Going back to in person worship

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jimkenney12

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When we first moved to Hawkesbury at the end of June, I researched information about the local United Church sort of pastoral charge, Genesis Cooperative Community, with the intention of attending at least a few services in the churches closest to us. It is almost the end of August and I have not made it to an in person service yet. Watching the online services for Deep River Community Church each weekend feels like enough church for now

I know there were many members of Deep River CC who kept watching the online services after we went back to in person services as well.

Are there others who are staying with online worship even though in person worship is available,?
 
A lot of churches here seem to have stopped livestreaming. They record the service and post it afterwards, if you want it "live" you have to go. UUs are still virtual, though they did one outdoor service that was in-person. Haven't heard what the plan is for the fall. I am still not sure what church to attend, let alone when I will feel safe to go.
 
We're on the road so haven't considered in person worship during this time. I'm not sure if I'm ready to gather yet. It will depend on where our chosen congregation will meet while the building is being built. If it has enough space and air ventilation I'll consider it.
 
Deep River CC has posted prerecorded service's available online at least a day before Sunday and people watch the service when it suits them. We tried one Zoom service in partnership with two other churches and it was not a good experience. They do not have the technology or reliable internet to livestream the kind and quality of service they aim to provide. We almost never watched the service at the regular worship time. There have usually been at least a dozen views by Saturday evening.
 
Livestreaming has turned into a problem in my church. We've got the latest equipment, we're in a small City, Rogers promises us that we're getting their primo service, yet, we have stalling and huge sound problems with livestreaming. We coped for the summer, by recording services, then posting them on YouTube. What we will do in the fall, I do not know.
 
Religion has stalled due to disinterest in anything but individualism ... anything more is out ... defining elimination!

Life is like that due to lack of something tomorrow may be cancelled! Thus oblivious abyss ... in one tradition this was Orianous ... snake slipping off out of sight in unknown space!
 
Livestreaming has turned into a problem in my church. We've got the latest equipment, we're in a small City, Rogers promises us that we're getting their primo service, yet, we have stalling and huge sound problems with livestreaming. We coped for the summer, by recording services, then posting them on YouTube. What we will do in the fall, I do not know.
Is your livestreaming gear plugged in or using wi-fi? If the latter, get someone to put a wi-fi analyzer app on their phone and check for interference. The one I use (on Android) is just called WiFi Analyzer and has a tab where it recommends the best channels to use. If there are lot of neighbouring access points using the same or neighbouring channels as yours, you might want to try using one of the recommended channels.

If it is plugged in to the network, get new patch cords. A bad patch with a loose connector or broken wire can cause problems. Maybe get the network run tested end to end, too (likely will cost money). That eliminates an internal wiring issue.

Also, I may have suggested this already, but go to speedtest.net on a plugged in computer and click GO. Look particularly at the first number. A high latency (say over 20ms) could be a problem for streaming. Also, if your connection is asymmetrical (upload is lower than download) make sure upload is at max speed. For livestreaming, though, I'd probably want a symmetrical connection (same speed in both directions) or one with a fairly high upload speed (which would then have a correspondingly high download speed).

Just running through a few things I or my team would do in that situation. In the end, if you don't have someone in the congregation who is a network geek, you might want to see if you can find one (friend or relative of a member maybe) who might come in on a volunteer or low-cost consulting basis to review your setup. I know I would happily do it if I lived closer to you.
 
On topic, given current reality in Ontario, I think online services, whether livestreamed or Zoomed or pre-recorded, are going to be with us for a while. I was thinking of a return to in-person church this Fall but now I'm not sure. Have to play it by ear.
 
We returned to in-person worship in mid-July (as someone then put it, 'for now'). We do mask and distance, and, in fact, the one congregation is meeting outside, as weather permits. If another shutdown happens, we'll deal with it.
In the meantime I continue to produce a weekly worship video for the Facebook page. Very amateurish, but it serves the purpose. We don't have wifi, so livestream is not an option (office internet is thru Ethernet, the yellow umbilical cord). We tried to do the annual meetings via Zoom (Egad! what an experience) so worship service or Bible study via Zoom would be pretty much futile. So we do what we can with what we got...
 
We have stuck with Zoom worship, study groups & meetings this whole time. Last I heard the goal was to have a hybrid model in place by Thanksgiving. Our sanctuary is relatively small with some of the space disappearing for an elevator soon.
 
So September is usually when things ramp up in churches. How's it going out there? I know the UU fellowship here is still Zooming but working on how to manage a hybrid service. Most of the local UCCan churches I follow seem to be back to in-person with video posted later rather than livestreamed.
 
We had our first service together in many months last Sunday, outside service, with a BBQ afterwards. Kept the handling of food to COVID-level standards and used a lot of biodegradable plates and napkins and cups, and some plastic cutlery. Everything was served by people wearing gloves.

Kept ourselves fairly distanced during the service.

Next Sunday we resume indoor service, but only, again, with call-ahead status, a request, strong, by the board, that everyone in the sanctuary be double-vaxxed or provide proof of a medical exemption by an appropriate specialist (our Chair of the Board is a retired GP), no singing without masks, socially distanced. Our pianist has quit over the vaccination issue. The Tuesday Night group has resumed via Zoom and plans to continue that at least until next spring, the Wednesday morning bible study group has resumed via Zoom, but is flirting with some in-person meetings, appropriately spaced, vaccinated, masked at least until seated.

And we're posting video later because of the difficulties we've had with livestreaming, still unsolved.
 
Thus even the edifice alters as if it were held in faith by the fates!

The general populace does not believe in such things as spinning, weaving and the placing of patches ... on spots of failure ... as they do not believe that they could mess up ... considering their esteem about self perfection!

Imagine if this could go astray in an abstract! Would that pose a blot on the psyche as a Rorschach spectacle? In rendering it down to a dark spot or black pearl ... people of heh's real form do not accept this to be reversed as ra el 'd ... thus arid wanderings! Perhaps even some Marini's ... dry of course ... so as to avoid intellectual substance!

Does however allow for stereo alchemii ... steroids? Things those cannot relate to when right intuit!
 
ANd there may well be ways it should not be.... not sure if we are willing to have that conversation in many places yet

As an understatement is that base of ground of faith in the fates? Imagine what might happen ... quantum item!
 
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