‘How-to’ Videos

These videos have been designed for anyone who is seeking guidance on how to conduct services according to the Book of Common Prayer, including clergy, ordinands, Readers and anyone else who may need to lead worship.

In addition, they are available to watch if you’re just interested in finding out what the services are like: perhaps you’re planning a wedding or a funeral through your Parish Church? In addition to the full range of 1662 services, we include the Series One marriage and burial services, which are also authorised for use in the Church of England.

For each service there is a narrated version, with a voice-over giving advice and directions on conducting the service; and a version without narration, showing the service run straight through without interruptions. While it is customary for music to be used to enhance worship, the style and format of this varies considerably: for the sake of simplicity, therefore, all the services are presented here without any music or singing. The voice-over does, however, include suggestions as to where hymns etc. might be placed in the services.



It has not been possible in these videos to reflect the great variety of churchmanship and worship style that exists within the Church of England. We have therefore opted to portray the services in one particular style, suited to the liturgical space in which they were filmed, while making it clear that this is by no means the preferred or only way of conducting them. Our intention is that users will be able to adapt the advice and suggestions given here to their own particular context.

The videos are based on Using the Book of Common Prayer: A Simple Guide by Paul Thomas (2012) published by Church House Publishing (ISBN: 9780715142769), available from our online shop.

If you have queries about these videos or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Prayer Book Society.

Holy Communion

Without narration



Narrated



Alternative Holy Communion service

(from the Prayer Book Society Society Conference)



Morning Prayer (Mattins)

Without narration



Narrated



Evening Prayer (Evensong)

Without narration



Narrated



Baptism

Without narration



Narrated



Marriage (1662)

Without narration



Narrated



Marriage (Series One)

Without narration



Narrated



Burial (1662)

Without narration



Narrated



Burial (Series One)

Without narration



Narrated

Archbishop Cranmer and the Prayer Book Tradition

A great little short video from the USA about how Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer unified the Church of England and the Anglican Communion