Churches staying connected amid Covid-19

April 15, 2020, 7:11 am
Rob Paul

Everybody in Canada has had to make changes during the Covid-19 pandemic, whether it be working from home, temporarily closing businesses, or implementing extra precautions to keep their environment clean.

To help flatten the curve of Covid-19, public gatherings of more than 10 people are banned in Saskatchewan and that has impacted churches across the country.

Clergy at the churches want to be there in a drastic time of need for their congregation, but aren’t able to hold worship in person due to the need for physical distancing.

With that in mind, like many others around Canada, they’re working from home, having to use other options to give help to their congregation.

Moosomin River of Life Church
Moosomin River of Life Church Pastor Allan Lautamus says he’s never seen something like this before with everything needing to close.

“We shut down everything, we aren’t even really meeting with people,” said Lautamus. “We can at a distance, but that’s so awkward.”

“We would just meet and stand at a distance inside the church,” said Lautamus.

“But nobody has because I think they’re too scared to get close to people.”

Lautamus says he’s been primarily staying connected with his congregation through phone calls.

“Mostly we’ve been talking over the phone,” said Lautamus.

“I can deal with the change,” said Lautamus. “I do a lot of phoning anyway so it’s a normal thing for me.”
With no worship, Lautamus worries about church offerings, but says he’s working on a plan for the congregation to continue making offerings for support.

“I’ve had a lot of people phoning wondering when we can open and what to do with their offering,” said Lautamus.

“It’s a long time for a church to have no income so we’re thinking of a plan for offerings,” said Lautamus. “We weren’t prepared for this.”

As soon as he’s able to, Lautamus says he’ll open the doors at the Moosomin River of Life Church.

“It’s quite a thing, but we’re hoping it will open up again before April 30,” said Lautamus. “When we get the all-clear we’ll be back to normal.”

Bethel United Church
Bethel United Church Moosomin Rev. Carolyn Woodall, says just because they’re not in a building for worship doesn’t mean church has to stop.

“We’re trying to frame it across the country in the United Church as not the church being closed, but the church deployed,” said Woodall. “The church isn’t about the building, the church is about the people who are the disciples of Christ.”

“Wherever we are, we’re trying to do whatever we can to help people.”

“We’re getting good support from our wider church,” said Woodall. “It’s an amazing thing, we have ongoing contact with them.”

With the support of the United Church system Woodall says the situation has been made easier to deal with.

“Our national church moderator is having daily weekday prayer for ministry personnel,” said Woodall.
“So every morning after the prime minister’s presser I go into the meeting that the moderator has.”

“He holds us in prayer and he invites us to pray for one another. It’s a really good foundation for the day and that’s really been helpful.”

“It’s a way of connecting even when we can’t physically be connected.”

Woodall has been planning for adjustments since the church was forced to close its doors to help flatten the curve.

“In terms of the identity that is Bethel United Church we have stepped up on both our Facebook page and emails,” said Woodall.

“We have something new on our Facebook page every day, sometimes it’s simply sharing something that is encouraging.”

“I’m hoping next week as a celebration of Holy Week I will be able to do a daily Facebook Live scripture reading and hymn and prayer for folk,” said Woodall.

“Not all of our members are on Facebook so we’re also doing emails on a regular basis.”

“What we’re doing is sending out a comprehensive email to everyone because many more members of our congregation are on email.”

Keeping connected and in touch with everybody in her congregation is her top priority, says Woodall.

“There’s one email that goes out at the end of the week so people have it for Sunday,” said Woodall.

“So it has a sermon attached, a service order with words from the hymns of some of our songs, and then one of our musicians does some audio files for some of the songs and those are included.”

“There’s always a link in the email to our moderator of the United Church of Canada who does do an online service,” said Woodall.

“So those who have access to that and would like to avail themselves at that opportunity can actually tap into that and can watch a service.”

Showing members of the church that the entire congregation is there for them is going to help them in a mentally stressful time, says Woodall.

“I’m also sending out emails on Wednesday,” said Woodall.

“Kind of a hang in there and how’s everybody doing? Kind of thing.”

“Then our administrator sends out something on either Thursday or Friday,” said Woodall.

“It’s something she’s always done and it’s an announcement sheet.”

“It includes who’s in our prayer circle in the wider church and also now we have a prayer list of people within our congregation that we also publish in that email to the rest of the congregation.”

“Those are some ways we’re keeping up and I did send out an email on some ideas of how to keep ourselves well while we’re isolated,” said Woodall.

“I sent those for people looking for suggestions on things to do or ways to stay healthy.”

Being able to have a conversation with each member of the congregation every week while the pandemic continues is her goal says Woodall.

“In addition to Facebook and email, I’m undertaking to call all of the families on our list on a weekly basis,” said Woodall, “just to touch base with them because some of them that’s the only contact with them we have.”

“I don’t reach everybody and I leave messages when I can,” said Woodall.

“I don’t get in touch with everybody every week, but I’m trying to get there.”

As this situation continues, Woodall is hopeful she can continue to expand her efforts while being there for everybody who needs her and the church.

“Maybe after Easter, and hopefully we’ve got through the peak of the curve, then maybe we can try a little more,” said Woodall. “Try Zoom and maybe have bible study.”

“One thing at a time, we don’t have to do it all at once.”

“I just wanted to connect with people and see where they are,” said Woodall.

“Just having a pastoral concern for peoples well being in this time.”

“Very few people are just here, they’re physically here, but many of us have family and friends other places that we’re concerned about or hearing about on a daily basis.”

“So I’ll just call and ask how they are and how their family is,” said Woodall.

“I’m hoping people within the congregation are doing that as well with one another.”

“This is how the church is between the Sunday mornings,” said Woodall. “We check on people, we pray for one another, and we bring to mind the people we haven’t seen or heard about for three or four weeks and offer a prayer for them.”

“That doesn’t stop just because the doors are shut.”

Esterhazy Baptist Church
Esterhazy Baptist Church Pastor Robert Moss says he’s trying to make sure every member of his congregation has someone to keep in touch with during Covid-19.

“We don’t have a website so we’ve been communicating with our people through email and phone calls,” said Moss.

“Our elders have each taken responsibility for eight to 12 families for our congregational care group and we’re encouraging them to keep in touch with each family at least once during the week.”

It’s not an ideal situation, but Moss says he’s doing as much as he can to keep the church connected.

“I’ve been sending out my messages and our bulletin via email and then throughout the week an email note of encouragement or a brief audio,” said Moss. “Just trying to keep in touch that way.”

“I looked at the possibility of doing virtual church,” said Moss.

“We realized we’re probably not going to be able to do something like that because of our internet connection.”

“I wish I could do more, but they seem to be appreciative with what’s been done so far,” said Moss.

Moss says church is about more than physically going to a building, it’s about what you do with the relationships built in that building.

“We’re talking about cancelling services, we’re not cancelling church,” said Moss.

“Church is the people, the building may be closed, but the church can still be active and contributing and helping our community out.”

St. Alban’s Anglican Church
St. Alban’s Anglican Church in Moosomin, a member of the Parish of Saskatchewan Gateway which is compromised of St. Alban, St. Thomas in Rocanville, St. Mark’s in Fleming, and St. Peter’s in Spring Creek, has had to make adjustments due to Covid-19.

Their first service was cancelled on March 22 to keep the seniors in the congregation safe.

On March 28, the Parish of Saskatchewan Gateway held their first online worship service.

From their homes each member connected via Zoom video chat for a prayer service led by Tannis McFarlane-Kelly and Rev. Delta Kelly.

In Rocanville they’ve taken it one step further by hosting Sunday School lessons online for the youth in the congregation.

“Our Sunday school teacher started using Zoom to teach Sunday school,” said Parish Vestry Chairperson Blake Kelly.

Members of the congregation have also been staying connected through the Anglican Church Moosomin Facebook page where daily prayer focussed on the pandemic is offered.

The church has also asked members to post their own prayers and stories regarding the pandemic for the congregation to show support for one another.

St. Alban’s is hoping the Facebook page will keep people in the community socially and spiritually connected while maintaining physical distancing.

Kelly says Zoom was the best option for getting as many members of the Anglican church connected as possible.

“There were some parishioners who used Zoom for other things and the first service we held outside of the church we tried Facebook video chat,” said Kelly.

“But there’s a limited number of people you can have on it and on Zoom it’s unlimited.”

So far it’s been working for the Anglican church members says Kelly, who is pleased with its reach.

“It’s gone pretty well,” said Kelly.

“Some of the less tech savvy we had to walk them through how to download the app and set it up.”

“We had people from Moosomin join in,” said Kelly.

“We generally started it for our Rocanville congregation, but we decided to reach out to Moosomin.”

“We’ve designated some people to do some music,” said Kelly.

“It’s been nice that we can do some music worship as well,” said Kelly.

“If they have their camera turned on and their microphone, everybody can see each other and talk to each other,” said Kelly. “It’s gone well.”

Members are appreciative of the effort says Kelly and keeping connected now is more important than ever.

“Both times we’ve had online services we had people email or phone us and thank us for organizing it,” said Kelly.

“One of our parishioners said it’s been the highlight of her week because she lives alone and she can’t get out and see anybody.”

It’s been the best way to keep everybody connected even if it’s not the ideal circumstances says Kelly.

“It’s a way for us all to stay connected even if it’s through a camera,” said Kelly.

“We’re a worshipping community and it’s tough to be a community when we’re in our own homes, but this at least brings us back together somewhat.”