Pictou County churches finding ways to minister in the midst of COVID-19
As COVID-19 protocols change the way Canadians work and live, church leaders find themselves in uncharted territory.
On one hand they have the concern of keeping their congregations safe and following the safety steps advised by government. But, on the other, they have a desire to minister to those who may have trouble coping in turbulent times and the human desire for fellowship.
On top of that is the financial concerns. Staff still need to be paid and buildings maintained, but without formal gatherings, offering is expected to drop.
“It’s something that none of us have experienced,” says Rev. Donna Tourneur, minister of Trinity United Church in New Glasgow.
But they’re doing their best to adapt.
Tourneur said she was actually approached by Eastlink TV about recording a service for them to air on Sundays. She’s partnering with other local churches to make that happen. The service will be filmed without an audience and aired Sundays.
“We’re going to host, but we will include other denominations so it’s an ecumenical service.”
As far as she knows, all churches within the Pictou
County Council of Churches will be halting regular services until restrictions are lifted.
One of the hardest aspects of all this is the ministries impacted by church closures, Tourneur said. For instance, the Shepherd’s Lunchroom, which is housed at Trinity United Church, has been temporarily closed until April 5.
Support groups and choirs are also cancelled.
“Without people coming and going it changes quite a lot for the daily work for the church.”
John Dunnett, of First United Baptist Church in New Glasgow, said he’s also made the decision to cancel the in-person services, but will instead be livestreaming messages to his congregants and others who are looking for a message of encouragement.
“We’re just like everybody else in society, we don’t know where the road ahead is,” he said.
But he said they’re going to be looking for new ways to minister to each other.
He said he’s been recently studying in the New Testament the apostle Peter’s letter to the church scattered. He feels it’s appropriate in some ways by comparison to the way churches are in a sense scattered now.
He’s encouraging his own church members to use phones and social media to stay in touch with each other and he personally is going to be using Facebook to put out a devotional’s based on Peter’s message to the scattered.
“There are things in there about how to survive as a scattered church that will be good reminders.”
He’s found that in times of uncertainly and solitude that people become more sensitive to spiritual questions.
“People begin to look and say, ‘What’s going on? If God is out there and if I’ve been ignoring him, maybe it’s worth touching base,’” he said. “There’s a deeper question of why and how that makes us look at those bigpicture questions.”
MAKING ENDS MEET
From a financial perspective, churches are looking at ways for people to make online donations. While there are already some people who make a preauthorized debit to Trinity, Tourneur said there are others who donate weekly by putting money in an offering plate. Staff are looking at ways to make giving easier during this time such as through Canada Cares.
At First Baptist, Dunnett said they’re having designated time that people can stop by the office if they want to give money to the church. Someone at the church has also volunteered to go around and pick up donations from anyone who can’t get out of their house. They have also set up a PayPal account that people can donate through.