For Crail Church Congregation
20th August 2023
You will remember that we used Minister John’s ‘outside broadcasts’ as we gradually emerged from Covid restrictions. These were projected onto a temporary screen in church; the quality not being very good because of our limited equipment, pillars obstructing view and the general brightness in church.
Since then we have been considering how technology might be better used - particularly streaming, which would enable live services to be received as video from St Ayle and indeed from other churches too. We might equally stream our own services to St Ayle - and the World!
The Church of Scotland is very keen to develop the use of streaming, to support worship, as fewer Ministers are available in the traditional Parish role. Many churches now do this routinely.
Crail Session has been considering options and opportunities for some time. At our meeting of 17th it was decided to go ahead to instal a streaming system. We do now h
ave a broadband contract with BT, with a telephone handset and broadband router installed in the hall and working well. Internet access is now available for messy church and other uses - and free WiFi too for those wishing to catch up on emails whilst enjoying coffee and cake at ChatBite on a Wednesday!!
With so many uncertainties remaining, it was thought important to be flexible and to keep options open. With this in mind a hybrid approach was felt to have value - basically to stream INTO the hall, but stream OUT FROM the church building.
This ‘hybrid’ solution, whilst maintaining the use of the Kirk Hall as a companionable venue for future development of worship, would also provide an attractive church building location from which to stream out services, weddings, funerals, concerts, large meetings or talks - and who knows what else. It would keep the church building aired and in use. It would also keep the organ maintained and in use - an organ described by Chris Bragg, du
ring the recent St Andrews Organ Week, as the most important in Fife.
Conceptually we anticipate a future mix of minister-led services in Crail, worship team-led services and streamed input.
Much work remains to realise all of this, but we will provide updates as progress is made.
On behalf of Crail Kirk Session