Dear friends,
It is good to be back after some time away. I enjoyed a few days in Florida photographing birds. It was really the first time I’d been out with my camera since my Alaska trip in August 2019. I’m still sorting through photos, but I’ll post a few of my favorites below.
We are hosting Family Promise the week of May 16. Once again because of Covid the families we serve are staying in place and the host congregations come to them. The families are now at Roswell Presbyterian Church, which is not far across the river. These are the things we still need for the week: salty snacks and disposable silverware (bring to St Dunstan’s) and someone to spend the night Friday, May 21; and Saturday.May 22. You can sign up to help by clicking the SignUp Genius button on our website, www.stdunstan.net. Thanks to everyone who has already volunteered.
And here is the link to RSVP for church this Sunday: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F49ACA822A1FD0-church9
I hope we will have something new up and running by Sunday. One of the prime frustrations for you and for me during the past year has been the quality of sound in our online services, and now also in the church. Since we want to continue streaming online even after things are back to “normal,” we are having a new sound/video system installed this week. There will be a remote-control operated camera mounted above the exit sign over the red doors. We will also have a laptop from which to stream the service, new speakers, new microphones, and the mixer boards for all of them.
Some of it may take getting used to. For example, every sound person I have had come look at the church immediately says our speakers are in the wrong place. The speakers should be behind the speaker so that the sound is all coming from the same direction. That means we will have two speakers mounted on the wall behind the altar. They will be thin ribbon style speakers that are the same color as the wall. They should be unobtrusive and we should get used to them quickly.
The other change is the microphones that Maggie and I wear. They are lapel mikes. They work well if you don’t turn your head, but the moment you do you are no longer speaking into the microphone. So we are getting mikes that hook over the ear and come around to the face. When we move the mike will move with us. A lot of churches are using these now. I have been resistant to them, but Darren, the man who is installing the system, convinced me that the improvement in the sound would be worth it.
The new system also will work with our Loop Hearing System, for those who are using that. (The Loop system sends the sound directly to your hearing aids).
We are investing a significant amount of money in this, but our hope is that it will improve the quality of the sound both for those who are physically sitting in church and those who are participating online.
I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
