All Saints, Whitby started its hybrid journey during the COVID-19 pandemic with a small but generous grant from the diocese. It began simply, with just one person running the hybrid service from their phone. The parish had tried to push itself to offer a more sophisticated experience but was limited by the number of volunteers. The parish leadership eventually settled on a middle ground, with a less complicated setup run by a group of eight to nine volunteers who rotate their duties every week so that no one is being called on more than once a month. This allows the parish to run its hybrid service every Sunday.
Although it wasn’t the initial goal, the team has found that hybrid services open the metaphorical church doors to many who would otherwise not be able to attend. Now the elderly, those with mobility issues or a lack of transit, or anyone with a barrier between them and the church are all able to attend a regular weekly service together. Even if a person were to go on vacation, they wouldn’t be severed from their worshipping community.
Many of the 20 to 30 online attendees are regulars, but there are also some new faces. People searching for a new church get a private opportunity to experience worship at the parish and learn more about the priest, the music and even the dress code, all without having to commit to coming in person. In a society where meeting people and going out is becoming more challenging, strangers of different ages and ethnicities showing interest in one’s life is often a novelty; offering that connection to all for free is invaluable. Even if people choose not to stay, it’s a good opportunity to connect with others, especially if they are otherwise going to be alone that day.
The parish also advertises its worship services to communities such as retirement homes, providing posters with tear-off tabs with the link to the livestream so that anyone interested can attend the hybrid service. Similarly, having a hybrid option available is very helpful when it comes to funerals. Anyone who can’t attend in person can still experience the closure afforded by a funeral, and families appreciate being able to see that everyone’s there in one way or another.
Attending from home doesn’t simply make someone a fly on the wall. All Saints decided to invest in the intimacy of Zoom over the impersonal nature of YouTube videos. It’s important to the team that its hybrid services have an element of interactivity, which is not available through recorded videos or platforms such as YouTube.
“One of the great things, I think, about Zoom is that there’s more connection between people who can text each other, or just text the group, and also our ability to say hi in the morning. That’s worked well for us,” says Tim Ralph, ODT, one of the church’s digital vergers who welcomes attendees and hosts the call.
The services are always live to preserve the authentic nature of in-person Sunday worship. Every parishioner, at home or in person, is a valued member of the community who should feel welcomed and involved. The chat feature of the video calls is crucial to form that connection. Before and after the service, attendees can chat amongst themselves and with the digital vergers, who can send helpful links (such as a digital guestbook survey at the end of each service or a donation page link). They have sometimes been invited to participate in the service through readings and other means. When speaking to the congregation, the priest will include those on the hybrid call, to honour their presence.
Little changes have made the hybrid service more aesthetic and welcoming. At first, no one had anticipated that viewers would want to see Communion, so the camera would pan to the windows and give the 150-year-old architecture a spotlight. To the team’s surprise, however, people did want to see their friends and others taking Communion, even if they couldn’t interact. To accommodate this desire, the server’s position was shifted during the offertory prayer to better show their face to the camera and let everyone be part of the experience.
The Rev. Jennifer Schick has even made a small tradition of giving a little wave goodbye to the camera as she leaves, and the people wave back, even though she can’t see them. “Though the wave is being shared between cameras, and Rev. Shick isn’t truly face-to-face with her online parishioners, a connection is made every week,” says Mr. Ralph.
Despite the team’s growing knowledge, the hybrid experience of All Saints is far from a polished TV program. Little accidents occur, such as a priest forgetting to turn their microphone back on, but they are all part of the authentic experience. This is far more a strength than a weakness. There’s a certain down-to-earth intimacy to hybrid services that a pre-recording without an element of interactivity simply can’t capture. During the COVID-19 crisis, the church even hosted a hybrid pancake supper through Zoom. Events like that would simply not be as interesting as a recorded video.
All Saints encourages other parishes to invest in the intimacy of Zoom over the impersonal nature of YouTube videos. With a small but dedicated group of parishioners and a friendly environment to talk and connect in, the parish is committed to connection, interactivity and community, and it will continue to provide its hybrid services going forward. No matter what circumstances or struggles its parishioners face, the parish and the community remain as accessible and inviting as they’ve always been.
Place, creation and Holy Week