Attending Sunday morning services online (in a variety of formats) has become familiar and the new “normal” for most parishioners. Though it is impossible to recreate the experience of walking into a familiar building, home, or favorite coffee shop to see friendly faces each week, a variety of churches are encouraging fellowship and prayer before and after the service and on other days of the week, in many ways:

• Opportunities specifically for women or men groups, youth, and families (such as the Tuesday morning women’s Bible study with Immanuel Anglican)

• Newcomer Classes (for example, Church of the Messiah “Connections Class”)

• Daily Prayer (evening prayer at The Falls Church Anglican)

• Online Bible Studies ( for example, the Book of Nehemiah at St. Michael’s Anglican)

• Coffee Hours (There are a lot of examples…but below is a photo from the recent one with Winchester Anglican.)

The Rev. Patrick Ware shared how Winchester Anglican enjoyed coffee hour after their recent online Sunday service: The service is conducted though Facebook live, but coffee hour was enjoyed via Zoom. After the service, a link to participate in coffee hour via Zoom was provided. After joining the Zoom session, and waving and offering friendly greetings, the host used the Zoom option to create “random” small groups. They gathered back afterwards to say “goodbye.”