Each Sunday we gather to nuture our spirits through inspiring music and choral anthems; storytelling for both children and adults; time for prayer and reflection; and an intentional commitment to live our faith through action.
We continue to gather both in-person and on-line via Zoom. Zoom attendance happens through this link. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
During each service we engage heart and mind, spirit and body through a contemporary expression of the Christian faith, that includes a non-literalist interpretation of Scripture. We intentionally use inclusive language and many different congregants provide leadership during our Sunday gatherings.
We follow the seasons of the Church Year and creatively embrace a liturgy which begins by gathering as a faith community, takes time to engage with our faith story and stories, and ends by being sent to live our faith. On the first Sunday of the month we celebrate the Feast of God's Love (Holy Communion/Eucharist).
An Order of service is emailed to those on our email list. The Order of Service includes reflections, Biblical readings, words to the hymns, and important announcements about our community life. Words to the hymns and responses are also posted in the chat during the Zoom service. If you would like an order of service emailed to you, contact our church administrator at office@firstunitedchurchottawa.org
Courtesies for the on-line service
As a welcoming community for both visitors and those who attend regularly, we designate two hospitality persons each Sunday who welcome questions or comments, so feel free to send them a private chat and they will respond. They also periodically use the private chat to welcome a few people before or after the service as well as during the sharing of the peace. We also have a Zoom host to help with any technical questions you may have and this person monitors the service should anyone be intentionally disruptive. In addition:
1. We put the words of songs/hymns into the chat room as well as responsive texts and prayers to enhance participation
2. We keep everyone muted during the service to avoid inadvertent interruptions. We un-mute before and after the service.
3. We respect personal preferences for having video on or off for part or all of the service.
4. We ask that people identify themselves, at a minimum, by using their first name or initials.
Please feel free to contact our minister or church office if you want further information about our on-line services and courtesies.
Policy for On-line Service
With our move to on-line format during the COVID-19 pandemic, issues of privacy and cyber security have been introduced to Sunday morning church services. As a faith community, First United is dedicated to safeguard personal information while also promoting our tradition of openness, transparency, and welcome. As a congregation, the following guidelines inform our on-line service:
1. It is important that we be able to identify persons attending the Zoom service and request that people please use, at a minimum, their proper first name or initials.
2. For individuals who might be uncomfortable to self-identify on-line, they can indicate such to the minister to make other arrangements.
3. To ensure that we know who is participating in the service on an on-going basis, our hospitality persons may contact anyone unknown to them by using the private chat feature, particularly if there is no video and the name is unrecognized
4. If a participant does not respect the courtesies of our on-line community, we reserve the right to remove them from the on-line service.