group setting is "closed" so that participants may feel free to share more openly.
 

Helpful resources for communications during the COVID-19 pandemic

Digital Church Policies, a very helpful Building Faith article with sample policies

Resources for Communities Online a wealth of resources from Virginia Theological Seminary

Taking your worship online: A guide for beginners and everyone else

Quick start guide to live streaming - Facebook and YouTube are excellent platforms for easily live-streaming worship. (You do NOT have to have Facebook account to watch.)

Zoom - A web-conferencing platform that offers free and very affordable services that are great for bible studies, Lenten programs, and other gatherings - even worship.

Tips to help avoid "Zoom bombers"

Facebook groups - For folks on Facebook, the Groups feature is a good way to stay connected, but in a more private way than on a regular Facebook page. These are a great way for bible studies, book groups, prayer groups, etc to gather in virtual space.

Free Conference Call Enables you to hold conference calls for free

Center for Lifelong Learning at VTS offers numerous video tutorials on the use of digital media like Zoom, Facebook, etc.

Beyond Livestream Worship: What we learned from our experiment with online worship a series of blog posts by Episcopal Church Foundation

Invite Welcome Connect in Virtual Church Episcopal Church Foundation blog post

Social Media Practices & Guidelines

Safe Church Guidelines for Online Communication

Facebook posting & commenting guidelines

Blog commenting guidelines

Twitter best practices

Bulletin Inserts

Bulletin inserts from The Episcopal Church

Website Services

American Church, these are the same folks that do pledge envelopes and also offer online giving.

FaithConnector, a content management system especially for churches.

Digital Faith, a full-service content management system, even includes Alexa integration

Ministry Designs, a full service church website design, payment processing, email, and content management system all-in-one.

Ekklesia 360 (website services available through The Episcopal Church)

Membership Vision, a digital communication system that integrates website, social media and email.

Help visitors find you - The Episcopal Church's Asset Map

Did you know that every Episcopal Church has its own page in the Episcopal Church's Asset Map? The Asset Map has replaced the "Find A Church" pages on the Episcopal Church's website. Completing your church's Asset Map page is a great way to help visitors find you and there's lots of info you can share there. Anyone can update your page - no special password is needed. Once the updates are made, they are sent to the Diocesan Office for publication.

Diocesan Seal & Episcopal Church graphics, signs

Diocesan seal, full color:  Large, Medium, Small

Diocesan seal, black & white:  Large, Medium, Small

Click here for downloadable graphics of The Episcopal Church shield and logos.

Click here to purchase a “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You” sign.