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Wednesday, February 10, 2021
Vol. 64, Issue No. 6
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Area churches forge ahead through uncertain times %\ .(,7+ .1(33 $VVRFLDWH (GLWRU When the COVID-19 lockdowns began, no one had any idea what the next months would have in store. Businesses, schools, organizations and families all were left in limbo. Churches also were faced with uncertainties, closing their buildings during the pandemic’s peak. Many switched to virtual formats which satisfied basic needs but did not address the more personal aspects of worship. Many of the regular congregants, especially those of the older generation, were not equipped to bring the virtual church services into their homes. Even now, many of the senior members of the congregation have not returned due to lingering health concerns. Some of the younger generations also haven’t returned for one reason or another. “Once you get out of the routine of doing something, such as going to church on Sundays, it can be hard to get back in to the habit,” said Jim Dillinger, pastor at the Rochester Church of Christ. “We’ve had about 70-80 percent of our congregation return to our live Sunday service.” Dillinger said the church offered a live stream when the building couldn’t be open and many of the Life Groups met via Zoom for Bible study and fellowship. “We’ve also started a ‘creative team’ to help re-imagine the church post-COVID,” he said. “What have we done that we want to keep doing? What are things that need to be changed going forward?” Pastor Chris Beall of Mill Creek Church has had a similar experience during the past several
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1(&(66$5< &+$1*(6 ³ 0DQ\ WUDGLWLRQV ZLWKLQ FKXUFKHV KDYH EHHQ DOWHUHG GXH WR WKH SDQGHPLF $W 5RFKHVWHU &KXUFK RI &KULVW FRPPXQLRQ SDFNHWV VXFK DV WKH WZR KHOG E\ 3DVWRU -LP 'LOOLQJHU DUH DYDLODEOH DV FRQJUHJDQWV ZDON LQWR WKH VDQFWXDU\ ZLWK WKH HOHPHQWV LQ D VHDOHG EDJ UDWKHU WKDQ WKHP EHLQJ DGPLQLVWHUHG LQ D PRUH RUWKRGR[ IDVKLRQ 3KRWR E\ .HLWK .QHSS months. His church went virtual in the spring, resuming in-person services in June. They shut down again during the holidays and restarted in person Jan. 17. “Financially the people of Mill Creek have been incredibly generous. We have been able to continue doing many of our community ministries, even though they might have been somewhat different due to the pandemic. “Spiritually and relationally it has been challenging at times, simply because church is not meant to be virtual and separated. By its very nature, church is meant to be relational and community. All the descriptions of the New Testament church are words like body, marriage, family, etc. We’ve tried hard to stay connected as best we can given the circumstances but it has
not been easy or ideal.” “The pandemic has been the most challenging time in recent history to pastor,” added Pastor Kathy Nelson of the Akron Church of God. “Often leaders lead from their experience. The pandemic put all leaders, pastors included, into this place of in a sense coming to the end of our leadership or the end of ourselves. It really has been a time of leaning hard on the guidance of Holy Spirit as we navigated this time in history. “In four very short days, we were able to devise a plan to take our services online and were able to launch an online giving platform via our website. Our giving did change rhythm as many have stayed home until the release of a vaccine. This meant those that gave weekly now were giving monthly by mail. “Doing home visits has been es-
pecially difficult because many who we visited were in the high risk group. We learned to keep our visits short, physically distance as much as possible, and of course, wear masks. “There have been many challenges and many blessings during this past year. We have been stretched in ways we never thought possible. We have grown and been transformed. We have seen the faithfulness of God who is always present and at work. I believe with everything in me that God is birthing something new in the church through all of this. He is shaking up our traditions and forcing us to re-imagine what church looks like in many ways. “I believe that this is the time for the church to rise anew as we minister to those in our backyards.”
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