Simonne Wood
Simonne Wood is Woodbrooke’s Programme Coordinator for Worship & Spirituality. In that role, she organises courses for the worship and spirituality programme, teaches on a…
What Happens When We Worship Online?
Thursday 3 July - Thursday 24 July 2025
The live Zoom sessions are at 19:00-20:30 (UK time) every Thursday.
Simonne Wood
,
Meeting in silence by John Perkins. Permission for use kindly given to Woodbrooke by John Perkins’ family.
Meeting together for worship is at the heart of Quaker life, but the increase in online worship has created new opportunities and raised questions about the future of this treasured practice. What does it mean for our spirituality and our communities?
In this course we will reflect on the essential nature and meaning of Quaker communal worship in the unprogrammed tradition, and consider how meeting online fits or shifts our assumptions. Over the four weeks we will explore:
• The theology of online worship (asking questions such as ‘Where is the Spirit?’ ‘What is a gathered meeting?’)
• How online meetings for worship, including blended meetings, are experienced by different Friends
• The current and future impact of online worship on Quaker faith, practice and community
This course will help deepen your understanding and experience of meeting for worship, whether you worship online or in person. We hope it will also foster mutual understanding between those who primarily attend meeting for worship in person and those who mainly worship with other Friends online.
Elders and others with responsibility for the quality of worship may also find it helpful for exploring the significance of online and ‘blended’ worship in your community.
This course will involve:
DiscussionOnline discussion forumOnline Learning MaterialsSpeakerWritten and visualZoom Session
Accessibility info:
On the booking form, there is a chance for you to let us know about any accessibility or communication adjustments that will enable you to participate more fully in the course. Automated Zoom closed captions are available for all live sessions but if you feel you require more accurate closed captioning please email us directly in addition to booking.
See more courses in this category: Spirituality & Retreats
