From Room to Zoom! by Vicky Pitner It has been a year since Connections – the respite program of First United Methodist’s memory ministry – met inside the church building. In-person gatherings present a risk for increasing the spread of COVID-19, so to keep our participants, volunteers and staff safe during this pandemic, we have been gathering virtually. Comments such as “It’s just not the same” or “I miss everyone” are not uncommon as we continue to struggle with a need to be together in the church building. Connections has meet outside once for a drum circle with plans to offer this again soon. The facilitators did home visits during the winter to deliver a holiday gift to the participants, but remained outside and quietly drove off in the night to assure the secret mission was successful. So until we can reconvene in person for Connections let’s take a moment to really look at why we began to gather in the first place and to decide if we have been successful transitioning from a room in the church building to a Zoom virtual platform. In The Art of Gathering author Priya Parker explains how we met, and why that matters. The book explores the paradox of gathering. Why were we really gathering in the first place? Was Connections created because we needed one another? To have lunch together? Or did we begin gathering to show strength and share joyful moments? In order to assess our success with our transition to a virtual setting, we must ask ourselves: what was/is the purpose of our gatherings? Until we fully understand why we began gathering in the first place, we can let faulty assumptions dictate the form of our gathering and miss the real purpose of why we developed Connections. Ms. Parker suggests that when seeking the answer to why we gather for any occasion, such as a book club or family event, we often answer with what we are supposed to do at the gathering. To read a book or to celebrate Uncle Joe’s birthday seems reasonable. But until we examine the real reason why we gather, we may forgo the opportunity of creating and experiencing memorable events. So why does Connections gather? Is it to exercise, create art or talk about what’s new? Do we gather to do things or is it really the deeper reason to continue our Memory Ministry’s mission of connecting family, friends and faith? If that is why we gather, then our transition from “Room to Zoom” has been successful. Each week, our activities are designed for participants, volunteers and staff to feel the connection with each other, as we share music, prayer, poetry and wonderful adventures while embracing a community of faith. So thanks to all our family members, volunteers, special guests and participants that join Connections on Monday mornings. Our gatherings are at the heart of why we are all still connected. ***Connections, the respite program in our memory ministry, supports individuals and their families living with memory challenges provide opportunities for self-expression and connecting friends, family and faith. If you, a friend or family member living with memory loss would be interested in learning more about the Connections Zoom group, please contact Vicky Pitner at vpitner@fumc.org.
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