Immanuel Presbyterian Church (Milwaukee), live streaming worship followed by virtual Church School and virtual Coffee Hour -- scroll down to "This week @ Immanuel"
Is your church worshiping online? Please email Kate with your church's name and link to the worship service. We would love to include you in our resources! The Wisconsin Council of Churches statewide directory of livestreamed worship services. If your church is willing to be included, please email the name of your church, location and a link to [email protected].
Copyright Permission. Presbyterian Publishing grants rights to livestream or distribute photocopies of anything in the hymnal (Glory to God) that is copyrighted by Westminster John Knox Press, which is around 30 hymns. Be advised that a standard license for congregational song from OneLicense or CCLI will not cover rights and permissions to live-stream the words or music of copyrighted hymns/songs; a special broadcast/streaming license must be purchased. Additionally, anthems, hymn arrangements, and other musical offerings under copyright are not covered by such licenses. These require further permission to broadcast. For a limited time through April 15, OneLicense offered licenses for free. Since that date has passed, OneLicense is now offering new options, Licensing Options for Gratis Accounts After April 15. For service music and anthems that will be live-streamed, consider using a hymn in the public domain. This link from Church Law and Tax Report might answer additional copyright questions. The Harry Fox Agency is a good source of information for licensing questions regarding choral anthems.
Communion
The following resources have been compiled by Ann Gibbs, Associate for Ministry Vitality for the Presbytery of Milwaukee to aid congregations in the discernment work of providing (or not) virtual communion in this time of social distancing due to COVID-19. This is not an exhaustive nor the definitive set of resources in regard to the Lord’s Supper, but as the advisory opinion of the General Assembly Office includes:
The opinion states that the session may authorize the Lord’s Supper during a virtual service after thorough exploration of the theology of the Lord’s Supper using Scripture, the Confessions and the Book of Order and with a clear understanding of why the session is making the decision and how those who will participate in the Lord’s Supper at home will receive the sacrament as a means of God’s grace. It is the hope that these provide some aid for such “thorough explorations” that will lead sessions to a “clearer understanding” which should inform their decision making.