Spreading the Word Religious leaders tend to their flocks
Even during a frightening global pandemic that necessitates social distancing to prevent the spread of a potentially deadly virus, local pastors and their staffs are faithfully caring for their uncertain congregants or anyone who needs an uplifting message.
Gov. Tom Wolf advised churches last week to suspend services, and many pastors are doing so out of concern for their congregation members.
But that doesn't mean the Christian message has been suspended for the county's faithful.
Churches are doing their best to ensure that message is being disseminated through any means possible.
The Rev. David Janz, pastor at First United Methodist Church in Butler, said the five weekend services normally held at the church and its two satellite locations have been combined into one video service at 9:45 a.m. each Sunday.
The hour-long service is live-streamed at the Crossfire location in Center Township, as it normally is, then uploaded onto the church's website, butlerfumc.com, and its Facebook page so the faithful can watch it when it is convenient for them.
The entire service is filmed without people in the pews, Janz said. Music is included in the video services, although the full band is not playing as usual.
“It will be a full service as much as we're able to do that,” he said.
The first video church service last Sunday garnered 1,500-1,600 viewers.
“Still, it's not the same as being able to sit next to a brother or sister in Christ and know they are hurting and reach out and give them a hug,” Janz said.
He said a First U.M. phone team is currently being assembled to handle calls from congregants who are feeling lost or overwhelmed by the pandemic.
“We are working really hard to stay connected to our people through social media and the website too,” Janz said.
Dahn Kilroy, office administrator at Calvin Presbyterian Church in Zelienople, said live virtual church services are broadcast every week and uploaded onto the Calvin website. They get an average of 230 views per week.
On Sunday the online service saw an increase to 284 views — the most the church has ever had, Kilroy said.
“This is new because nobody is there in the pews,” she said.
Kilroy also uploads the weekly bulletin onto the website.“We feel that it's important to have those services for people, especially now in a time that is kind of uncertain,” she said. “We want people to know we're still around.”Calvin's first virtual service with an empty sanctuary also was last Sunday.The pastor was videotaped performing the entire service, music and prayers included.“There's no changes at all,” Kilroy said. “There's just no one in the pews.”She also set up a virtual prayer vigil to replace the one held at the church every third Thursday. It was posted on the church's website on Thursday evening.Candles, soothing lighting and inspirational music and images played while congregation members, who had received an email with the weekly prayer list, lifted up the concerns of those who normally flank them in the Calvin pews.“People can watch and pray on their own,” Kilroy said.She said most of the Calvin congregation are tech savvy.“I have a 100-year-old woman, she sends me emails all the time,” Kilroy said.Other members who live at the Sherwood Oaks retirement community in Cranberry Township hold watch parties so they can “attend” church together in a common room.“That way, they get to take part in it,” Kilroy said.Vicar Brian Bocian a pastor and director of children and youth ministries at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Jefferson Township, said the elements of worship for the Sunday services are being recorded and placed on the church's website and Facebook page as well as YouTube.He said daily devotions are also being broadcast on Facebook Live and a virtual Bible study is in the works for teens that will be done via videoconference so the teens can see and interact with one another.“Anything we can do to try to bring people together without bringing them physically together,” Bocian said.He said ministering to the sick has been a challenge in the past few weeks.Sadly, two congregation members died in the last week, and the church cannot in good conscience hold gatherings larger than 10 people.In lieu of a traditional funeral, graveside committal services are conducted and the family hopes to plan a memorial service for the future when the congregation can gather.“It's different when it's a church family,” Bocian said.He said older members who are not familiar with technology are checked on via telephone every so often or if they have needs.Bocian agrees with all the pastors who are doing their best to serve their church families in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.“It's not the same as physical touch and one-on-one communication,” he said.
