God Sighting: Behind the Scenes of Online Worship
When I was a kid, I anxiously awaited the fall television season. Fall television premieres were events to me, with most shows airing the first few weeks in September. Nearly as soon as I noticed the special Fall Preview TV Guide in the mailbox, I was plotting which shows would be watched in real time. It mattered because I knew some shows would be talked about in school the next day. Remember when everything was appointment television?
Fast forward to 2020 where we’re streaming television on demand and living in Zoom boxes amid a worldwide pandemic. We were all forced to adapt, practically daily. Churches were not exempt and were faced with the dilemma of transforming the communal experience of worship to something less than, without it feeling less than.
I’ve seen a number of churches’ creative attempts at worship, drive-thru and parking lot services among them. Many churches took to the video screen and most that I have seen online have been pre-recorded.
Sheridan’s leadership determined that live, as-close-to-real-life worship would be the best direction for our community. So Jared began recruiting a team of volunteers to run camera, lights, sound, visuals and TV production. And that’s when I got the nudge to step in and help. There are at least six volunteers needed each week. And more humans will be needed when we start our hybrid services in our new Worship Center.
The seemingly unproductive romance with television eventually turned into a meaningful decision to go into broadcast journalism at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. However, after graduating my life turned to marketing, so my 20th century broadcast skills atrophied over time.
I was unequipped for the new millennia. Fortunately, Sheridan has Jared. He has the calm demeanor to take on live television and the MacGyver skills to ensure the stream gets to your screen each week. And he quickly got me up to speed and soon I was nervously producing the show with some amazing and supportive volunteers and staff.
While I appreciate the pre-recorded services, the live worship makes the Sheridan experience special to me. I believe it keeps our community strong by giving us that sense of being together in the exact time, even if we’re apart. Keeping an appointment with my Sheridan family each week has been an important aspect of 2020.
by Randy Hawthorne
Would you like to help with worship behind the scenes? We are currently in need of help with audio. If you are interested, contact Jared Rechsteiner.