Making the most of time, talents and tithes in Holy Hermits Online
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“God’s persistent call to be in the digital space with our diverse group of HHO community members is what keeps me showing up to my computer. It seems I’m in good company because many of our folk are not with HHO because they are tech-enthusiasts, but because God is inviting them to be a part of our flourishing online community,” says Holy Hermits Online priest The Rev’d Jamee Callard, while offering online ministry tips
God has a great sense of humour! I am one of the least likely candidates for using technology as a vehicle for ministry. And yet, I find myself in my fourth year of online ministry, thriving alongside the faithful community members of Holy Hermits Online (HHO) and St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane.
God’s persistent call to be in the digital space with our diverse group of HHO community members is what keeps me showing up to my computer. It seems I’m in good company because many of our folk are not with HHO because they are tech-enthusiasts, but because God is inviting them to be a part of our flourishing online community.
Some community members remain from the small group who helped pioneer our online space during the pandemic when HHO was connected to St John’s, Bulimba. Many more have found a home with us online as it suits their location, accessibility or lifestyle needs. Our travellers, seekers and “dual citizens” are treasured parts of HHO, coming and going digitally, while retaining connection with congregations in “bricks and mortar” parishes when they can.
We are geographically dispersed, with members gathering online from all over Australia, as well as overseas. Many HHO members also enjoy being connected with us via our email distribution list — supporting us through prayer and giving — even if they can’t come to online services and other online gatherings regularly.
Recently, we have reflected on how God calls us to form community online as an intentional practice. A value we have in common with our home base at the Cathedral is a shared vocations-centred approach to ministry.
We seek to enable, equip and empower lay leadership. The offerings our members make of their time, talents and tithes online are cherished. Some of our lay servers express their online roles in ways that will be familiar to in-person churchgoers. One is our Welcomer role, where a volunteer server greets each participant that joins our digital space 15 minutes before Sunday worship begins. Chris shares how she prepares for her welcoming role on her blog post “Welcoming tips and tricks from Chris”.
Two other easily translated roles are our Readers, who offer the lessons at the Ministry of the Word, and our Liturgical Assistants, who lead our prayer and praise/ante-communion liturgies. Some roles have been formed that are unique to the online ministry format, such as our Cantor, who is the voice of the congregation and “unmutes” to offer the shared responses (bold text) that we all say together. Jeremy shares about his call to these HHO roles in his blog post “Preparing to be Cantor, Reader or Liturgical Assistant”.
We deliberately focus on making space for the emerging ministries that bubble up in our midst, based on where we experience community energy. One such ministry is our Digital Faith Artists that rose up during Eastertide. Using an AI art generator platform, our volunteer artists are creating one-of-a-kind artworks. These are stunning visual devotions, formed prayerfully and with love. Here are two Pentecost-inspired pieces from Liz and Leonie:
“Using an AI art generator platform, our volunteer artists are creating one-of-a-kind artworks. These are stunning visual devotions, formed prayerfully and with love. Here are two Pentecost-inspired pieces from Liz and Leonie,” says Holy Hermits Online priest, The Rev’d Jamee Lee-Callard
Another emerging ministry is our Reader Project, which popped up in our enthusiastic lay-led fellowship space. Our volunteers read their favourite Psalm, with the words and artworks on the screen, to create videos for our YouTube channel. We have often gone in search of a video psalm for our contemplative services, so we hope this project will resource other churches who want to use video readings, too, and help new members find us via YouTube.
Julie, one of our faithful Liturgical Assistants, read Psalm 121 as our first Reader Project volunteer. Julie loves this psalm and uses it to share sympathy or comfort with loved ones and friends. Check out the video on our YouTube Channel, and give it a “Like”. If you aren’t already subscribed, you might like to join us as our video library grows.
There is so much we have learned in the online space. I look forward to presenting our learnings to the Episcopal Diocese of Texas in 2025-2026 through the HHO programme we are building this year. Offering encouragement and support for one another in the post-pandemic Church is the biggest focus, while facilitating an experience that will hopefully see others join us in online outreach.
Having the vibrant Cathedral team and community behind us gives us the confidence we need to keep going, while remaining open to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Knowing that there are other communities in the Anglican Church Southern Queensland praying for us and joining us in partnership is a great source of encouragement and strength.
Here are five top tips for online ministry:
- Take online community building seriously — it will increasingly become part of the future Church.
- Do online ministry intentionally, while making room for emergence.
- Prioritise and support vocations and lay-ministries, both online and offline.
- Partner up and collaborate — online and offline ministries need one another.
- Pray! Pray for those who have need of the Gospel to find belonging online, as well as offline, and pray for online communities to keep going and growing.
If you, or your community, would like to join or support our online mission, please visit the Holy Hermits Online website’s partners page and/or sign up to receive our digital resources.
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