Page 17 - Presbyterian Connection

presbyterian.ca
SUMMER 2021
Connection
ONLINE MINISTRY
PRESBYTERIAN
17
Technology, Commitment and Faith Saved the Day
Zion Presbyterian Church in Charlotte- town, P.E.I.
By John Barrett, Clerk of Session, Zion Presbyterian Church
in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
As has been the case with our fellow congregations across the denomina- tion, COVID-19 has not been kind to
the church. From extended periods during which congregants were not allowed to attend, to times where at- tendance was limited due to public health restrictions, worship has been a difficult component of our ministry to fulfill. Along with this, funerals and weddings have been hampered by the reduction in the number of people per- mitted to attend.
Senior members of the congrega- tions have been isolated in their facili- ties without the benefit of visitation by ministry staff, relatives and friends. Hospital and palliative care visitation has been eliminated at the most criti- cal time for those requiring an encour- aging word of comfor t.
Zion Presbyterian Church in Char- lottetown, P.E.I., has been for tunate enough to have knowledgeable volun- teers and staff who have figured out a
way to reach our membership within the confines of lockdown and public health restrictions. These innovations of “how we do church” have been a blessing spiritually and financially.
Prior to the pandemic, we had been recording weekly services and placing them on YouTube as well as copying DVDs for distribution to a range of nursing homes. Never had this exer- cise been more impor tant than when we were forced to close our doors without knowing when we would ever be open again.
We are pleased to note that during the entire coronavirus situation, we have never missed a Sunday service. By adding the live stream component to our audiovisual activities, as well as posting recorded services on Face- book and YouTube, we were encour- aged to see how many in our congre-
gation saw this as a “new-normal” means of worship. In fact, our view- ership frequently doubled our normal Sunday morning attendance, which is usually about 350.
Daily readings and online Bible studies were added to our website and Facebook page and, through these effor ts, our congregation stayed actively connected throughout this awkward period of our history. As an added benefit of these outreach tools, we have discovered that we are now sharing our worship services with folks across the country and beyond.
The interesting result from this technological work is something that
was never the driving force behind the initiative in the first place. The unexpected aspect of this outreach has been the positive financial com- mitment from our congregation. We are truly grateful that envelope con- tributions in 2020 were only half a percent lower than they were in 2019. This shows that staying connected by whatever means possible does in fact keep the congregation interested and active while sustaining their sense of stewardship to the church. We feel blessed by how, together, the Zion congregation has weathered such an unexpected interruption in our wor- ship and ministry history.
The Journey to Online Worship at Knox College
Antonio Siracusa taking part in Knox Col- lege Chapel online worship.
By Antonio Siracusa, Master of Pastoral Studies/Master of Divinity, worship convener for Knox College Chapel, Knox College in Toronto, Ont.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, at- tending worship in the chapel at Knox College in Toronto, meant so much to me. I always looked forward to walking into chapel, seeing friends, acquaintances and staff members while awaiting the beginning of wor- ship. There I found community, yet simultaneously, private time. I would sit down and pray, or take in the architecture—especially when the sunlight shone through the orange, gold-brown windows. Once worship began, I knew I would be affirmed in steadfast faith, encouraged and chal- lenged to delve deeper into my un- derstanding of the Christian faith.
That kind of worship experience
was to change, however, as the ramifications of COVID-19 were felt around the world. Throughout 2020, Knox College maintained a keen eye and firm grip on monitoring develop- ments related to the impact of COV- ID-19 on community and academic life across the college and University of Toronto. In August 2020, it was confirmed that classes would be only accessible online. These proto- cols also meant that the Knox College worship services would have to find a new way to continue.
Three main challenges presented themselves for online worship: find- ing preachers; finding musicians and singers for hymns; and finding volunteers for scripture readings and prayers. Dr. Brian Irwin received many suggestions for preaching/service leadership from the Knox Community, and he fine-tuned the selection to en- sure that those chosen upheld Knox College’s mission and vision.
The Knox College Worship Com- mittee decided we wanted as many people from the Knox Community (past and present) as possible to par- ticipate. And we saw and heard from preachers representing the span of leadersfromwithinThePresbyterian Church in Canada as well as from the Church beyond Canada’s borders. Some of those preachers were from Egypt, Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago.
The online worship services facili- tated a unique oppor tunity for the Knox College Chapel Choir. Claire Lemiski
(MTS) spearheaded the choir’s virtual engagement, which initially star ted out with 10 people in the fall. “Over the course of the year, we had a total of 18 people par ticipate,” said Claire. Her YouTube Channel, Sing-A-Par t, was inspired by the preparations for work- ing with the Knox College Virtual Choir in the Fall. Claire said, “It started off as a simple way to post some video tutorials for the group. But it occurred to me that many other communities were also trying to figure out how to sing together online, and perhaps these resources would be appreciated by other groups.” Claire is now work- ing with four different churches and one hospital in their choir preparation and production process, as well.
This past academic year, I have dearly missed walking into the chapel at Knox College, seeing my friends— those united in Christ, and worshipping as our beloved Christian Community. I have missed catching the promise of life and rebirth that the sun’s rays would bring as they shone through those warm, colourful stained-glass windows. Fellow classmate Christine Samuel (MDiv) agrees that Knox Col- lege Chapel is vital for students. “One ofthemorespiritualexperiencesat Knox College is the Tuesday afternoon worship services held in the sanctu- ary. Students know this time is set aside to connect with God and many of us look forward to the break this time offers from the regular routine of lectures and studies.”
Yet we were grateful to be able to worship together online this year. Chris- tine continues: “Worshipping together allowed us to feel the presence of community, connectivity and continuity at Knox. It was especially meaningful to have former students participate in worship, as this gave us an opportuni- ty to see and experience the richness of culture and diversity of students who attended Knox College. Student par ticipation also increased, as they were able to pre-record and send in their parts, which was done at their convenience with the understanding of meeting the deadlines. There are many moving par ts to online wor- ship and it was definitely wor thwhile for Knox to put this effort forward as it became a staple and something to look forward to every week.”
This academic year, the windows at Chapel were different, but still meaningful. The window panels on the computer screen showed people from the Knox Community shining their own light, enthusiasm and reverence for Christian worship. In again seeing those from my cherished Christian Community at Knox College, I was surprised to find God’s grace at work incontinuingtobringourKnoxCollege Chapel Community together in such a strange time. I discovered comfort and countless blessings in seeing people I respect, look up to, learn from, appre- ciate and value. And I was strength- ened in knowing that Knox College’s Christian Community is held firm in
belief and faith of Jesus Christ. COVID-19 put a temporary stop to in-person worship gatherings, but it certainly has not halted Knox’s vision of people of faith building vibrant communities of God’s love and hope. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer so eloquently put it in his classic text, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian
Community:
“Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this. Whether it be a brief, single encounter or the daily fellowship of years, Christian commu- nity is only this. We belong to one an- other only through and in Jesus Christ. What does this mean? It means, first, that a Christian needs others because of Jesus Christ. It means, second, that a Christian comes to others only through Jesus Christ. It means, third, that in Jesus Christ we have been chosen from eternity, accepted in time, and united for eternity.”
From the Sept. 26, 1912, Laying of the Cornerstone Ceremony, to 2020– 2021, when the Knox College Wor- ship Committee laid the foundation for online community worship, Knox CollegeCommunityWorshipcontin- ues to grow, thrive and move forward in deeper Christian faith and in deeper Christian community.
You can view the online Knox Col- lege worship services at Knox’s You- Tube Channel: youtube.com/Knox- CollegeCA