Online Worship and Worship Practices

Congregational Care and the Coronavirus Zoom Series

In this time of social distancing and uncertainty, many churches are discerning ways to continue the work and worship of their congregations. Transitioning to online worship and meetings and other digital communication is new territory for some, but you don’t have to feel like you’re charting this course alone.

Below are three opportunities to explore some electronic ways to communicate with your faith community internally, as well as extend your reach to an online parish. Communications specialist, Jasmine Haynes facilitates these 30-minute or less Zoom calls aimed at giving you options, functionality and best practices for electronic communication tools.

Tuesday, March 24 at noon: Using Zoom, Quick Tips and Pros and Cons - download Quick Tips here

Download the video from Using Zoom, Quick Tips and Pros and Cons here.

Wednesday, March 25 at noon: Text messaging, pros and cons and guidelines for using with minors - download Quick Tips here

Download the video from Text messaging, pros and cons and guidelines here.

Thursday, March 26 at noon: Using Facebook Live, quick tips and compliance around worship music copyrights and more - download Quick Tips here

Download the video from Using Facebook live, quick tips and compliance around worship music copyrights

ONLINE WORSHIP TOOLS

Zoom: Free for limited use. $14 per host per month for more capability

Zoom experts host free and interactive live training webinars daily. Get up to speed in less than an hour.

Supports large meetings and church services easily.
Join from anywhere on any device.
Creates calendar invitations to help people remember when to join the meeting.
Integrates with collaboration apps like Slack, popular browsers and Microsoft Office 365.
Offers a free plan for webinars for group meetings of up to 100 participants. The free plan limits meetings to 40 minutes. Other plans start from $14.99 per host per month.

The group leader begins with signing up for a free Zoom account at https://zoom.us/signup
Go to https://zoom.us to set up a meeting, here is a video to guide you https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362413-Scheduling-meetings
Or, you can download an app for your computer or phone. Zoom offers app instructions at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362613-How-Do-I-Host-A-Video-Meeting-
Send your participants a link to join by computer or a number to dial into. Participants do not need to have a computer or a Zoom account in order to join the meeting. Your meeting can be a mix of people joining by computer and phone video as well as those dialing in.

*When meeting virtually, you might need to change your planned curriculum. The best practice for virtual small groups is simplicity.

Facebook Live: Media Solutions and Trainings

Download this quick resource to help get you started with Facebook Live. Download here.
Find Facebook Live tips here.
Enroll in Blueprint eLearning courses to build a more effective Facebook presence. Click here to enroll in Facebook media trainings.
Facebook Video Chat:
- Click the message button at the top right of the screen.
- Open a conversation with the person or people you want to video chat with.
- Click video camera in the top right corner of the chat window.
- Now you are connected as a group!

Webex Free for up to 100 participants. Other functions require a subscription

Allows for meeting with 100 participants, HD video, screen sharing and a personal room for as you like.
Requires subscription starting at $13.50 per month per host for application sharing, recording and other functions.

*Here's a list of reviews of pros and cons by Livewire are other streaming tools like YouTube, Instagram, Periscope, Vimeo, Periscope and more.

ONLINE WORSHIP WEBINARS AND RESOURCES

Leadership Resilience for Congregational Leaders - An Online Workshop by Rebekah Simon-Peter Coaching and Consulting Inc. May 6, 13 and 20 for $49
Far-Reaching Permission To Use UMPH Resources For Online Worship During Crisis
MyCom: Virtual Meeting Platforms Help Churches Stay on Track During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Getting Started with Church Online: Sharing what we know to help with online worship, Bible studies and meetings.
Taking your worship online: A guide for beginners and everyone else

Alternatives to Online Worship/ Low and No Tech

Using Phones to Worship Remotely

WORSHIP PRACTICES

Work with janitorial staff for regular environmental cleaning with bleach and to keep the restrooms stocked with hand soap.
Ask your hospitality volunteers to make sure that there are facial tissues and hand sanitizer stocked and available for worship services.
Give people permission to stay at home if they are experiencing illness symptoms (i.e., cough, shortness of breath) of any kind.
Consider placing pause on “Passing of the Peace” rituals for the time being. At the very least, invite parishioners who are experiencing symptoms or those who are uncomfortable to refrain from handshaking during the Peace. Consider adopting an alternative way to share the Peace (e.g., fist bumps, elbow bumps, friendly waves and peace signs).
Consider setting out baskets or offering plates for people to drop their offerings in rather than pass through the pews. Don't forget to include the regular cleaning of offering plates to your cleaning schedule.