2020 Virtual General Assembly Technology Manual by CC Hyman Company

The Church of the Living God, The Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Inc.

Annual General Assembly

V I R T U A L JULY 19-28, 2020

GRACE ROMANS 4-8

VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY PROTOCOL MANUAL

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Psalm 32:8

A PRE- GENERAL ASSEMBLY

TECHNOLOGY PREPARATION MANUAL

Google Classroom Join Code:Â fgskgxx

WHAT'S INSIDE

Instructional videos on how to make the most of this year's virtual assembly can be found in our 2020 Virtual General Assembly Virtual Classroom. You may also find other resources there which our Chief Overseer wants to share. We will also ask that pictures be uploaded there or videos that you would like to be a part of our finale video presentation.. Please go to classroom.google.com and select join class and enter the access code. The access code to join our church online class is:

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AND THEN IT HAPPENED HERE WHAT NEEDS EXPLAINING?

THE VIRTUAL CHURCH EXPERIENCE THE ZOOM MEETING: PRESENTERS AND PARTICIPANTS

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www.clgpgt.org

VIRTUAL DELIVERY: ZOOM AND SCREENCASTIFY PRESENTERS AND PARTICIPANTS FORMS, FEES AND ORDERS THE COMPLETED REGISTRATION PACKAGE THE NEW CHURCH APP

AND THEN IT HAPPENED HERE Introduction: Why This Manual Exists

Our world is undergoing a dramatic change. Many of us are watching the changes unfold from frontrow seats in our homes. Our minds are full of newstories and uncertainty from world leaders about a novel virus. Today, our conversations and our way of life are so different from the way they were just a few months ago. From disease to protests, to natural distasters, we are facing so much unrest in our society. As Christians, when trouble rises, we draw nearer to God and find our way to the alter to surrender ourselves to the safe arms of God who has proven Himself to be a comforter, a healer and a refuge. We run to our churches to find solace in the fellowship of saints and the in biblical words of our pastors and church leaders. For the first time in many of our memories, the church doors have been closed by mandate of the state as requirements of social distancing and safety are paramount. COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus. Novel means it is a new coronavirus that has not been previously identified. The virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold. On February 11, 2020 the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease that is causing the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, first identified in Wuhan China. The new name of this disease is coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. In COVID-19, ‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as “2019 novel coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV”.There are many types of human coronaviruses including some that commonly cause mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19 is a new disease, caused by a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans. Everyday, the number of cases of COVID-19 are increasing. At the time of writing this publication, over 120,000 people have lost their fight against Covid19 and over 2 million cases exist in the United States. There is no cure and the impact of the disease on African-Americans is greater than most other ethnic groups. As Christians, concerns over the transfer of the virus at church gatherings have been overwhelming. Some pastors who have refused to close their church doors have lost their lives. If we've ever needed the Lord before, we do need him now! We are reminded that the word of God says in Isaiah 26:3, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee." The "virtual" church gives church leaders an opportunity to keep God in the forefront of the hearts and minds of people, even though we can't physically come together for worship. How do we deliver biblical teachings in times like these? This manual has been created to help you, as pastors, church leaders and members, continue to stay connected virtually to your members and congregation. This model is being put together to demonstrate what virtual worship, church and conferencing looks like in the time of closures for pandemics or emergencies. Many of the tools and practices covered in this manual will help you stay connected during the pandemic and will serve you well even after this is over. This manual will take you through eight areas of very specific information. There are also supplemental training videos on using the technology in our Virtual General Assembly Google Classroom. This manual is intended for you to read and to use to prepare you to participate with the technology you own for virtual online meetings and conference delivery.

We are living in a technological world. Advances in technology are moving at lightning speed. If we don't move with the technology, we will be left behind. There are computer programs out there that literally take the tasks that we labor over for hours and completes the tasks in seconds. There are platforms out there that make the task of having a meeting or conference with people who are in different states seem like they are right next to you. People are meeting with their teams or committees virtually and finishing the business of the church organization without ever having to leave their homes or change out of their pajamas. Is it the ideal situation for churches? Of course not. The "gathering together" can not be erased, but it can be altered during a pandemic. The Virtual Church Experience requires a presenter (you), a session format and material (this) and equipment and software (that). Finally you need an audience which is "all in" to listen, learn, contribute and provide feedback. There are specific tools needed at each level of this model and they are listed in the infographic on this page. Pre-recorded videos, screen casting, VIDS (Virtual Information Delivery Systems) all allow you to participate in and deliver spiritual experiences such as church services or conferences for larger audience exposure. While you cannot physically duplicate yourself to be available all times of the day for members who want to participate in your virtual church gatherings, you can duplicate yourself virtually using various application programs. You can provide bible schools, sermons, and church training sessions virtually for your leaders in ministry and so much more. By recording the online sessions and giving members the option of watching later, you can eliminate total absences for many who may have time conflicts. When the church is closed, the members are home, and you still feel the weight of doing the work of your calling in the ministry, you can make it happen virtually. The next section will delve into what you can expect from a virtual church experience and its advantages.

THE VIRTUAL CHURCH EXPERIENCE The Advantages

Just like your weekly church service or annual conference follows a standard format, your virtual church experience events have to follow a sequence, but will not be exactly the same as the face to face experience. For various, reasons, there are some things you will just not be able to accomplish during a virtual session. No one will hear you say "Amen" and many will not hear your moment of praise because you will probably be on mute. However, there are ways to have your comments and "hallejuahs" expressed, but it will be different. While you will lose some of the favorable elements of face to face meetings, you will also recognize the advantages of making the best of the virtual church experience. Here are just a few noted advantages. PERSONALIZATION During the virtual church experience online, as a participant, you will be able to see and fellowship with the members prior to the moment the event starts. You can wave, make comments in the chat area and even, unmute your microphone to let Sis. Donna know how much you like her big yellow hat. You can dress up or dress down, the choice is yours. If you are plan to only listen, but don't want to be seen because you really don't want to style your hair, you can mute your video. You can use the custom background provided by the event organizers so that partitcipants don't see your personal space or you can position yourself right in the middle of your newly furnished living room to "low-key" show it off. It's your experience. It's your choice. MORE EXPOSURE TheÂ second advantage of the virtual church experience, is that you are not limited to location. People from all over the United States and abroad can join in, if they have permission to join from the organizer. Permission can be granted through proper registration or individual approvals to join the event. You will find that people will register and join your event just for the convenience of it. Members, past and present, whom you haven't heard from in forever, will suddenly show up and have an opportunity to partitcipate in the sessions. SAVES MONEY The funds that would normally go toward transportation to the event, staying in a hotel, catering, eating out, purchasing new clothes for the event, etc. can be reallocated. Perhaps you will use the savings to give more in the offering or to finally splurge and purchase a hat to go with your conference t-shirt. On the flip side, the event organizers save money as well. The funds spent for renting meeting rooms, publishing printed literature, air-conditioning, water, lights can all be reallocated to the needs of the church, it's members and its facilities. In essence, the virtual church experience can be consistent with your church decrees and follow your standard general church protocols, all while practicing safety. You can have a great virtual experience as long as you are open to gathering in your own personal space, grabbing your device, and letting God have his way. The event organizers and your tech team can successfully create a consistent and scalable church event that will be enjoyed by all. The next sections review what you need as participants and presenters in this 2020 Virtual General Assembly. 7

THE ZOOM MEETING: PRESENTERS AND PARTICIPANTS A Foundation for Sharing Information, Documents and Feedback

During your virtual church event, the following technologies will be used at some point and it is best that you know what they are and be prepared to manage them (as presenters) or view them (as participants). Zoom (Video or Dial In Options Available) Screencastify (Optional for pre-recording sermons or presentations) Google Classroom Google Slides Google Docs Google Sheets Google Forms Church Website CLGPGT Phone App Zoom is the most popular online video conferencing platform with real-time messaging and content sharing. Google Classroom is a free web service, developed by Google for schools and organizations, that aims to simplify creating, distributing, and grading assignments in a paperless way. The primary purpose of Google Classroom is to streamline the process of sharing files between people. Instead of using PowerPoint which is program you have to purchase, we will be using the free apps offered with Google. They are Google Slides, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Forms. The advantage of all these apps is that they are free and they offer collaboration with others while working in these applications. Two or more people can work on a document, slide presentation, and spreadsheet at the same time. They see what you are doing and you see what they are doing in real time. Google Forms is an application used to collect information in the form of surveys and feedback forms. They can also be used as an assessment measurement program. Finally during the conference, you will be using the church website and a new app we have developed for our 2020 General Assembly to ensure the schedule is update to date and you can get where you need to be virtually with a touch of a button. Please know, to attend the 2020 Virtual conference, you will need a computer OR a tablet (Android or Apple) OR a smartphone. Your conference organizers have determined through the use of a Google Form Survey, that every member has at least one of these devices. So let's dive a little deeper into the technology.

PRESENTER VS PARTICIPANT

If you are a Presenter, you must prepare for your virtual session just like you would do during a face-to- face conference. Your session topic and scripture reference should be submitted to the technology team at least two days prior to the day you are presenting. If you plan on preparing your own slideshow presentation to go with your session, you can either share it with the tech team or present your screen during your session time. You also have the option of using Screencastify to record your entire session to include your face and your screen, if showing slides. This is optional. If you are joining by phone and you are a presenter, If your role is a participant in the conference, you only need to be present at the sessions you want to attend. You can use the schedule in the conference app to decide where you need to be and at what time. Familiarize yourself with the Zoom controls so that you can mute and unmute video and audio, chat, and use the other features of Zoom.

SCREENCASTING

PRE-RECORDING YOUR SERMONS VERSUS PRESENTING LIVE WITH ZOOM Screencastify (Optional) Goal: Pre-Recorded Video Lesson or Sermon

When using Screencastify, please know you are providing a lesson that has been prerecorded. Once shared, the recording has you, the presenter, duplicated for your participants, delivering content. They can watch the recording over and over again. They can rewind the part they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand or fast forward through the parts they have mastered. The recorded lesson can have a small preview of you with the content (Slides, Video, Doc) on the screen. You are talking over the lesson you are presenting. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just like when you are in the classroom. They hear your voice and they are able to follow along with whatever you have on the screen. With the free plan, you have five minutes of recording time. If you plan to record in increments of five-minute chunks, you can divide your lesson into digestible chunks from the beginning.

ZOOM Goal: Live Lesson/Session with Participants Zoom allows you to have a real-time session with your participants. They are given a code or link to join your session and you are able to talk to them, see who is present (do a virtual roll call), chat questions, share slides or information on your screen. Participants receive immediate feedback right on the screen. Because everyone sees the questions being asked in the chat area, other participants benefit from this type of session because you are right there with them to answer their questions immediately. This format can be used 1:1 or 1:100, meaning you can meet with a single participant or many. Finally, you have the option of recording your Zoom session as well. This recording will be used for anyone who was absent from the meeting. You can host as many as 250 participants in one session.

Delivery of Information

Online

Information/Concept Exploration

Video Lectures, Content rich websites, Online Chats

Reflection/Evaluation Vidieo Chats, 1:1 Meets, Google Forms

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Experiential Engagement

Creation activities, Games, Online Chats, Experiments

Material

Evaluation

Demonstration and Application

Live Experience

Personalized projects and presentations

Opportunities to Practice

RETRIEVING AND COMPLETING GENERAL ASSEMBLY FORMS

During a virtual conference, there is no offering plate being passed around for you to give to the church. There is no registration office where you can go and pay your registration fee and buy your conference gear. There is no waiting line outside of the office where assessments are paid. This year, everything is being paid and submitted through the postal mail service. Pastors or pastors' designees are responsible for sending in the following forms: the Presiding Elders Quarterly, General Assembly Fiscal Year Report and the License Fee Form. All forms needed for the General Assembly can be requested on the General Assembly page of the website or by emailing Elder Samuel Furlow at clgpgtdurm92@gmail.com.

REGISTRATION, ASSESSMENTS, OFFERINGS AND SBS ORDERS Registration

Registration opens June 28, 2020 online at www.clgpgt.org. Each individual planning to attend the virtual conference should complete a registration. Underage children may be registered on the same form as the adult participants. During your registration, you may also purchase the 2020 conference shirt and hat. These supplies are limited so once they are sold out, there are no extras. All who plan on attending the 2020 Virtual General Assembly are asked to complete their registration online. Print a copy of your registration confirmation receipt and give a copy of your receipt and your payment to your pastor. Pastors are asked to deposit the payments in your local church account and then write one check for all registrations from your church band.

Offerings The church benefits from your generous offerings and donations. Please plan to submit an offering from your church members and include in your registration package.

Sunday Bible School Books Order An email was sent out to all church bands with an email on file with information on the process for changing Sunday Bible School Book orders, If there are no changes and your order will remain the same, you may pay the online invoice you receive from the church using a debit/credit card or you may mail in a cashier's check for the amount due to Bishop George Lockhart at PO Box 530763, Lake Park, Florida 33403.

IMPORTANT: Before the Virtual General Assembly, each church is responsible for mailing a completed registration package which includes all fees and General Assembly forms to the Office of Registration. The pastor or approved designee should mail the registration package for their church band to: The Church of the Living God The Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Inc. Atttention: Office of Registration PO Box 830384 Tuskegee, AL 36083 Your registration package should include: 1) A copy of all the registration receipts for each member of your church who has registered 2) A single church check that represents the total amount for all member registrations 3) The Completed Elder's Quarterly Report 4) The Completed General Assembly Fiscal Year Report 5) A single check for all assessment payments for all members of your church 6) License Fee Form and check for payment 7) Offerings for the General Assembly If you have any questions about this process, please email us at clgpgt@bellsouth.net

THE NEW CHURCH APP Our Newest Technology Addition

We now have an app for the Church of the Living God The Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Inc. You can now download the app for Android and Apple devices in the Google Play store and it is also available on iTunes! This app has been designed so you can carry our church with you everywhere you go. One of the biggest benefits of having a mobile app is that all the information you'd like to provide to your members and potential members – including the schedule for the Virtual General Assembly – is right at their fingertips. You can find the CLGPGT App on: What's In the APP From the app, you can access the website. During assembly times, the schedule for the assembly will be accessible through the app so each participant can know what is going on each day of the assembly. During nonassembly times, the church calendar will be there. You have the ability to contact our church technology support line and call it right from the app. The number to our church support technology help line is 561-877-1089.

The app features will likely change and be updated as we receive feedback from our users. If you have any comments or suggestions after using the app, please email them to charlotte@cchymancompany.com 13

SUMMARY The Process

This manual provides the tools needed to successfully execute a virtual training/conference. It is recommended that both the presenter and the participant review this material prior to the conference to ensure the optimal experience. I have used the following websites as resources for this information contained in this manual: https://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning-design/blended-learning-withdigital-formats-infographic https://startime.com.au/2018/03/07/integrating-technology-classroomsamr-model/ https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/samr-and-bloomstaxonomy-assembling-the-puzzle http://www.flubaroo.com/instructional-videos https://support.google.com/ http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/08/samr-model-explainedthrough-examples.html https://sites.google.com/a/msad60.org/technology-is-learning/samr-model and slightly modified https://getedspire.com/top-5-advantages-google-apps-k-12-education/

You may contactÂ The Church of the Living God The Pillar and Ground of the Truth technology team if you have any questions about anything in this manual.

Notes: