Mainline

Today I'm sharing a few tips for looking good on camera.  These come from Julie Hagen who has done amazing work at Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in Washington, DC.  Julie has a background in broadcasting and is now a seminarian.  These tips are for free; you're welcome.

Perhaps that's an overstatement, but Dylan Wilson of Bearden United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, shares some of the challenges of doing online ministry with youth and young adults in this time of social distancing.  His creative work with video is bringing people into a place of participation in worship that he finds compelling.  I hope you do also!

Christmas will certainly be different this year.  Unusual pressures will be born by clergy; maybe this is a great time to check in with your local rabbi.

If online worship represents something revolutionary in the life of the Church, it will have to include music.  Amanda Udis-Kessler talks with Steve about how her church in Colorado Springs, CO, promotes congregational singing while online.

Rev. Todd Young is the rector of an Episcopal parish in Hagerstown, Maryland.  He admits his concerns about celebrating the Eucharist online and discusses how he came to terms with this new online world we're living in.

Many of us are trying to figure out how to fit in a whole new set of demands into our routine.  Trying to fit the priorities of both in-person and online worship together can be maddening.

Rev. Donna Claycomb Sokol is the pastor of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in Washington, DC.  Prior to the pandemic, this church worked to include people from all walks of life in ministry.  The mission continues with new fervor and passion, but through its online presence, the circle is drawn much wider.

What's one thing you can do today that will help you reconnect with your passion for ministry?  Let's move some furniture around!

Rev. Jake Morrill is in his 18th year as Lead Minister of a thriving congregation in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He's also a non-profit executive director, a therapist, and a clergy coach, anchored in Bowen Family Systems Theory. He teaches systems thinking through the Bowen Theory Education Center and works with clients through the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, as well as in his own private practice. This Fall, Rockridge Press will publish his book, Unlocking the Art of Forgiveness.

Rev. Rock Fremont is the pastor of Shepherd of the Hills UCC Church near Phoenix, Arizona.  His church is full of "snowbirds," residents who spend winters in Phoenix and summers elsewhere.  Not surprisingly, online worship has allowed his members to stay connected throughout the year, and has had some added benefits as well.