Expert advice on website and social media opportunities was shared during a day of listening and learning at St George’s, Leeds.
Organised by the national church’s digital communications team, this was the launch event for a Digital Labs Learning Roadshow, which will now tour other venues around the country.
More than 150 people attended, including church delegates from as far afield as Birmingham, St Albans and Newcastle.
Bishop Nick Baines began the day with a key note speech on the importance of engaging with the secular world through social media, before the CofE’s Head of Digital, Adrian Harris, explained the many merits of A Church Near You’s new free website service.
The day featured workshops and a market place of stalls offering advice, including our new community engagement charity, Wellsprings Together and also the diocese’s branch of the Mothers’ Union.
Director of Lay Training, Hayley Matthews, spoke during the afternoon session, which ended with questions to a panel that included Philip Lickley, comms and marketing officer for Bradford Cathedral, Paul Magnall from All Hallows, Leeds and Peter Henry of Christ Church, Sowerby Bridge.
“Discoverability” – the art of promoting your church’s internet presence - was a major theme of the Roadshow, said Alison Sandham from the Diocese of Worcester.
“It’s been a very worthwhile day. Good to find out more about A Church Near You and we will be switching our main website domain name over to ACNY, because that’s where people will find us more easily,” she said.
Janet Hall, PCC treasurer and comms officer for the Stanwick Group of Churches in the far north east of the diocese, added: “This has been very good and really highlighted some new areas to look at.”