Will we just be able to click on the above and see and hear the proceedings or do we need to do something?

Yes, you can just click on the link and it should start playing when it's on the air. You can also log in with your Facebook or Twitter and chat with others on the Livestream page. 

I'm sitting at the Ottawa airport right now waiting for my ride to GC. I see red shirted volunteers escorting folks to the appropriate spots.....and so it begins. 

Hi......

I'm way ahead of you guys .....lol. I read  the two services already ( even the upside down service) and I listened to  the wonderful song : "Where is Love?". I like it.

This song was written for GC41, and will be sung during worship on Thurs. August 16.
You can hear the song here. It plays in my Win. Media.

http://www.united-church.ca/planning/theme#gc

Looks like merciless chairs. Will massage therapists and chiropractors be on call or provided?

Since this is the United Church, it will be Healing Touch practitioners.

WHAT TIME DOES IT START BROADCASTING

May God's mercy be on the commissioners tushes.

CH

I just got it - 4 p.m. Toronto time.

4:00 PM EDT. Right now.

41 viewers right now.

The moderator is having trouble quieting the court.

The camera is unforgiving. Now 56 viewers.

And off I go, back to the cottage. No broadband. Back to the world the United Church forgets.

my sound is not loud. many are complaining so it will get fixed, i think.

CH

Same here, they have bugs to iron out.....

I'm finding the audio and video is now working for me. How about others?

Audio is better but picture is jerky with pauses

both are much better now

When I scroll down below  the main screen (to  Facebook on the right) the sound seems to be fine and not jerky , repeating itself , mixed-up etc. When I move up again its still bad.....sort of all over the place. Its weird.

No problems using the Livestream connection here.

The chairs are not as bad as they look. There are cushions.......ask me again in a few days. 

I'm find it very erratic and jerky using Chrome but fine with Internet Explorer.

Opening worship is now being shared. Watch on the Livestream: http://www.livestream.com/unitedchurchcda

It's also available on the United Church Facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/UnitedChurchCda

I watched again  from 7 p.m. to about 9:35 tonight when it finished. I thought it was a wonderful and glorious introduction to the meetings.   May God guide and be with all  of those in the GC 41 called upon to make decisions.

Day 1 of GC41 is coming to an end. Join us tomorrow morning 8:30am ET for start of Day 2! See www.gc41.ca for the agenda, and watch live at http://www.livestream.com/unitedchurchcda

I second that prayer Stardust.

It was nice to see Mardi and others using Countryman wireless mics. You can't get much better than that.

Let's also hope audio control is up to speed. I have had to call the GC newsroom in the past to kill the head table mics when I heard private sidebar conversations on air. Not good!

GC41, we have a serious technical problem. The GC News through Feedburner is not readable on an iPhone or iPad. The mail message is empty and the text within the e-mail reads, "This message has not been downloaded from the server." I also suspect that you are using HTML and not plain ASCII text, as God always intended.

For those without broadband access, this is an unfortunate deal-breaker and further evidence of United Church ignoring the substantive justice issue.

Red shirts?? Run Northwind, run far far away!!! The red shirts are always the ones that get hit -- you don't want to stay around them!!!

May God richly bless all those who gather together to discuss and decide the future of the United Churh of Canada.

(Is there a significance to the differently coloured table cloths?) 

The four colours of the Four Directions. It will become more significant as we move into the discussion of the new crest.

I like the four colours. They did some nice liturgical dance with them last night. Things are going well on day 2.......I got a little lost for a bit....and it wasn't for the complicated stuff. Pray for me.

I had a great visit with RevMatt and Mof5 last night. It was awesome meeting them in person. Of course, they kept me up past my bedtime, so that is why I was easily confusd. I'll get in the groove.....

I had not trouble viewing  nor with the sound.

Interesting experience watching the opening worship.  There were continous comments as we went along.

I stopped watching because I found the written liturgy flatfooted and perseciptive and judgmental - kind of beat us up liturgy in the confession and even with the affrimation of Grace.  The call to worship needed a poet and really was a description of the work to be done not a call to open space where God slides in.

Earlier the opening with silent prayer had me hoping.  The music in the worship was fine as it was earlier.

But did I get engaged in worship?  No.  I think this illustrates the problem with worship over the net. It is like watching a movie, a distance from the experience.  I think that is why, during the worship, so many comments.

Thanks DKS. The GC News feed works fine on my iPhone. I suspect because I have HTML enabled. I don't believe there was a text option, but I will ask our tech side folks. Meanwhile, please remember, these online options aren't the only way news from GC41 is being delivered. Reporting from GC41 will also continue to be done in all the traditional ways it has been in the past (via print, comissioner reports, Observer, mainstream press, etc.)

Conversation is continuing here about GC41, so I've changed the name of the thread  to the more inclusive "Discussing GC41". Thanks for being here folks!

Oh that's right, thank you DKS, I had forgotten that the crest is up for discussion. 

GC41 has just approved the remits it was presented with, including Remit 6 a, b, c about adding statements of faith to United Church doctrine.

@unitedchurchcda: #GC41 is discussing ratifying and enacting remits. See the remits here [PDF]: http://ow.ly/cUKjE #UCCan 

New Crest and changes to Basis of Union now being discussed and voted on. Lifestream: http://www.gc41.ca/live

I was looking for a pic. of the proposed new crest  which I found. I like it. Its much richer looking now.

May it speak to us of love.....all my relations.

changes (additions) to articles of faith and  modifications of the crest passed!

The 41st General Council votes to accept the proposed new crest which reflects spiritual traditions and contributions of Aboriginal people to The United Church of Canada.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=474115442613509&set=a.184941098197613.46828.113128225378901&type=1&theater

What did they change in the articles of faith? Are the changes available to read online?

MCJae, you can find the remits proposal here:  [PDF]: http://ow.ly/cUKjE 

thanks Aaron!

I hope GC41 will be as gracious to the broken promises made to the EUB when that Proposal comes to the floor later. The Alpha and Omega need to be replaced by the EUB hands. Strong theological symbolism in those hands at so many levels.

Does anyone have any gossip about this  gossip ? 

I wonder if this info.  is just gossip? Whatever, I find it kind of funny meaning that its almost asking the impossible to ask people to stop gossiping (if its for real). I do really agree that gossiping is harmful.

Quote from the link:

"The United Church of Canada is looking at a motion urging congregants to stop gossiping, likening it to gambling and “other evils of society.” “Gossip can cause people to lose their jobs and their good reputations,” according to the motion, under consideration at the church’s 41st general council held August 11-18 in Ottawa.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/united-church-considering-m...

Thank you Aaron. Hopefully I'll get a chance to read that in about a month's time or so -- busy right now with school. 

Heard Jim Kenny second a motion!

Those with better eyes than me- What does Mardi's button say?

I think it said something to the effect of "Bonjour Je Parle Francais."