A Message from Kelly Bognar, Publications Coordinator
Remember when Sunday mornings were a time to escape from the technology of the workweek? We willingly silenced our phones to create a tech-free space in our Sanctuary. How things have changed in the span of a few weeks. Now we rely on technology to keep in touch with each other.
Some of us are happy and comfortable with the way UUCW is using technology for Sunday worship services. But I know many of you are frustrated with the challenges of our virtual gatherings. I’ve heard that some folks are unable to “find” the Facebook Livestream or are struggling because what helped you connect one week didn’t work on another Sunday. I hear your frustration! Please know that your UUCW staff is dedicated to addressing these technical challenges.
We currently broadcast using Zoom via Facebook Live, but we are exploring options to make it easier for our viewers. Some possibilities we are considering include: streaming the service to YouTube Live or hosting it as a Zoom Webinar with invitations. These strategies would probably come with new instructions and different features. This new virtual reality has challenged us to be more tech-savvy than we thought we could ever be, for example, we didn’t realize that high Facebook Live usage on Easter Sunday would cause such online connection problems. We will continue to explore options to improve your experience and enjoy our sacred time together.
This Sunday, April 19, we will start the Livestream with a service graphic at 9:30 am. This will give you time to secure the stream connection then get yourself a cup of coffee or tea before the service starts at 10:00 am. We want you to know that if you miss a service or if we run into difficulty broadcasting live, the service will be recorded and posted to Facebook and YouTube about an hour after it has ended. All past service recordings are added to “Sermon Archive” located on the top red bar of our website www.uucw.org Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions here.
We appreciate your patience and support and are confident that we can get our online services running smoothly! And we look forward to being back in the Sanctuary again… with our phones silenced.
