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How to Turn a Webinar into an Online Retreat

By Karee Santos

Webinars are an increasingly popular tool for spreading the word about a company or product. But are they the right tool for spreading the Word of God? They certainly can be. The key is to turn a webinar into an online retreat by creating a spiritual atmosphere that reminds people that where two or three are gathered together in Christ’s name, he is there in the midst of them.

 Man praying at computer

What’s a Webinar?

A webinar, for those who don’t already know, is a seminar or workshop offered via the computer. People can attend live, in real-time, or they can watch the recorded session later at their convenience. Presenters need web-conferencing software and a webcam, but participants don’t need any specialist equipment — only a computer and a high-speed Internet connection.

In the simplest type of webinars, participants watch PowerPoint slides on the computer screen and listen to an audio-only version of the speaker’s talk. (Watch an example here.) But webinar technology also offers exciting features to enhance the interactive experience, like live video of the speaker throughout the presentation, and interactive polls and chatboxes for question and answer sessions. (Watch how I used these interactive features here.)

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Webinars, like any teaching tool, have benefits and drawbacks. The main benefits of hosting a webinar rather than a live, in-person event are:

  • people can attend from the comfort of their homes or offices
  • there are no geographical limitations — people from other time zones or even countries can attend
  • you don’t have to reserve or rent a physical space
  • you don’t need to worry about how many people a room can hold — a webinar can easily accommodate anywhere from five to one hundred people
  • no need to provide refreshments!

Drawbacks of webinars include:

  • not everyone is familiar with webinar technology
  • people expect anything offered on the Internet to be free, and may be less likely to pay an admission fee or goodwill donation
  • people feel more free not to attend at the last minute, since they can watch the recorded session later
  • some people prefer the camaraderie of an in-person event
  • in-person presentations in a chapel or a church take place in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, so they have a much more spiritual atmosphere

 

How to Create a Spiritual Atmosphere

In using a webinar for religious education, we need to keep the focus on Jesus. Otherwise, it can be a distant, clinical, and downright boring experience. So, without further ado, my top three tips for turning a webinar into an online retreat.

1.  Start and end with a prayer.

Remind people to invite Jesus into their hearts and stay close to him and his inspirations during this time. Even when we are physically apart from Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we can express our longing for him in a prayer of spiritual communion like the one I used to start my online marriage enrichment retreat:

Online Retreat Spiritual Communion Slide

2.  Illustrate with religious artwork

Great artists throughout the centuries have turned to the Bible for inspiration. Practically all of Scripture is depicted in painting and sculpture with timeless elegance and nearly universal appeal. Best of all, you can use religious artwork that is more than 100 years old with very little fear of infringing someone’s copyright. For one of the illustrations in my online marriage enrichment retreat, I selected this dramatic portrayal of the Return of the Prodigal Son, available from Wikimedia Commons. A notice from Wikimedia explained: “This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. … Its copyright has expired.”

Online Retreat Prodigal Son slide

3.  Incorporate time for meditation with sacred music

An in-person retreat usually offers time for meditation and personal prayer to consider deeply the topic of the retreat and to ask what action God might be calling us to take. An online retreat can offer the same. After each PowerPoint presentation in my online retreat, participants were invited to take ten or fifteen minutes to think and pray about the questions for discussion and type their answers into chatboxes online. During the meditation period, we piped in Gregorian chant from youtube. You can find many great clips of sacred music on Youtube. Some clips, like the one below, last for an hour or more, so you don’t have to worry about splicing more than one clip together.

Go Forth and Evangelize!

So, go ahead and consider incorporating webinars into your ministry, if you haven’t already. This amazing technology is a great tool to advance the New Evangelization and spread the Gospel to the four corners of the earth. And if you use this technology already, we’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Photo Credit for man praying at computer: Anirudh Koul via Compfight cc

Read all posts by Karee Santos Filed Under: Catechetics, Catechist Training, Evangelization, General, RCIA & Adult Education, Technology Tagged With: Catholic marriage, marriage enrichment, online education, online retreat, webinar

Register Now for Online Marriage Enrichment Retreats!!

By Karee Santos

Sacred Heart Immaculate Heart

Looking for ways to make your marriage stronger?

Join me this February 3, 4, 10, or 11 in an online marriage enrichment retreat. Spend an hour or two, just in time for Valentine’s Day, to make your marriage stronger! Similar to an interactive webinar, the retreat offers talks illustrated by sacred artwork with a background of Gregorian chant.

If you’ve never attended an online retreat before, don’t worry — the technology is easy. All you need is high-speed Internet and speakers for your computer. You can ask and answer questions simply by typing in a chatbox. But if you wish, you can purchase low-cost earbuds with a computer mike and speak directly with me and the other participants. You’ll receive a link by email to enter the online environment and a friendly tech will help you get used to all the features.

You can participate as an individual or a couple, during the early afternoon or in the evening — whatever works for you. And if you can’t join live, you’ll have access to the recorded session through a link we’ll send you. Watch it just like you’d watch an online video.

We’ll have sessions on two different topics and would love to see you at both. To register for either session, click here. For more info on the great folks producing this retreat, click here and here.

I. Life-giving Unity: Becoming One with Your Spouse and Your Children

The marital relationship is the bedrock of any family. Reignite your appreciation for your spouse, and let your renewed unity strengthen your relationship with your children as well. Learn how to communicate better, pray more together, and grow closer to God together.

Mid-day Session: Monday, Feb. 3, at 12:30-1:30 pm EST
Evening Session: Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 7:30-8:30 pm EST

II. Holy Stewards: Making the Most of Your Time and Your Money

We all struggle to find enough time for work, family, and God. We might also sometimes let worries over money and professional advancement affect our marital relationship. Maintaining a good balance is difficult, but not impossible. Explore useful ways to make the most of what you have.

Mid-day Session: Monday, Feb. 10, at 12:30-1:30 pm EST
Evening Session: Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 7:30-8:30 pm EST

Cost: $ 10 for one session, $15 for both.

Read all posts by Karee Santos Filed Under: Catechetics, Catechism, Catechist Training, Evangelization, General, Resources, Sacraments, Theology Tagged With: marriage, marriage enrichment, money management, online retreat, time management, unity, webinar

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