As we face the unique challenges of being the church in a time when we cannot gather in person, we will be gathering the stories of how our God–the one who always finds a way–is working in the midst of this season. Join us as we share stories of how God is at work in the middle of COVID-19.
- Neither COVID nor Rain can Stop the People of God!
This is Connie Bowen in the picture. She has a ministry of doing Prayer Quilts. Every Quilt she does is as unique as the people they are made for. Connie says God helps her when she goes and buys the fabrics. Even the patterns and embroidery is unique. With every prayer request she makes these unique full of love a care quilts and then Sunday she would bring them to church for me to bless. The children in the service that day and myself during the children’s time will lay hands on these quilts and bless them and pray for the people they are given too. Connie has even made one and sent it to a co-workers family in the Ukraine. Since the churches closing in March she has been with every prayer request, she still has faithfully kept on making them, piling them, awaiting the return to church so they can be blessed. She called me last week that she had sixteen she made and because we don’t know when we’ll be back to worship I told her to bring them by and I’ll bless them. I love this ministry so very much and am always overcome with such a humble honor to be asked to play even a small part by blessing them. Her work is blessing enough. Today I was overcome by all the stitches and time she put into them.
These words from Rev. Sheena Laine, pastor of Magnolia UMC, offer a great reminder that the ministries God calls us to may be forced to change and adapt during this season, but they don’t need to stop! God’s calling for each of us is to be disciples of Jesus Christ who make disciples of Jesus Christ–no matter what!
A trunk full of quilts preparing to be blessed and sent into the world! - We are Not Alone!
The children and congregation of Ivey Memorial–in paper bag form! Rev. Anita Mays-Lucord, the pastor of Ivey Memorial UMC recently shared this story with me of how unknown people in her church reminded her that we are still the church together, even when we are apart:
The week after Easter I walked into the sanctuary at Ivey Memorial UMC to check on some things, and was surprised to find the pews “full.” Printed-out pictures of “people” were taped to the back of the pews. I still don’t know who did it, but it was a gesture that really moved me. As I looked at all the “people” in the pews, it was a reminder that the church is alive and well, even if we can’t gather together in our buildings as usual. It also served as a reminder that while I as the pastor was working to love and support my congregation, the congregation was also loving and supporting me. To me, each picture represents a church member (or hopefully a future church member). A few weeks later, I walked into the sanctuary and found similar images of “children” taped to paper bags and sitting in the spot in the front of the sanctuary where I usually gather with children during worship for “children’s chat.” The children’s names are: Kindness, Love, Goodness, Peace, Joy, and Hope. Last week I sat among these “children” to record the message for our worship service video that I posted on the internet. In the efforts someone took to create, print, tape, and love…. God has shown up at Ivey Church.
One of the blessings of the COVID-19 season is the reminder that “the church” is not a group of people who simply gather weekly for worship. Our connections to God and one another go much deeper–and I pray you will find ways to remind yourself and your neighbors of just how connected God’s church is this week!
Pastor Anita’s “Children’s’ Chat” during online worship at Ivey Memorial - What Does a Worship Leader Look Like?
Worshiping at a distance has allowed Highland UMC to invite many different faces–many who have never led worship before–into worship leadership Often, we see the same faces over and over again leading worship in our churches. We know those individuals are gifted, but it is always a joy to see others in our congregation have the opportunity to lead! COVID-19 has created a situation where some churches are taking advantage of the need to be on video in order to get many people involved in worship leading.
Check out this note from Highland UMC Associate Pastor Rev. Maggie Hasselbach:
For Palm Sunday, Joe and I compiled a video of our congregation reading different parts of the passion narrative. We have shortened that to a 3 minute video, focusing on Matthew 27:54, and the voices of some of our congregation responding as the centurion, “truly, this was the Son of God.”
Check out the video! It is a beautiful compilation of many different faces who are a part of Highland and beyond.
- More than ‘Routine’
Rev. Jack Meservey shared the following story with me recently. May you be blessed as you hear how God works in unexpected conversations!
I was at the churches on Thursday to get some work done and video some segments for tomorrow’s service. While I was there, a service technician came to perform planned maintenance on the HVAC system. We started talking and I asked him what church he attended and he responded that he was between churches at the moment.
I asked him if he knew Christ, he then sat down about three pews away from me and provided one of the most powerful conversion testimonies I had ever heard. The spirit came over him during a service he attended to such a degree that he was openly crying. He accepted Christ at that moment and after the service he spoke with the pastor, was baptized and I could tell just by the way his eyes lit up when he talked about Jesus that he knew without a doubt whose he was. I listened without interruption or comment for nearly an hour which for me is an eternity. That church was in another state so he is looking.
I realized he was one of the lost sheep that Jesus left the 99 in search of just as I am.
I shared some of my testimony, we prayed and I invited him to our video services and to come and experience the love of our little church once we reconvened.
Even in isolation, we meet people whose lives we can affect and who can affect ours. As a result, I missed a meeting but I gained so much.
With His continued blessings,
Jack
- Holy Punchlines
Director, Writer, and Actor Matt Chastain offering jokes as part of Wesley UMC in Hopewell’s Holy Humor Sunday worship. Rev. Jacob Sahms, the pastor at Wesley UMC in Hopewell, shared this story of finding creative ways to be the church during COVID-19:
I had this crazy idea that this year for Holy Humor Sunday (the Sunday after Easter where some traditions celebrate that God played a joke on the devil by resurrecting Jesus), that instead of telling jokes for twenty minutes that I would ask some of my storyteller friends to share their gifts via video, and maybe just maybe, we’d bring some joy to people who are stuck inside.
Crazier still, they said yes. Some of them have never even spoken to me before (maybe that made them more inclined to say yes!); some of them are folks whose projects I’ve admired for awhile and am proud to call my friends. Thank you all.
So here are the folks who contributed to this video, which is unlike any worship experience I’ve ever seen or been a part of in twenty years in ministry. These folks have my heartfelt thanks for participating, and friends, to quote Friday Night Lights, “my heart is full.”
Alexandra Boylan, actress, producer, and speaker, “Switched”, “Catching Faith”
Chris Singleton, motivational speaker, “Emanuel”
Matt Chastain, actor and director, “Small Group”
Jim and Jenn Gotzon Chandler, actors and producers, “The Farmer & The Belle”, “Frost/Nixon”
Garry Nation, actor, “MBF”, “Polycarp,” “Chasing the Star”
Robert G. Lee, writer, speaker, and comedian, “The Old Adventures of the New Christine,”
Todd Terry, actor and realtor, Amazon’s “Vindication,” “Breaking Bad”
Spencer Folmar, director and screenwriter, “Shooting Heroin,” “Generational Sins”
Meg Calvin, author and podcaster, “I am My Own Sanctuary”
Wes Miller, director and screenwriter, “Hell on the Border,” “River Runs Red,” “Atone”
Chris Dowling, director and writer, “Run the Race,” “Priceless,” “Where Hope Grows”
Craig Rolan Martin, producer and actor, “The Good Road,” “Free Burma Rangers,” “The Insanity of God”
The Skit Guys, comedians
Tim Janis, director, composer, musician, “Buttons” Tim submitted some humor and provided the amazing prelude
Members of the Wesley Band (Wes Spain, Carter Woolridge, and Eva Woolridge) recorded the praise music.
Tech maven Heather Johnson created the opening images.
Any mistakes or typos are purely my fault. We hope this video brings you a smile, a laugh, and that you’ll share that joy with someone else.
Check out the Holy Humor worship here: https://www.wevideo.com/view/1655527202