Monday 31 December 2012

Random Thoughts on Recording a Service

A couple of weeks ago I asked for a bit of advice about recording services.  Part one of this post is a "how to" based on the system that Lane End church uses.  Part two is some discussion on the future.

Part one.

Lane end, like many congregations has a set of microphones that are connected to a simple mixer and amplifier.  The output is sent to the speakers in the sanctuary, with another channel being sent round the T-loop system to work with hearing aids.  A third channel was sent out to a tape recorder.  After the service, tapes were duplicated in an industrial duplicator, (a donation from a few years back) before being passed round the housebound.

Unfortunately, despite as much love and attention that could be given to the duplicator, it started to break down.  Someone donated a PC with the aim that it be used to record the service digitally and to distribute CD's instead of tapes.  The first PC was a bit old for the job, but at least proved the concept worked, so the decision was made to purchase a new laptop. The laptop needed software to record the service, and for your recordings I'd recommend Audacity which is free and open source.  The laptop came with Cyberlink power2go which was used to burn CD's.  To speed things up, a CD duplicator was acquired which meant that after the first CD was burnt, a further four could be burnt at once, three in the duplicator and one in the laptop.

So to recap.  You need:
A spare line out from your amplifier.
A PC with a line in.  (The microphone socket will often work as a line in)
Audacity software for the recordings.
Cd burning software if it's not already on your laptop
A CD duplicator

Part 2
Burning CD's has a cost attached, so we had some discussion about saving the service as an MP3.  Instead of burning CD's, the service could be loaded onto some sort of MP3 player.  The problem with MP3 players is, they are either too fiddle for people with restricted dexterity or vision, or just too complicated for people to use.

My first thought was an Ipod shuffle.  It's got a big play/pause button in the middle, but the buttons for volume are just a bit wee.  Next thought was a Creative Zen Stone as the buttons are a bit bigger.  The end user could have the choice of playing back through a set of headphones or a set of docking speakers.  The final option was to load the service onto a USB stick and play it through something similar to one of these MP3 players from the RNIB.  Whichever option is selected, it's just a case of copying the recording onto the MP3 player.  Note that some DAB radios or stereo systems have USB MP3 playback.  Your congregation may already have a means of playback, without them even knowing.

One other option is to load the service onto the church website as a download. 

As a trial measure, the Lane End will be asking for donations of MP3 players.  As many people now use their phones for their music, they may have perfectly good MP3 players sitting in a drawer unused. 

The important thing is to find out what the end user would prefer.  I know that for some, the CD will remain their preferred option, while there are other people who are already comfortable using Ipods.   Just because people are old or housebound does not mean they are afraid of technology. 

More important than tapes, CD's, or MP3's (or even wax cylinders) however, is that the housebound are still active members of our congregations.  It's important that someone is visiting and ensuring they are still part of the Christian community.   The recording of the service is just a bonus.

If you want advice, leave a comment and I'll see what I can do.



Boring Legal Bit.  Make sure you are licensed to record and distribute services.

Tuesday 25 December 2012

Merry Christmas!

The title says it all.  Have a good one.

The Fifty Acts will resume in the new year.

P.S. Sprouts are evil.


Sunday 23 December 2012

Fifty Acts 19. New Beginnings

This afternoon I visited a church building that is starting over again.  Lots of things have been said about this situation, and I'm not going to add to it here.  This post serves as a placeholder for entry number 19 in my public blog.  The rest will go in my private journal.

I genuinely wish both congregations well.

Fifty Acts 18. The Unstoppable Congregation

Sometimes things go wrong for a congregation.  But the congregation I visited today has a history that involves buildings that have suffered from massive repair bills, flooding and fire.  No plague or pestilence, fortunately.  Despite the occasional misfortune, they are a friendly bunch and their congregation has quite literally, risen from the ashes.

My initial plan for the day follows in Fifty Acts 19, but I took the opportunity of a trip west to visit with a friend who is on placement at Langside.  We were both at the same enquirers conference, and one of these days, when the weather is a bit nicer she can have a hurl on my motorbike.  Today wasn't exactly biking weather, making the trip over the Forth and Kingston Bridges a time to hold tight and pray for deliverance. 

You can tell how the rest of the service will run at a church by the quality of the welcome.  A quick test.  Your church has a rota for people who are allocated to be the welcomer at the door.  If these people were not there, would a visitor to your congregation be welcomed by anyone?  If your visitor is welcomed without the need for a welcomer, then you can truly call yourself welcoming.  Some congregations with welcomers are still not welcoming.  Some without welcomers are the most welcoming.  Langside, I am pleased to report had welcomers and was exceptionally welcoming.


The church is a pleasant community space, well laid out and accessible.  I managed to sit down in the sanctuary, and had obviously got there without casting my gaze above my eye level when I looked up and BANG! This hit me.  In a building with mostly plain white walls, this interpretation the Last Supper jumps out.  It's a striking piece of art that is challenging, but sits well within the space.  There's so much in it, I couldn't help but cast an occasional glance at it throughout the service.  The original was destroyed in the recent fire, so the artist, Stuart Duffin replaced it.   Click here for more information about the Last Supper II..

I'm hoping for another chance to visit Langside.  If only to have another look at what has become one of my favourite paintings. And on a day as foul as today, it's good to know that a strong congregation can weather the storm.

Friday 21 December 2012

21/12/12 - End of the World


By the end of today you will be sick hearing this on the radio.
So you can have it here instead.


So unless the Mayans got their sums wrong, I'll see you tomorrow.

P.S. What if the Mayans weren't using GMT.  It's been the 21st for 21 hours, has anyone heard from Australia..?

Wednesday 19 December 2012

Sunday 16 December 2012

Fifty Acts 17. Going Round the Bend.

Mrs G. has an exam tomorrow, so I decided to get out of the house to give her peace to revise.  So while she went off to do her thing, I went into Edinburgh to Bristo Baptist Church.  They claim to be the second oldest Baptist congregation in the UK, and they can trace their history back to at least 1765.

I've been working in Edinburgh for years, and I've always thought Bristo Baptist looked an odd shape from outside.  The building fills a corner plot, which was originally intended to complete the row of houses on Buckingham Terrace, and I've always wondered if the sanctuary has a bend in the middle.  Well today I found that there is one end for halls and the other for the sanctuary.  If you like your thirties architecture, then this is right up your street.  It's art deco with an outstanding marble baptistry that sits in the centre.  The pews have been removed, allowing a worship space with flexible seating, an area for the children to play, and a separate area with a small kitchen and a couple of sofas.  I thought the reformers banned comfortable seating...

This wasn't a church that I could sneak into.  I was welcomed by everyone.  The congregation wasn't that large, but they had a genuine warmth, and everyone circulated and chatted with friends.  There seemed little discussion about the business of the church, and more about the life of the community. 

In his sermon, the preacher told of his time as a student in England where he would go to different churches (with you there, bro) and noted the community spirit in each.  One large church formed into closed circles after the service, so for him to join in a discussion, he would have to break in.  Yet at another smaller church, where there were just as many dogs in attendance as there were humans, the welcome was considerably different.  He also mentioned another church where they don't have a building, but meet over a meal at the house of a member.

It was actually one of my best visits yet, and nobody seemed to notice the time.

So how do we work towards the position where we have a large Christian community, but still retain the welcome and warmth that you can often get from smaller congregations?

*********************************

Afterwards, as I recovered my bike, there was a man nearby doing some gardening.  He was smoking a cigarette of a certain herbal variety and even downwind, it was a little potent.  This was the middle of Edinburgh, not the middle of Amsterdam.  Is it becoming more socially acceptable to have some grass as you mow the lawn?

Fifty Acts 16. Something Old at Somewhere New.

The something old being the carol service.  The first I've been to this year.  The somewhere new was New College, and the event was the end of term carol service.

The service had a lot of people involved, and while that can sometimes be a recipe for disaster, the whole service smoothly switched from person to person with no visible technical hitches.  One of the readings was given by the chap that gives speech training to ministry candidates.  As would be expected, his delivery was flawless, and I'm looking forward to taking instruction from him next year.  He certainly knows his craft well.

The acoustics in the room were less than perfect, and loud music played outside.  Despite that, the choir excelled themselves.

The sermon was given by the Right Reverend Albert Bogle, the current Moderator of the Church of Scotland.  Before his sermon, he told us that he has told many people the same thing this year, that ministry is the best job ever, and that he encouraged everyone to follow their calling.  Now there was a time not too very long ago that nearly everyone in that room would have been training for the CofS ministry, and that part of his message would have been pointless.  But as I looked around the room, there certainly wasn't the dozens of candidates that there would have been in years gone by.  So how do we get more people into the role that the Moderator, and many other ministers I have met finds so fulfilling?

Unfortunately I was having a bit of a low couple of days.  While the Mod spoke about ministry being so great, I was having a bit of a moan to Mrs G. as this  part of the training is a bit isolated.  I'm not attending a physical uni, so I don't meet my colleagues, and due to my work circumstances, I've not been able to visit New College as often as I'd like.  I'm also not part of the training networks that full time ministry candidates are involved with.  And the online forum that I set up hasn't exactly taken off.  It can be a bit lonely sometimes.

Looking around the room, there will be fewer and fewer opportunities for those gathered to join together in worship before we all go off to our respective charges.  So it's a privilege to be able to share worship at New College.

Saturday 15 December 2012

Service Recordings - Help Wanted

At the moment, Lane End church uses a PC to record the service.  This is then burned onto a CD before being put through a CD duplicator, and the CD is then sent to the housebound with a copy of the order of service.  This is a considerable improvement over the old cassette system, as the tape duplicator was on its last legs, and the congregation's tape players were suffering a similar fate.

The downside to this is that there is a cost of purchasing CD's.  One of the CD drives has died on the duplicator, and while it's a simple fix to change one of the drives, as it's just standard sata drives it uses, is there a better way?

Hosting the service on the website isn't realistic, as the intended audience doesn't have computers.  We were thinking about giving out USB drives to those who have radios with USB ports, or giving out speakers with the USB to those who don't.  My first thought was something like this and a small (1gb) usb stick.

So what does your congregation use? 

Sunday 9 December 2012

Fifty Acts 15. Just another Brick in the Wall.

I grew up in the leafy surroundings of Little Dounreay.  It's a quaint fishing village downstream from Callander. 

The parish can trace its history back to the 1100's, with he current place of worship the third to be used.  I have a personal connection to the new building because I own a brick.  They were sold in order to raise funds for the new building.  If the General Trustees ever want the building back, they are going to have to fight me for my brick.

So today I returned to Little Dounreay, and while there were a lot of new faces, it was good to see some of the faces from long ago, although we all have gained a bit of mileage. 

In her sermon, the Minister brought up the idea of looking afresh at the old familiar stories that we hear at this time of year, and that we think we know so well.  And I took the chance to look afresh at my building.  Even though it's a relatively modern building, there's been a few changes over the years.  Small tweaks as the congregation made its mark on the place.  When I first went there, any form of projection would have been unheard of.  Microphones had appeared very early, but there certainly wasn't the mixing desk  in the back row.  One thing I wouldn't mind losing is the chairs.  I'm just the perfect height for the chair back to dig into my kidneys!

But back to the Minister.  (As I visit various churches, I don't plan to comment on the preachers. I'm not going to critique people who are pretty soon going to be my colleagues.) Her delivery was absolutely outstanding.  From where we were sitting, it looked as if she rarely referred to her notes, and her style was enthusiastic and engaging.  It made me realise that I've got a long way to go before I can be that articulate.  But that's something for me to worry about when I start speech training next year.  I've certainly got another example to aspire to.

So they have my permission to keep using my brick.

In other news.  That's the essays out of the way for this term.  

Friday 7 December 2012

Fifty Acts 14. Happy Hanukkah

Well this is taking the journal in a new direction.

The speaker in tonight's service was from Jews for Jesus, an organisation that seeks to introduce Jewish people to Jesus.  (What a coincidence. I was just reading this book which deals with similar subject matter.)  The speaker gave his testimony about growing up in a Jewish household, and of his being instilled with a general distrust of Christians.  Christians were seen as the enemy, and, considering all the persecutions levied by Christians against Jewish people over the years, who can blame them. He told how he was introduced to Jesus by a friend, and how he started reading the New Testament

The speaker was an exceptionally enthusiastic evangelical preacher, and he is certainly hands on, introducing people to Jesus.  And there's a lot of family pressure to overcome when a jew converts to Christianity.  It's not just a faith you are changing, but a perception that you have to disown your family.  What Jews for Jesus teaches is that the New Testament was written by a bunch of Jews, and is written for Jews, and for everyone else. 

So it was a small service in terms of numbers in the pews, but one that was big on ideas to consider..

Thursday 6 December 2012

Fifty Acts. 13. The Word on the Street.


Last year I went out with the Street Pastors. [Mrs Gerbil enters from the left: "No you didn't, it was May."]

Back in May I went out with the Street Pastors.  (May just seems like an awful long time ago.)  Well tonight I was at the commissioning service for a group of Street Pastors in the City Centre.  You can't just turn up and put on the blue coat, and while I'd by lying if I said I knew everything teir training entailed, I remember the request for volunteers going out some months ago, so they have certainly been busy.

The service was held in the Baptist church that I visited the other week, with representatives from many of the city churches in attendance.  It seemed that every other person was wearing blue clothing, so it would have been nice if more people turned out to swell the numbers.  The thing about Street Pastors is they work in partnership with the Police and the Council to make the towns they work in a more pleasant place.  The speakers (Pastors, Council and Police) gave a good account of how the town is better since the arrival of the Pastors, and how crime has reduced.  While there was a part of me thinking that drink fueled violence is reducing because nobody can afford a pint, I have seen first hand how situations have been defused by a quiet word from a Street Pastor.  And I've certainly seen evidence of long-term pastoral relationships building up with the public and the staff of venues.


"Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

Sorry.  I can't write.  I've got an essay due on Mark 16:8 and I'm trying to argue that if one Jewish woman can testify of the death of a man then surely it must be OK for three to testify about a man's resurrection?  First century women's rights just isn't my strong point.  More coherent rambles will follow next week.

Sunday 2 December 2012

Fifty Acts. Twelve. United we Stand

Another first.  I've never been to a United Reformed service before.

The style of worship was familiar enough to anyone from a CofS background that a visitor like myself would be able to hit the ground running and not feel out of place.  The welcome was friendly and sincere, and it's a shame that I'm not going to be able to drop in more often.

Looking around the congregation, there was a strong community bond, as everyone circulated and chatted as friends before and after the service.  I was quickly introduced to a number of members of the congregation.  No hiding at the back possible today.

Like many CofS congregations, this church is in vacancy, and the service was conducted by a lay preacher.  With 1500 congregations, and only 700 ministers, the role of the lay preacher is an exceptionally important one in the URC.  The service today was a Communion service, which the preacher was allowed to conduct, something I'm not going to be allowed to do until after I lose my ministerial L plates.

Some small details of the Communion service stuck in my mind.  first of all, after breaking the bread, the servers served the congregation, then the preacher served the servers, before the server served the preacher.  Only then did we all eat together.  The same happened for the wine. It's a small detail, but I liked the togetherness of it. 

So it looks like we are all going to be short of ministers in the next few years.  I'm all in favour of pooling our resources, showing a bit of Christian unity.