Zoom Information for Newcomers
It’s helpful to be generally familiar with the basic features of Zoom before you first login to Meeting.
Sunday Meeting for Worship begins at 9:30. Conducted in the Meetinghouse and on Zoom.
Wednesday Evening Meeting for Worship begins at 8pm and is only on Zoom
Sunday Zoom participants are seen and heard on the large screen TV in the Meetinghouse.
Please follow these important guidelines:
Prepare to reduce distractions:
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Arrive several minutes before Meeting begins. The host usually has the meeting open by 9:15.
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Observe the unbroken silence by muting your device.
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Remain muted until offering vocal ministry or upon the rise of meeting when everyone is invited to share. Zoomers can hear offerings from both other Zoomers and those in the Meetinghouse.
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Again, Zoom image is seen by all, so maintain the stillness of the worship room. All appreciate seeing you (video image or picture as well as your name) but not the distractions of movement on screen. If you must tend to personal needs, please block your video camera (found on lower toolbar). Some choose a blank screen with just your name or a pleasant picture in keeping with the spirit.
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Before offering vocal ministry, observe others standing or speaking; allow time to listen to their message; unmute to share your message, then mute again. New to Quaker Meeting? Click [here] for more information.
After Rise of Meeting
After the rise of worship and announcements are made, the meeting view will mute itself and Zoomers may talk among themselves. On the second Sunday, it is the custom of the Zoomers to continue casual conversation while those in the Meetinghouse gather for Food and Fellowship.
Ready to Attend a Zoom Meeting for Worship? [Click Here]
Zoom Tips
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Choose the “view” you prefer: Once connected by laptop or iPad, set your “view” to multi-speakers and also pin the meeting view to keep it prominent on your screen. Or you may want to use the “gallery” view at times.
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Use captions (CC) that appear on your screen to help clarify speaking voices, accepting that the sound system has limits. The window for captions can be adjusted or reduced in size with your cursor.
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No technical assistance is available from the on-site or online hosts on Sundays. Please arrange for help at other times, if you need it.
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Set-up
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Any event in the calendar marked “hybrid” invites both on-site and online participation. Volunteers in the meetinghouse set up the equipment, adjust the volumes, and assign a co-host or host before beginning. Often, the onsite system is not monitored during worship. The host or online co-host responds to distractions, re-muting anyone with an open mic. No one interrupts worship with personal messages or technical requests.
Technical Difficulties
If technical difficulties prevent anyone from signing in or hearing, prepare a backup plan in advance.
If the computers on-site are not operating, then Zoomers can worship together online for the entire service (as we do on Wednesday evenings)—if so, please continue in Zoom worship. (If the interruption is temporary, the host or co-host will use the chat for updates.)
If individually you cannot connect with the Meeting, one alternative may be to connect to another meeting worshipping online—consider other Meetings in the Quarter, for example, or perhaps Pendle Hill’s daily worship (8:30-9:10 AM ET)—and keep that worship information on hand. As with Gwynedd, knowing who is joining is helpful and you may want to “sign their guestbook” in advance, if possible.
If you cannot connect via technology, remember that your worship is shared at the allotted time by other Quakers wherever they are. As always, trouble-shoot later. Share with other Friends when opportunities arise.