Wednesday Contemplative Worship
Posted to YouTube each Wednesday Afternoon
A Contemplative Worship service is recorded each Wednesday and posted to the St. Thomas YouTube Channel. Set aside 20 minutes each week to light a candle, breathe deeply, and connect with God and God's creation. A reminder email is emailed to the parish each Wednesday afternoon or click the button below to access the latest videos.
Sacred Ground
A Conversation on Race & Faith at St. Thomas
Join for one term or participate in all five terms:
Building on the success of our recent online discussion of the highly acclaimed movie Just Mercy, we are bringing a virtual formation opportunity to St. Thomas that will be highly transformative! These are challenging times we are living in. The clergy, staff and lay leadership of St. Thomas want to support our community in discovering how our Christian faith speaks to the issues of the day. One pressing in our country surrounds the subject of race. In response to growing need to discuss race within the perspective of our faith, we will be hosting a virtual formation program specifically created to encourage a diversity of viewpoints and respectful dialogue on race and faith within a Christian community.
Sacred Ground (www.episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground) is an inspiring and energizing, small group spiritual formation experience developed by respected leaders of the Episcopal church. Over the course of several months from October through June, in the context of small groups, participants in Sacred Ground at St. Thomas will be invited to walk through chapters of America's history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, spiritual practices, scriptural reflection and hope for change.
Zoom FAQ
For Sacred Ground at St. Thomas
What is Zoom?
Zoom is a web conferencing service that allows us to meet virtually. It’s free for participants to use Zoom to attend meetings* hosted by St. Thomas. Using Zoom does require the use of a device that has access to internet service or a mobile network. *Pro Zoom tip: every event held on the Zoom platform is called a “meeting.”
What type of equipment is required to use Zoom?
You can participate in Sacred Ground at St. Thomas via Zoom using an iOS or Apple smartphone or on a computer or tablet if it has a microphone and speaker, and ideally, a camera.
How do I use Zoom to participate in Sacred Ground at St. Thomas?
To virtually attend the Sacred Ground program, a few minutes before 6:30 each week, simply click the Zoom meeting link in the button above. This will open Zoom on your device and you can follow the simple instructions to join the “meeting.” You’ll find the Zoom link for Sacred Ground at St. Thomas here on this webpage, on the calendar on St. Thomas Connect, and in the weekly parish-wide email blast. The meeting link, ID and Passcode (found in the weekly parish-wide email blast) will be the same every week. If you can’t locate the link or need help using Zoom, please email our Parish Admin, Natalie, at .
I’ve never used Zoom before. Do I need to do anything in advance?
Yes. Create a free Zoom account and download the Zoom software before you join a Zoom meeting for the first time. Either click the meeting link and follow the instructions that come up or go directly to www.zoom.us/signup.
What if I’m finishing dinner, my kids/pets are being disruptive or I’m late? Can I still participate?
Of course! All participants will be automatically muted upon entry to prevent anyone from accidentally disturbing the Sacred Ground program. During all St. Thomas events on Zoom, participants will receive guidance on when to unmute (as well as support with how to unmute) when it is their turn to share in the group. If you don’t want to be visible during a Zoom gathering you can press “stop video” on your Zoom app and all other participants will only see your name until you press “start video” again.
User Tips & Recommendations
- Aim to click on the Zoom meeting link a few minutes before a scheduled event to make sure both the audio and video are working correctly on your device.
- When participating in Sacred Ground at St. Thomas, it’s important that you login each week from the same Zoom account as you will be routed to a small group that has been connected to that account.
- To help prevent disruptive audio feedback, mute your audio unless it's your turn to speak.
- If multiple people are joining a Zoom meeting from one household, it may be preferable to participate using one device together. Multiple devices logged onto the same Zoom call can disrupt the video feed and/or create audio feedback - especially in the same room. However, the experience can vary widely depending on equipment used, wifi/internet availability, and other factors. Participants from the same household will be added to separate small groups or the same small group depending on the participant preference.
Further Questions?