Area churches find innovative ways to worship

by Rich Place

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact seemingly every aspect of daily life, the way people worship — and the way churches keep in touch with their congregants — hasn’t been immune to the changes.

Almost overnight, churches had to go from planning an in-person worship to learning new ways to share the gospel, keep church families connected, and provide outreach to the community.

Churches in Akron are adapting, many closing their physical doors to comply with government recommendations and mandates but opening their doors online — some broadcasting services over the web for the first time. Most churches have offered services on either YouTube through pre-recorded messages or in real-time through Facebook Live.

“I think we’re learning something new every week,” explained Pastor Dale Gooch at the First Baptist Church of Akron.

One Church, located on Scotland Road at the five corners, has broadcast its sermons in real-time on Facebook Live for more than six months and has now expanded that to include the entire service during this pandemic.

His team of three on Sunday mornings includes himself, someone to operate a smartphone that serves as the camera and someone to run the soundboard. The entire service is broadcast live on the church’s Facebook page, complete with recorded organ music, a sermon and prayers.

The church had sparingly used its Facebook page in recent months but now has broadcast its last three Sunday services on the site. It also plans to broadcast its Maundy Thursday service live at 6:30 p.m. on April 9 and its Easter service at 10:30 a.m.

A team of about 10 people are responsible for getting the service from the church onto Facebook Live, from a praise team that leads the worship in music to the tech team working behind the scenes.

“It’s a new way to help people who have fallen away and (want) to come back and for people to find Jesus for the first time,” explained One Church Pastor Rick Rouse. “Our mission is to reach people with the good news and this virtual thing is a new way to reach more people.”

At Trinity Lutheran Church on South Newstead Road, Pastor Adam Miller-Stubbendick and his wife are recording a service from their living room and posting it on YouTube for congregants to watch at their convenience.

The church’s bulletins are posted on the church’s website so participants can follow along and hymns are led by the husband and wife team. This past Sunday’s service for Palm Sunday included the waving of homemade palm branches.

“The living room is where our children play and it’s also where we record worship services right now,” Pastor Adam said. “My one-year-old’s high chair is where we set the camera up to record. We turn on the living room light to make the lighting decent.”

At Akron First United Methodist Church, leaders are actively engaging the congregation on their Facebook page through multiple videos during the week, including a service that includes music from a live praise band and a message from Pastor Alberto Lanzot. Small groups are also gathering through Zoom.

And when it comes to Sunday morning worship at Calvary Baptist Church on Lewis Road, Pastor Frank Snyder and his team record a Sunday morning message that can be found on the church’s Facebook page at 11 a.m. as well as on the church’s website.

At St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church, all Masses are held privately, without a congregation, so all intentions are fulfilled. A message on the church’s main office number noted the church is open every day from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. except Tuesday, when it closes at 12:30 p.m.

“We hope you’ll take advantage of that to come in and say some prayers as we pray for God to save us from this current pandemic,” said Father Dave Baker on the recorded message.

As it is its tradition, St. Teresa’s continues to upload its bulletins each week on its website, stteresasofakron.com, with scripture readings and church updates, among them a note this week about the Quilting Ministry sewing facemasks recently delivered to the nursing staff at Brothers of Mercy. The site this week also included a YouTube link to this week’s Homily read by Deacon Ron Adamczak. Father Dave also started a Twitter feed, twitter.com/stteresasofakr1, for short updates on church happenings.

Despite the varying ways of hosting worship on Sunday mornings, a familiar sentiment amongst church leaders is not just how to worship on Sundays, but how to stay connected when church families can’t gather in person.

“What we miss most here at Calvary is being together with our brothers and sisters in Christ,” said Pastor Frank Snyder. He sends out two mass emails a week to the church family to give them a word of encouragement, updates and prayer requests. He said he also tries to call those without email capabilities. The team at Calvary also produces “Chat with the Pastor” segments, 5-8 minute devotionals on the church’s Facebook page.

Small groups from the spring semester at One Church were just wrapping up, but many groups began hosting Zoom calls to stay in touch, Pastor Rick said. The church also sends out a mass email each week.

“It has information and it’s also inspiration,” said Pastor Rick. “We have been trying to do both of those. I think the theme we have been trying to focus on is that ‘we are the church, now it’s time to be the church.’”

He said teams of volunteers have formed to shop for groceries and call church members and attendees. The church has also engaged in several other outreach opportunities, including hosting blood drives and donating cookies and Tim Hortons gift cards to staff at area hospitals.

The close-knit congregation at Trinity Lutheran Church has kept in touch with each other as well, said Pastor Adam.

“Trinity is not closed — the building we are meeting in clearly is — but we are moving our community of people of faith to taking care of one another in the world around us from afar,” he said, noting the Akron-Newstead Food Pantry housed at the church continues to operate. “I encourage people to call one another, text one another.”

At First Baptist Church of Akron, members of the congregation aren’t currently meeting up for their monthly breakfast but continue to keep in touch.

“I think one of our benefits as a smaller church is you can use the telephone still to keep in contact with people,” said Pastor Dale. “The folks are doing a really good job of keeping in contact with each other.”

As church members and regular attendees keep in contact with each other, online worship also opens the doors to potential new attendees once congregations can gather once again.

“This is an easy way for people to invite friends to a worship service,” said Pastor Rick at One Church.

Pastor Dale from First Baptist Church of Akron noted that holding the services online also makes it easy for people to worship from anywhere in the world.

“We’ve been reaching people outside of our immediate area,” he said, noting one congregant in particular who is working right now in Louisiana and has been watching services online. Pastor Dale added the church may likely continue to live stream the services once the congregation returns to the building.

From spreading services outside the church walls to finding new and innovative ways to stay in touch with congregations, local churches are adapting to this temporary new normal. And for some, it’s strengthened them.

“Calvary Baptist Church is a very friendly group,” explained Pastor Frank Snyder. “I believe this crisis has brought us even closer together. But we can’t wait to come together again — it will be a time of celebration.”

Sidebar

Services online

AKRON — As church sanctuaries in the area will be nearly empty on Easter Sunday, that doesn’t mean there won’t be ways to worship. Most churches are offering some kind of online alternative during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

One Church Live streaming of Easter Sunday worship service at 10 a.m. on its Facebook page, facebook.com/onechurchny. The church is also hosting a Good Friday service on Facebook Live at 7 p.m. April 10.

Calvary Baptist Church An Easter Sunday message will be posted at 11 a.m. on the church’s Facebook page, facebook.com/CalvaryBCAkron as well as on its website cbcakron.com.

Trinity Lutheran Church An Easter service will be posted on the church’s YouTube page, easily accessible by following the link at the church’s website, trinlc.com.

First Baptist Church of Akron An Easter Sunday service will be available in real-time at 10:30 a.m. on the church’s Facebook page by searching “First Baptist Church of Akron.” The church will also broadcast a Maundy Thursday service at 6:30 p.m. on April 9.

Akron First United Methodist Church The church will be hosting a drive-in sunrise service at Akron Airport at 7 a.m. on Easter Sunday. The public is invited to drive up and stay in their cars, as the church will host a handful of songs, a message and prayer. The service will be streamed on Facebook Live along with a 9:30 a.m. service, both on the church’s Facebook page, facebook.com/firstumcakron.