SOUTHWICK-Pastor Jeffrey King and Pastor Ken Blanchard have viewed each challenge during the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity at their respective churches.
“Since June, we have operated our full schedule of five weekly worship services, with both indoor and outdoor seating available,” said King of Christ Lutheran Church on College Highway, noting attendance is approximately at 50% from the same time last year.
“Our weekly messages are provided through a variety of platforms and people are encouraged to join us in the way that is most comfortable to them,” he said.
One of the opportunities that King has observed is reaching 2,000 to 3,000 viewers per week with its Christ Virtual Church online service.
This was the opening scene of the first Christ Virtual Church service by Christ Lutheran Church, seen by more than 2,000 people, including people from across the country and the globe. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
“On Easter Sunday alone, 4,000 people watched our service,” said King. “The good news is that we are now reaching more people each week than we did before the pandemic.”
King said the service is available each week on Facebook, YouTube, and clcsouthwick.org, and can also be heard each Sunday morning on News Radio WHYN 560 AM.
“There has been no challenge that we have not been able to turn into an opportunity,” he said.
With attendance at 50%, King notes that cash flow has been cut in half.
“However, our church, child care center, and coffee house are all financially stable, due to securing Paycheck Protection Program funds,” said King.
The Daily Grind coffeehouse on the grounds of Christ Lutheran Church in Southwick reopened June 7. Megan Fitzgibbons and Nadine Zelez serve as baristas at the coffeehouse. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
King is hopeful that church classes will be able to resume in January, and added that two of the three worship bands resumed playing in June, and the choir will resume gatherings in December to prepare for a “scaled-down” Christmas musical.
“We will provide a full schedule of beautiful, joyful Christmas services live and online,” said King. “In addition, Christmas Eve will offer a busy schedule of safe, socially distanced services following all state guidelines.”
For Blanchard at Christ Church United Methodist, also on College Highway, he saw attendance increase when outdoor worship was offered.
“Christ Church United Methodist is a very small church, with virtually all members in an ‘at-risk’ category vis-a-vis the coronavirus, yet we have seen attendance actually increase when we offered outdoor worship as an option,” said Blanchard. “On the flip side, attendance dropped way down when we offered only virtual online worship via Zoom.”
Blanchard, who divides his time also serving members at Agawam United Methodist Church at 459 Mill St., Feeding Hills, said weekly worship in Southwick is presented in a “hybrid model.”
“During the good weather we worshipped outside; with the weather turning colder we are now back inside,” said Blanchard, noting protocols include wearing face masks and observing social distance rules. Church guidelines also note that communion and fellowship cannot take place at this time.
“A Zoom worship is always available for those unable or unwilling to attend in-person,” said Blanchard, adding that audios of the sermons are available on the church website, and transcripts are mailed to members who do not have a computer.
“Worship services are kept shorter than normal, now averaging 30 minutes, to minimize risk of in-person meetings and to allow for short attention spans on computer screens,” said Blanchard.
Blanchard said the Southwick church is also financially stable at this time.
“We are blessed financially, and our members have been extremely faithful in keeping up with their tithes and offerings,” he said. “We experienced a dip in income early on in the pandemic, but this has since been rectified.”
While challenges have been numerous over the past several months, Blanchard said it is important to him to ensure everyone’s needs are met while keeping everyone safe.
“I have been keeping up with visitations which had been done outside in good weather, trying to maintain a pastoral presence without the ability to hug or touch those who may be grieving, managing expectations of ‘when can we do this or that?’, and making decisions based on changing government or ecclesial guidelines,” said Blanchard.
As he now prepares for the holiday season, he said he is doing a lot of praying.
“Thanksgiving and Christmas will certainly look different this year, but how different remains unknown at this time,” he said. “So we pray for wisdom and discernment and trust that God’s will, not our own, will be done.”
Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of stories highlighting the ways church leaders have adapted church life to the coronavirus pandemic. For church leaders who would like to share their story, email Westfield News Editor Hope Tremblay at [email protected].
