WESTFIELD-The Zoom platform has been a blessing for many church leaders during the coronavirus pandemic – including The Rev. Nancy Webb Stroud and The Rev. David Riley.
“Most of the people who were faithful and frequent in attendance before the pandemic seem to be following along with virtual services, and engaging with our written and mailed communications,” said Webb Stroud of The Episcopal Church of the Atonement on Court Street.
Webb Stroud added it has been hard for her to gauge attendance.
Gabriel Burke of Westfield, the son of Rachel and James Burke and a member of The Episcopal Church of the Atonement, stands at his Holy Place, which is set with a prayer cloth, a children’s Bible, and a card on which is written the Lord’s Prayer. This month, children and families are creating “holy spaces” at home. (RACHEL BURKE PHOTO)
“We are using Zoom for some services and all of our meetings,” she said. “That is relatively easy to count, up to about 30 people. But we are also live streaming services on YouTube and Facebook.”
A plus that Webb Stroud said is worshippers are able to join in from far away.
“A colleague of mine recently retired and moved to Florida,” she said. “She has been attending our Sunday morning service and virtual coffee hour. And, some of us report dropping in on churches other than Atonement.”
For Webb Stroud personally, she now can view the video of her daughter who is also a priest at a church in New York later in the day on Sundays.
“That ‘view’ gets counted in her church’s attendance,” she said.
Webb Stroud added she has just introduced a 30-minute service on Wednesdays at noon that is limited to 20 participants and advance reservations are required. On Thursdays, she has a Zoom worship service that is also live streamed on Facebook.
Riley, of St. John’s Lutheran Church on Broad Street, shared a similar sentiment.
“We decided to use the Zoom platform to make sure that my sermon got out,” said Riley, noting he was thankful for music director Jeff Windoloski for his technological know-how.
“Jeff set us up with a YouTube account and brought his laptop in and while we weren’t sure where to place the camera and laptop initially, each week we tried to do a better presentation for our virtual worship services.”
Riley added he has received “positive reviews” from the congregation over time.
“Even as we’ve now opened up to in-person services we still wanted to make the virtual option available to our members,” he said, citing “fear and anxiety” that remains among some church members.
“We also broadcast our sermons on WHYN 560 AM on Sundays at 7:30 a.m. and reach about 1,000 people weekly,” said Riley.
As the months of the pandemic have passed, Webb Stroud said that donations are up just a bit.
“Most folks have been able to continue to donate regularly,” she said. “A couple have been generous in giving more so that we can help those in need. Because of that, we were able to purchase a Little Food Pantry outside of our side door which we keep filled with shelf-stable food items for our neighbors to select when they need to.”
Riley concurred.
“Our membership has remained faithful in their offerings,” he said, noting attendance is approximately one-third of the normal attendance at this time of year.
“I wish attendance was higher than that but I understand there are a lot of factors that people are dealing with,” he added.
At St. John’s, Riley said there is one Bible class on Sunday morning, and he teaches a Bible class on the Zoom platform Tuesdays at 6 p.m. A Sunday school class has not resumed since parents are still “leery” about their children in that setting.
Webb Stroud said her program minister has continued to work with children and families over the past few months.
“They sent home goodie bags filled with lessons and activities for the month,” said Webb Stroud. “This month, kids and families are working on creating ‘holy spaces’ at home. In a couple of weeks we will have a Zoom meeting with families so that they can share what they have been doing.”
Webb Stroud is also proud of the church’s virtual choir which has recently grown.
“Our music director, Scott Bailey, sends out the music every week, and each member of the choir records his or her own voice and sends it back. Scott then blends those separate files into a single clip that we insert into the livestream or Zoom meeting. It sounds really good.”
Webb Stroud added that the handbell choir is also meeting in small groups and recording handbell music for Sunday services.
“Before the pandemic we had a very active choir that would meet once a week on Thursday evenings and present a hymn to sing during the Sunday morning worship service,” said Riley, adding the church also had an active bell choir.
“Since the pandemic all of the choirs and practices have been canceled and they are not really sure if they want to come back to practice yet,” said Riley.
As the holiday season fast approaches, Riley said he is thankful that the women’s group will conduct a virtual Advent candlelight dinner and program on demand.
“The dinner and program will allow everyone to watch the candlelight service virtually and then if they wish they can give a response on how they decorated their table for the event,” said Riley. “In years past this event has gotten us into the Christmas spirit and the Advent season to come, and our Lord’s birth on Christmas Eve.”
As challenges and new opportunities continue to evolve with church life, both Webb Stroud and Riley take the long view.
“I think the most challenging aspect for me has been dealing with the fear and anxiety of church members and reminding them that the Lord is with them and the Lord will keep them safe and the Lord will get them through this,” said Riley.
Webb Stroud said there are two challenges she continually confronts.
“The first challenge is the inability to touch one another,” said Webb Stroud. “Our faith is centered on the belief that God became a human being in Jesus. God showed God’s love by actually touching us in person. But now we are in a situation where the most loving thing we do is not touch one another.”
Webb Stroud’s second challenge hit hard in the beginning of the pandemic but has since become easier for her.
“We have had to learn how to do things in new ways,” she said, singling out Zoom, live streaming, and embracing technology. “We also are returning to older ways of sending paper mail and using telephone trees – all of what we had been doing has had to be adapted to what will be useful now.”
Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of stories that are shedding light on how local church leaders in our area have adapted to the changes brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. For church leaders who would like to share their story, send an email to Westfield News Editor Hope Tremblay at [email protected].
