Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Perhaps a number of you were able to be present or watch the service from last Sunday, June 11, 2023. It was remarkable from a couple of different perspectives. First was the age old tradition of church school graduates ‘Going Through the Gates’. A total of 15 children were eligible to go through the gates this year, significant in their journeys of faith, passing a milestone of the awareness of the power of God’s love in their lives and how to live our that love in all we do. The gates are symbolic of continual learning within our faith and of the joy of being on that journey with others. Going through the gate is not a solitary event. There are people to open the gates wide, there is the congregation witnessing the entire event, and there are classmates going through together. It is beautiful symbolism of our faith journey.
The second thing that made the service remarkable was the new power point projectors and the new worship software called ProPresenter. The two projectors, one on either side made the visual images more accessible to everyone. Being able to see the children at the front on the screen from the back of the church was wonderful. Without the screens, it was hard to see what was going on. And the new presentation software enabled the lyrics of the songs to be seen clearly allowing the congregation to sing out more effectively. The quality of the images with a variety of different camera angles on the live streaming was excellent. It all makes for a more meaningful hybrid worship experience.
In reviewing all of this with Dave Mitchell and Lauren Wasyluk today, we were able to identify a few small glitches that will be addressed, and talk about the possibilities for the future. But one thing is certain. We need to train more people to become comfortable with the new system. Actually in addition to the people who are at the cameras we need three people upstairs – one to manage ProPresenter, one to manage the sound board and one to manage the cameras. This is where you may come in. Do any of you have an interest in this ministry? Do you know of anyone who does?
Going forward this ministry is essential to the life of our congregation as we try to meet the needs of the people within the physical church but also those who are connected to us online. The session decided a long time ago that a hybrid mission and ministry for St. Andrew’s was crucial moving forward. Deep appreciation is given to those who have taken the step to make sure it happens. Chief among them has been Dave Mitchell. Others have stepped forward as well including Tyler Watson and Jim Krampien. Still others have stepped forward to help run the cameras themselves – Glenn Stewart, Garry Grant, Vitor Novaes. Deep appreciation to all of them. But we need more people – as many as a team of 12. Do you know of anyone who might be interested. The pay is nil, but the rewards are great 😊
Take good care all of you
Marty