Churches adapt to empty pews due to COVID-19

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

On past Palm Sundays, youth at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charles City would be serving a brunch to the rest of the congregation in the church’s large parish hall, and the place would be packed.

Not this year.

Instead, Pastor Russ Leeper and his wife, Susan, appeared live from the nearly empty hall via Facebook — with chairs stacked against the wall in the background — greeted the congregation, told a joke and led an online prayer.

“We miss you guys,” Leeper said into the camera, as he and Susan raised their coffee cups. “We came here to have some coffee with you and to say a prayer with you.”

The church held its Palm Sunday service via its youtube channel, complete with graphics illustrating the sermon and the words for the prayers and hymns.

St. John is not unique. Pastors and priests throughout the country are ministering to their flocks online and finding other ways to maintain a connection and social support, as the threat of COVID-19 shuts down traditional religious services — even during Holy Week.

“Keep in mind the Easter message,” said Pastor Steve Hansen of Trinity United Methodist Church in Charles City. “During Holy Week 2000 years ago, the disciples’ world had fallen apart. They were in grief, they were afraid, it didn’t look like there was a future for them — that was Friday. Sunday’s coming.”

Like St. John and many other local churches, Trinity has been prerecording services and posting them on Facebook and YouTube for members of the congregation — and anyone else who’s interested — to watch and participate.

Leeper and Hansen have also been working together this week — although from separate places — as Trinity and St. John will be presenting a joint online service on Good Friday.

“The love of Christ knows no bounds,” Leeper said. “Even though we have to be separate for a while, we’re still connected through that one spirit, and we can still love in meaningful ways even though we’re not physically right in front of each other.”

Both Hansen and Leeper said they like to incorporate as much humor as they can into their sermons each week.

“It’s a serious time, but we’re also trying to maintain our sense of humor,” Leeper said. “We can always be joyful, even in the most serious of times.”

Bethany Alliance Church in Charles City had a bit of a head start on the online services, as the church has been live-streaming parts of its services for more than three years.

The Rev. Coulter Page said Bethany has continued and expanded on that, streaming the full worship service as well as announcements and messages every Sunday morning.

Bethany started doing live-streaming during bad weather in the winter years ago, so people could still be a part of church from home.

“We feel blessed that we already had some of this in place,” Page said. “We have some really good friends at other churches who we’re helping out who’ve had to start from ground zero.”

Bethany has also added separate live streams, immediately before and after the Sunday service.

“It’s a spot for people to come and chat and hang out on a Sunday morning,” Page said. “People can ask questions, make statements and contribute.”

The church is also streaming its Wednesday night children’s ministry, which includes a teacher on video with the lesson, posted with activities the children can do at home with their families.

“I think our people have enjoyed having an outlet where they can get together,” Page said. “It’s a little different than what we’re used to, but they’ve greatly valued it.”

At St. John, the youth and family ministries coordinator has been doing online content for Sunday school and emailing Sunday school lessons. St. John’s preschool has also been putting lessons, daily devotions and Bible readings on Facebook Live.

“It warms my heart to know that the ministry of the church is continuing to go on, in spite of all this,” Leeper said.

To keep connected with the flock, Hansen said that Trinity has put together a calling list called “Trinity Connections,” with about 15 members of the congregation each calling about 10 other members each week to find out if there are needs, questions or concerns. Hansen then follows up and calls some of those members personally.

At Bethany, church elders are calling every member of the congregation at least once a week, and some church fellowship groups get together each week via video-call.

“That has really helped our people feel like they have someone to talk to,” Page said. “In all honesty, I’ve had some greater conversations with people, calling them every week, than I ever had in the weeks before.”

Leeper has also been doing a lot of pastoral care by phone, and said that St. John has had a lot of people in the church who have volunteered to make phone calls or run errands for people who need it.

“We have a whole list of volunteers ready to spring into action to help,” Leeper said.

Leeper said he’s watched the online services of several of the other local churches, and drawn inspiration from them.

“I think it’s amazing to see the creativity, not only in our church, but in other churches in the community as well,” he said. “We get to see the online stuff other churches are doing, and I just think it’s an amazingly creative time.”

All the pastors said they took cues from one another to help determine how their churches might best help the rest of the community.

“We are actively engaging and reaching out to Charles City and the rest of our area communities,” Page said. “Everybody is hurting from this, and feeling the ramifications, and we want our community to know we’re here, and we’ll be here in the days ahead.”

Hansen said that Trinity would be “keeping our eyes and ears open” to see what needs arise in the community as the situation continues, and he expects all the local churches will respond.

Page said he is looking forward to that moment when his entire congregation can be together again and celebrate. Leeper agreed.

“I’m sure looking forward to that day,” Leeper said. “It’s very strange — preaching and speaking to a mostly empty church. In the moment, I just have to keep remembering that the spirit has no bounds.”