At United Church of Hayward UCC, Sunday Mornings on Zoom are a fully online celebration! We learn new things, check in about our spiritual journeys, express lots of gratitude, mark the turning of seasons, and listen for the voice of our Still-Speaking God. These experiences give us life and teach us to love and stand in our values through the ministry, teachings, and actions of Jesus Christ. And we do it all with our coffee and tea, sitting on our patios, and in our lounge and yoga clothes.

Our congregation is family-sized, so you won’t be invisible on the screen (unless you choose to mute your microphone and your camera—which is fine). No matter who you are, you will be heartily welcomed. But we won’t hover if you need space. The folkx on the Zoom (and livestream) will join you from California, Kentucky, Indiana, Arkansas, Oregon, Arizona, and Canada, Mexico, and the UK. If there was one gift the pandemic gave us, it was realizing our beloved community is a lot bigger than we thought.

We gather for fellowship at 10:00 am (before worship). Worship begins at 10:30. We are protestant, theologically-progressive, and open & affirming (which means we are intentionally welcoming of the LGBTQIA+ community). Differences of opinion are welcome. Harm is not. The safety of our members who have been spiritually traumatized is paramount. You will experience music, poetry, scripture, prayers, deep sharing, and silence. Our Order of Worship is available in the Zoom Chat so you can follow along if you would like.

Our services last about an hour and 20 minutes. Our worship team coordinator, Laurie, creates custom altars on Zoom, with symbols and artwork that add a visual artistic element. Sometimes we worship in ways that are unique to UCH or that are in alignment with values: Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Blessing of the Animals, World Communion Sunday, Celebration of our Ancestors, Pride Sunday, Transgender Day of Remembrance, and Indigenous People's Day. We observe the traditional Christian liturgical seasons and celebrations of Pentecost, (not-so) Ordinary Time, Advent, Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Maundy Thursday, and Easter.

We have times in our worship that our more private and times that are livestreamed publicly. Our prayer, gratitude, and community sharing times are more intimate and take place just among those gathered on Zoom. The scripture reading and Rev. Jeanne’s sermons are livestreamed and available on our Apple and Spotify Podcasts later in the week.

Rev. Jeanne speaks frequently about injustices in our nation, in our communities, and in our hearts. She utilizes a combination of preaching and teaching that is engaging and thought-provoking. She always grounds her sermons in scripture, the values of the Holy Spirit, and the ministry Jesus Christ. She encourages us, teaches us, calls us out, and lifts us up. And THEN we have a chance to ask questions and share what is coming up for us. Rev. Jeanne always laughs and says, “Y’all finish the sermon better than I ever could.” Our “community reflection time” is, for many of us, our favorite time of worship.

We also pray together and have a designated time to share things we are grateful for. We always close our time together by singing “Dona Nobis Pacem” because we value our calling to love God, our neighbors, and ourselves, and to be peacemakers in the world. It is rare to leave a UCH Zoom without feeling joyful, grateful, unsettled, or thoughtful. (And often, it is all the above).

If you’d like to join us:

Meeting ID: 424 325 0026
Passcode: weloveUCH

We look forward to seeing you soon!

If you have any questions, contact us here.