Shirley Burgher begins each day by getting closer to God. She starts with centering prayer, a type of meditation developed by three Trappist monks in the 1970s, and Lectio Divina, a monastic practice of reading Scripture and reflection.
It's a source of strength and solace, which she has shared for the past 20 years with members of her Episcopal church, St. John the Divine. She had been leading weekly sessions for congregants in the chapel on campus — until COVID-19 forced everyone to stay at home.
At first, Burgher wasn't sure how to continue the class. "I just prayed, 'Lord, what are we going to do about this?'" she recalled.
It didn't take long for her to find an answer: Zoom. In almost no time, almost everything at church went online.
Burgher, 85, switched her centering prayer and Lectio Divina group to Zoom. She also joined five other Zoom groups at church, from Bible study to social online gatherings. The software almost felt heaven sent, enabling church members to stay connected and active.
"See, God provided," said Burgher, who feels she now belongs to "a church without walls."
In fact, she said that members find it easier to make the morning sessions, settling into a prayer chair instead of fighting traffic and juggling busy schedules. "Who knows what we'll do when this is over? I may just continue doing Zoom," Burgher said.
Church member Marina Walne, a member of Burgher's centering prayer group, is part of the reason seniors at St. John the Divine were able to adapt quickly to the switch online. She introduced the church to GetSetup — a new site that helps seniors learn through live online classes taught by retired educators.
Walne, 67, is a firm believer that almost any challenge can be solved by finding the right educational tool.
She serves as CEO of EduStart, a consulting firm for educational startups, as well as a board member of the Learning Accelerator, an organization that focuses on "blended learning" — integrating computer lessons with traditional classes. She also helped developed Schoolinakit, a package that combines all the components needed for starting a school.
Previously, Walne served as executive director of the Institute for Public School Initiatives at the University of Texas System and founding head of the John Cooper School.
Through her work, Walne met Neil D'Souza, who created Zaya Learning Labs, an educational startup that brings digital learning to low-income communities around the globe.
"Neil tackles societal challenges with technology; that's just who Neil is," Walne said. Recently, D'Souza turned his focus to aging, Walne explained, which led to GetSetup, the company he co-founded with Lawrence Kosick.
The platform teaches seniors how to use technology while also providing economic opportunities for seniors who want to become instructors.
"I have a 90-year-old father with a voracious appetite for technology," Kosick said.
When his father decided to get an Apple Watch, Kosick had an idea.
"He should have a place where others could teach him how to use it," Kosick recalled. "It could be comfortable and not intimidating. And who better to teach than a retired older adult?"
Kosick couldn't find a service like that, so he and D'Souza began brainstorming. They launched GetSetup in August, offering private, online lessons usually centered on technology. There were also courses on building websites, marketing through LinkedIn and setting up e-commerce tools such as Etsy. The chief mission is to help seniors continue to earn an income.
When the pandemic hit, the need for GetSetup classes soared.
"It started exploding," Kosick said. "It gave us a tighter mission and focus."
Seniors wanted to know how to use technological tools and online services — for online delivery and bill payment. At the same time, they wanted access to classes while they were confined at home. GetSetup provided entertaining courses, often for free or at a nominal fee.
"And there's no shortage of things that need to be taught," Kosick said. "It just worked."
More and more companies were moving online, even before COVID-19, he added. Helping seniors become more adept at navigating this digital world built their self-reliance.
"You get online with Zoom, and suddenly you can do a lot of different things," Kosick said. "You can learn health, fitness and how to meditate. You open up this world when you go online."
That's exactly what Walne wanted for the senior members of St. John the Divine.
"GetSetup identified needs that seniors had through COVID-19," she said. "And they realized there was a pressing need to connect with families and to church."
Walne suggested that church members join together for a class focused on learning Zoom. Burgher was one of her classmates. Members learned how to set up a meeting and how to join one, as well as how to use the various settings on Zoom.
"It's a valuable resource for seniors to learn skills to stay connected," Walne said. And the class was such a hit that Walne hopes to set up a series of online courses for the senior ministry at the church. She also wants to get more experienced with Zoom and has already been practicing with her family.
Walne enjoys Burgher's Zoom centering prayer sessions.
"It has been completely satisfying to do it virtually," she said. "You're in a gallery view, and you still see everyone's faces. We all look forward to it."
She is also a member of other online church groups that continue to meet through Zoom.
"I've been able to slow down," she said. "I have a pace of life that is more peaceful. I'm not running in and out of traffic. I pop on to Zoom and then sign off."
Walne hopes to continue that pace — and stay safe.
Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer.
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