(Angie Rolheiser/northeastNOW Staff)

By Aaron Schulze

Religious Service Amid COVID-19

Technology helping Melfort church adjust to distanced services

Apr 1, 2020 | 3:24 PM

Two Sunday services for northeast churches have passed since the Government of Saskatchewan declared a State of Emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning the restrictions of social gatherings.

On March 26, the province further restricted private and public gatherings to 10 people.

For the Northeast Christian Fellowship Church in Melfort, they had been streaming their Sunday services online for over three years, making the technological shift a smooth one.

“Not that we were prepared for a pandemic, but we were prepared in a sense that we were already on a live stream,” Pastor Paul Dubois told northeastNOW. “People who used to attend the church are now watching from home. It’s not an easy maneuver, but it’s times we’re living in right now. We want people to be cautious, but also faithful… their attendance may not be physical, but the church isn’t about a facility, it’s about the people.”

Dubois has never pastored through a pandemic before or known another pastor who has. There’s no lineup at the church door and there are only 10 people are in the room at least two metres apart.

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While Sunday’s have continued without any hiccups, some of Northeast Fellowship’s other services have been adjusted or cancelled due to the social restrictions related to COVID-19.

Tuesday prayer meetings, that Dubois said sees between 40 to 60 attendees, have been cancelled, as the church encourages families to pray from home at the same time.

Outreach meetings with youth on Thursday’s have also been cancelled, while church staff continue to connect with them online.

The largest adjustment has been Northeast Fellowship’s Christian Academy. Students are now being taught through Google Classroom as teachers volunteer their time. Dubois said because they’re an independent school, the students will still receive grades at the end of June. He credited the parents and teachers for helping adjust their routine to ensure the students’ education continues.

“I don’t know if there are more learning curves,” Dubois said about dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic going forward. “People had to learn how to distance themselves, but also be wise. We want people to have courage in the midst of this. Because when panic and hopelessness set in, it’s a recipe for disaster.”

Some volunteers for Northeast Fellowship are phoning their directory every week to keep connection with their followers and pray with them if need be. Dubois said all they can do is follow the social distancing protocols set out by the provincial and federal governments.

“One day this will pass, and we’ll get back together,” he said. “It’ll be a glorious day. But right now, it is what it is, and we want to be faithful with what’s in front of us.”

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow