“Best Practices for Online Worship: Considerations and Strategies” is the topic for a webinar offered by Discipleship Ministries with leadership by Enten Eller. The event is offer twice, on May 27 at 2 p.m. (Eastern time), register in advance at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-TmNI1wVR-ybvbwQ3Sfo2A ; and on June 2 at 8 p.m. (Eastern time), register in advance at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wtCjgIzcRh-XTjdPPKorvA . The content on May 27 will be repeated on June 2. Each webinar session is limited 100 attendees
“The global coronavirus pandemic has forced almost every worshiping community to make massive changes within a few weeks,” said an announcement. “The methods and styles of worship cherished by the church had to be left behind or adapted into a new virtual paradigm. The rapid change spurred by COVID-19 has not allowed a luxury of time to reflect on how those adaptations might be faithful to our beliefs and theology. It is a time not unlike when the Hebrew people were taken into exile in Babylon and had to create new worship styles–and a new understanding of God and God’s people–for their faith to survive. Those changes, however, are what allowed the faith to flourish in new ways.”
The one-hour webinar will address questions such as, “How do we avoid ‘spectator worship’ and keep worship the work of the people?” “What sort of technology might best fit our theology and our specific congregation’s needs?” “What are some technical and liturgical tips and tricks that can help us right now?” and “What are the learnings and gifts from this unwanted transition that inform how we think about our churches going forward?” Participants will be invited to bring their own questions as well.
Enten Eller is a tri-vocational minister in Palmyra, Pa., serving Ambler (Pa.) Church of the Brethren and the denomination’s only completely online congregation, Living Stream Church of the Brethren. He helped launch Living Stream into virtual worship space eight years ago, long before the current pandemic. He also has run his own small computer business for more than 35 years, has worked on the Annual Conference webcasts of business and worship for many years, served as director of Distributed Education and Electronic Communication at Bethany Theological Seminary until his return to pastoral ministry, and is passionate about using technology to build community in the service of the church.