Zoom Inclusion Ministry: When a wave becomes a hug!
Drawing by Nathan Heigert
This Guidebook is an offering from the community of the Starr King UU Church (Hayward, CA) and the National Zoom Inclusion / Multiplatform Ministry Community to yours. These are lessons we’ve learned in how to strengthen connection and community. Let’s connect across congregations to help each other do multiplatform inclusion better and learn how it strengthens our other justice work.
Multiplatform worship is the way of the future! It’s flexible and it protects the health of our most vulnerable members. And this isn’t just about worship. It affects all aspects of congregational life. Multiplatform competency positions us to adjust quickly as global and local health conditions change, and strengthens our communities not just for the remote participants but for everyone. Online communities are expected by younger people and are often a key source of connection and support. This is a step toward an interactive online presence.
Our Zoom inclusion project has given us opportunities to recognize how we can unknowingly and completely unintentionally send messages of exclusion (e.g. “you’re invisible”, “you’re not important”) that contradict the messages of love and worth that we want to send. It’s a way of learning about microaggressions without the defensiveness that term can produce. It helps us get past the belief that “we welcome everyone” to see ways in which we are not welcoming and address them lovingly. We want to welcome everyone who shares our values. This project helps us move closer to that ideal by learning about some of the obstacles and embracing the personal, cultural, and institutional changes required to create full inclusion.
How to Use This Guidebook
We invite you to assemble a team to learn together by going through this guidebook, evaluating where you can improve inclusion, then implementing what you have learned.
Your team should include one or two from each group. Choose people who are committed to the Zoom Inclusion Ministry (ask each person “Why does inclusion matter to you?”), and will also work well on a team (good boundaries and clear communication).
- “Zoomies” — online participants
- “Roomies” — in person participants
- Tech Team members
- Worship Team members (including the minister, if you have one)
Connect with Others
Join the National Zoom Inclusion / Multiplatform Ministry Community. We meet monthly. Join the UU Zoom Inclusion google group to get meeting notices and correspond with other community members.
Share Your Congregation’s Success Stories with “Congregational Interconnections”
Stories, resources, and practices shared by congregations in the spirit of creativity, group learning, and emerging practices. Consider sharing yours!