To do our part to help counter the spread of COVID-19, First United has adjusted our worship and outreach practices to promote physical distancing while maintaining social contact and community support as best we can.

The church building is closed to the public for the foreseeable future. We are awaiting the advice of the BC Government before reopening the building and resuming normal worship, outreach, and community services, which will fall under Phase 4 of BC’s Response to COVID-19.

We are maintaining social contact and community support by hosting online meetings every Tuesday and Friday, and online worship services every Sunday. Please subscribe to our First Word newsletter to receive the weekly links to these online gatherings.

Grace and peace to you all.

Some of you may have heard that there are strange things happening on the internet these days called Zoom-bombing. Basically, this are bored and/or angry people having too little to do and just determined to “upset others.”

But it can be disturbing, or frightening, or disgusting to have someone break in to what you think is a private event and disrupt it. (Remember this can also happen if we are meeting in a building—someone comes in and acts inappropriately!). SO, to try and reduce the chance that this will happen we are making a few changes, as recommended by Zoom specialists.

To join the worship service, click this link: https://zoom.us/j/586245135 and put int he 6-digit password distributed in the First Word email newsletter on Saturday.

When you click on the link (or phone in) you will be put into a welcome/waiting room. This is the new feature for security. I will be able to see your “ID/Name” and will click a button on my computer that will let you “in” to the service – just like our greeters make you welcome to worship at church! Microphone

Microphone: Please have your microphone MUTED once you enter the “worship service” – this will keep the confusion to a minimum.

Video: Keep your video ON as you enter the “worship service” – this will allow us to wave at one another, and to see each other – a great joy.

Other Changes: We learned so much last week. Here are a few changes you will discover:

Prayer Requests: We are going to use the Chat feature to gather prayer requests. Just before the prayers of the people we will send out a typed message asking for names and concerns to be included in the prayers for today. Please type in your requests.
If you cannot type, wave your hand and we will unmute your microphone so you can speak your requests.

Coffee Hour: There were a lot of people frustrated with the chatter last Sunday cutting off what they wanted to say—it was a little like listening to all of us talk at once. We have learned that we can cut down on that, and give you a chance to have coffee/tea/juice and conversation with just a few people—like being at a table in coffee hour. To have this happen, my program will put you into a breakout group of no more that 5 or 6 people and you can each chat to one another. BUT – I do not have control over whom you get to talk with, so be prepared to meet one another, to share your name, etc. as if you were first-time friends – or be surprised to meet someone you have seen but never talked with.

I know this is a lot to take in – and we will all be a little confused – but for safety and more effective time together, let’s try it and make this work! And remember, God is also present in the electrons and even the internet – always, God is with us, we are not alone.

Grace and peace,

~Bob Wallace