During the past few weeks, as we’ve worshiped online in new and dynamic ways, our motto has been “We ARE Christ Church!” It reminds us that although we cannot be in our building during these unprecedented weeks of stay at home orders and social distancing, nevertheless we ARE the church. We also put in our videos a tagline reminding us of our mission statement, “Disciples Making Disciples,” but with a new addition: “Always!”
Over these weeks, although we deeply miss the sacrament, we have adapted from receiving communion in person to being in communion through relationship and the assurance of God’s presence when it is impossible to be in the same space – for now. In our letters to the parish, we emphasize that this is a "temporary normal" and that we will be back in the pews as soon as we can, but we also emphasize the importance of how we use this time.
This has included pre-recording Sunday worship using the first half of our typical service – The Liturgy of the Word. In compliance with the restrictions on public gatherings, and conscious of keeping each other safe and well, we do the recording remotely using Zoom. An advantage of doing it this way is that it allows all the original lay readers and prayer leaders to be included in the video. The raw videos are then edited and shared on YouTube. The first week we tried this, we did one service. The second week, we did the same type of service but also added a separate online service of our Sunday JOY worship, for families with little kids. This week, we are adding a “Virtual Coffee Hour” for us to check in with one another on Zoom. The weekly Monday Bible Study converted over to teleconference last week. We are also planning to do the Adult Forum with a teleconference model.
However, we realized early on that this time period requires far more than simply Sunday worship, as integral as it is in our common life. First, we began checking in with our senior members by phone, dividing up the list among the Pastoral Care Team and tracking calls with a shared Google doc so that I'm aware of any issues. Next, we implemented a call list for the rest of the parish, divided up among the Vestry. Most parishioners are doing well and very glad to have open lines of communication. Some need assistance and we respond.
We also discerned the importance of daily communications via email and Facebook posts. Our new Curate, the Rev. Jill Williams, has begun using Facebook Live to do Morning Prayer and Compline. The other staff are working on reaching out to their subgroups of youth and families.
The Wardens and I check in weekly via Zoom, and the Vestry will also meet via Zoom. We’re becoming Zoom experts – as are so many!
Last but certainly not least, we have continued Outreach ministries whenever possible, including hosting Family Promise the first week, sending vital items like toilet paper, paper towels and nutrition bars to a local senior living home and a service organization. One setback has been that we cannot do physical collections of items, so the parish is fast-tracking monetary donations to two wonderful ministries we support- North Porch and St. Paul’s Pantry in Paterson. We are also considering a face mask making program set up by the local Valley Hospital.
Truly, while many things are temporarily changed, our mission has not. We are Disciples Making Disciples, Always!
