Outdoor worship for May 31

Our service for today is online. This is an edited version with some parts removed to protect privacy, such as prayer concerns, which I am unwilling to put on the internet. 

To view directly on YouTube, simply click here. 

Subsequent videos of the playlist should play automatically in sequence.

How to view this on your TV:

• On your PC or smart phone, go to the first video in the playlist and click "subscribe" to the YouTube account.
• On a smart TV, install or open the YouTube app and navigate to your YouTube subscription list. Select Greenbrier United Methodist Church and then navigate to this playlist, May 17, 2020, and tell it to play.
• On a streaming device such as a Roku or Fire Stick, follow the same steps as above.

Some smart phones will cast a video directly to a smart TV also. But usually there are several steps that have to be done to set it up.

A reminder that sometimes YouTube inserts ads before the videos of the playlist, such as the music ones, that are hosted elsewhere on YouTube. We have no control over that!

Everyone have a blessed day!

Outdoor Worship May 31!

This Sunday, May 31, I will hold a charge-wide, outdoor worship service on the grounds of Greenbrier UMC. Please read this post carefully for details!

WHEN: 10 a.m. May 31. Please note that it will begin at 10 a.m., 10 a.m., 10 a.m.!

WHERE: Lower parking lot of Greenbrier UMC. Park in the upper lot. Dropping off passengers at lower lot is okay.

WHO: For anyone of Greenbrier and Gideon UMCs. Please wear red for Pentecost! 

WHAT will happen: 

• It will be an abbreviated service of less than one hour. 
• We will not use bulletins or hymnbooks. Elizabeth Webb will play keyboard on site and we will sing hymns by request, first verse or so. 
• There will be a giving station for tithes and offerings, no plates will be passed. 
• Did I mention that the service will start at 10 a.m.?

COMMUNION: I will use the prepackaged, single-unit wafers and juice. No one will have touched them, including me, when you receive it. You may take Communion-wafer cups to other persons of your household when we depart.

HEALTH SAFETY:

• Please bring a folding chair or lawn chair to use.
• Members of same households may sit together. Use safe distancing between households.
• Wearing of masks: 
• Being outdoors is an extremely low-risk environment for catching the Covid virus. 
• The Greenbrier UMC Church Council agreed on May 27 that wearing masks will not be required but safe distancing and other safe practices must be followed. 
• Persons wishing to use a face mask should do so.

By the way, the service will start at 10 a.m.!

VIDEO ONLINE WORSHIP: We will video the outdoor service – it begins at 10 a.m. – and will use parts of it for the online video worship. That means that the video will not be available for viewing until later in the afternoon. I will email everyone when it is online. Please remember that the permanent web address for our online worship is: https://gumc-gideon-worship.blogspot.com/

REMEMBER TO WEAR RED FOR PENTECOST!

I look forward to worshiping with you in person – though still “distanced” – this Sunday!

Our service for today is online. 

To view directly on YouTube, simply click here. 

Subsequent videos of the playlist should play automatically in sequence.

How to view this on your TV:

• On your PC or smart phone, go to the first video in the playlist and click "subscribe" to the YouTube account.
• On a smart TV, install or open the YouTube app and navigate to your YouTube subscription list. Select Greenbrier United Methodist Church and then navigate to this playlist, May 17, 2020, and tell it to play.
• On a streaming device such as a Roku or Fire Stick, follow the same steps as above.

Some smart phones will cast a video directly to a smart TV also. But usually there are several steps that have to be done to set it up.


A reminder that sometimes YouTube inserts ads before the videos of the playlist, such as the music ones, that are hosted elsewhere on YouTube. We have no control over that!

Everyone have a blessed day!

Worship for May 17 is online here

Our service for today is online. For some reason I cannot get it to play today while embedded here.

To view directly on YouTube, simply click here. Subsequent videos of the playlist should play automatically in sequence:

How to view this on your TV:

• On your PC or smart phone, go to the first video in the playlist and click "subscribe" to the YouTube account.
• On a smart TV, install or open the YouTube app and navigate to your YouTube subscription list. Select Greenbrier United Methodist Church and then navigate to this playlist, May 17, 2020, and tell it to play.
• On a streaming device such as a Roku or Fire Stick, follow the same steps as above.

Some smart phones will cast a video directly to a smart TV also. But usually there are several steps that have to be done to set it up.

A reminder that sometimes YouTube inserts ads before the videos of the playlist, such as the music ones, that are hosted elsewhere on YouTube. We have no control over that!

Everyone have a blessed day!

May 10 Worship Online!

Happy Mothers Day to everyone!

Our service for today is embedded below. Please click the play button. I recommend viewing full screen.



To view directly on YouTube, click the link below to the first video. Subsequent videos of the playlist should play automatically in sequence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TeISUnwnOs&list=PLhUmKHi6TDbzmqKjlclUn_apcgYv-usgr

How to view this on your TV:

• On your PC or smart phone, go to the first video in the playlist and click "subscribe" to the YouTube account.
  
• On a smart TV, install or open the YouTube app and navigate to your YouTube subscription list. Select Greenbrier United Methodist Church and then navigate to this playlist, May 10, 2020, and tell it to play.
  
• On a streaming device such as a Roku or Fire Stick, follow the same steps as above.

Some smart phones will cast a video directly to a smart TV also. But usually there are several steps that have to be done to set it up.

A reminder that sometimes YouTube inserts ads before the videos of the playlist, such as the music ones, that are hosted elsewhere on YouTube. We have no control over that!

Everyone have a blessed day!

May 3 Online Worship is here!

Please click the play button in the embedded video below. I recommend viewing full screen.

To view directly on YouTube, click this link to the first video. Subsequent videos of the playlist should play automatically in sequence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJhaktz1DmM&list=PLhUmKHi6TDbwwYPBgylcV2m5-CEGMGRZU.


How to view this on your TV:

1. On your PC or smart phone, go to the first video in the playlist and click "subscribe" to the YouTube account.
2. On a smart TV, install or open the YouTube app and navigate to your YouTube subscription list. Select Greenbrier United Methodist Church and then navigate to this playlist, May 2, 2020 and tell it to play.
3. On a streaming device such as a Roku or Fire Stick, follow the same steps as above.

Some smart phones will cast a video directly to a smart TV also. But usually there are several steps that have to be done to set it up.

A reminder that sometimes YouTube inserts ads before the videos of the playlist, such as the music ones, that are hosted elsewhere on YouTube. We have no control over that!

Everyone have a blessed day!

April 26 Worship is Here!

Our worship for today is online! You may click the play button in the embedded video below or click here to see it on YouTube's site. Full screen is best!

God bless and everyone stay healthy!


A reminder that this is a playlist of a series of videos, including music videos already on YouTube. Sometimes YT decides to show short ads before those videos. We have no control over this, sorry!

Re-opening the church and how

Church council members, please think about these considerations and related things we need to be prepared for in order to re-open the church for worship and other activities. We need to plan now, not react suddenly when the green light is given! 

Please leave a comment at the bottom of this post so that all may read and consider. Here is the "brainstorming" list - you may think of others. If so, please leave as a comment. 

1. What if initially we are asked to limit gatherings in either or both of time and numbers - for example no more than 40 minutes and/or, say, 40 persons?
   
2. In worship, should we continue with passing the plate for offerings? Should we change the way we serve and receive Communion? (I have already decided that for the next Communion, whenever it occurs, I will continue with the pre-packaged cups. Also, no matter the date when we re-gather, that will be a Communion service.)
   
3. Greenbrier: when shall choir resume? Right away or delayed?
   
4. Will nurseries and Sunday Schools start right away or should we "phase in" these and other gatherings at the church? What about resuming persons or families using fellowship hall for personal gatherings such as anniversary celebrations and the like?
   
5. What is our plan to thoroughly clean the church before resuming any activities there? If we phase re-opening, should we also phase the cleaning? What is our plan to maintain that cleaning, at least for a few weeks?
   
6. Is there either a need for or a way to do "safe seating" for the first three or four weeks once we resume - meaning that households may sit with one another but different households need to sit apart? If so, how do we do that?
   
7. Related: When I give the benediction, do we need the congregation to dismiss one pew row at a time, with intervals between household groups?
   
8. Should we initially, at least, limit the length of the service even if no such guidance for that comes from above? We would have to delete elements of the service. If so, what? How long before resuming?
   
9. When and how shall committees and ministry groups resume meeting?
   
10. Do we need to do a budgeting assessment and possible revision after restarting?
    
11. How do we continue to minister to persons who choose not to return right away because of health concerns? (That we will do so is not the question, the question is how.)
    
12. Do we continue with online worship somehow? (Note: this will be extremely time consuming and if we decide to do live streaming on Sunday mornings, it will not be cheap, either. I think that in addition to hardware investment, we would need to add a paid staff position for all matters online.)

Anything else? As I said, please leave a comment! 

April 19 online worship here!

Here is our online worship for today!

A couple of things -- this is a playlist of both our original material and links to existing YouTube videos. Sometimes YT puts a brief ad in front of those videos, which you can skip. I have no control over whether those ads appear or what they are about. Sorry!

Second, if you wish to view this directly on YouTube, just click on this link.

Everyone have a great day and be filled with the grace and mercies of God!

Easter Day worship here!

Online worship here!

Just click the play icon below (I recommend going full screen). 
Or you can view directly on YouTube; full link is at the end of this post.

God bless everyone! May you all have a Spirit-filled and joyous Easter!

YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SjAWoRlfGU&list=PLhUmKHi6TDbyLbYy0-Kgh15SNNpPxGXwe&index=2&t=0s