Hello All Souls!

I hope this holiday season is bringing you joy, peace, and connections! I’m writing to you from overcast O’Brien, Florida where my parents live. It’s amazing how far technology has brought us; I’m 800 miles from home and still able to join you from afar. I’ll be running the Christmas Eve Zoom from the comfort of my parent’s kitchen table. This will be our third set of Christmas eve services online, and it’s so wonderful to see you all in person or online, in the neighborhood, or from across the country.

If you are one of our Zoom congregation, whether all the time, or part time, you’re probably aware that we have social time on the same Zoom link after service. This is a small, but mighty and meaningful group who make sure our virtual community is connected. Which is why we’re officially naming our Zoom Community the Connecting Souls!

If you haven’t had a chance to stick around after virtually attending service, I hope you’ll find 10-15 minutes to do so! You’ll have a chance to meet some of our members at a distance, like Dianne, who officially joined All Souls without having set foot in the building! She’s one of our virtual hosts! You’ll chat with some of our folx who are no longer able to come in person, some who are down (but not out!) with medical issues that making coming to the building difficult, and some new people who are checking our church out online before making their way in person. This virtual version of our coffee hour in Pierce Hall happens at the same time, so come say hi and get connected with the Connecting Souls!

Thanks to a Beckner grant, the church will be purchasing a third Owl Conferencing Camera System which means we are going to be able to run multiple hybrid meetings at the same time! As we move into 2024, I ask our lay leaders to consider all the ways we can further bring the Connecting Souls “into” the building and further enable connections and relationships to blossom. Having a meeting? Consider a hybrid option – it’s becoming that much easier at All Souls to do so. We even have church Zoom accounts (licensed for no timed meeting limits) to use with the Owl Systems! When you’re planning events, social justice work, and other activities, ponder the ways in which our congregation at a distance is able to participate.

My gentle challenge to you in this new year is to meet one new person at church over Zoom, and to find a way to socialize/connect with that person.

Meet for coffee in person or online. Play a game together. Arrange to watch service together from home. With the worst of the pandemic over, it’s been easy to walk away from Zoom happy to not need it any more. It’s important to remember that not everyone is able to do so. Let’s find ways to bridge the divide and be Connecting Souls together!

Let’s Connect Soon!

Rose Eaton
Membership & Communications Manager