Continuing Worship and Fellowship on Zoom through June 2020
News from Council on Ministries
This is an extraordinary time. While we have been separated, in many ways this social isolation has forced us to consider what is most important to our families, our friends, our community and our church. As Massachusetts begins to “re-open”, we find that our timeline for resuming in-person services in our Fisk sanctuary does not have to follow the state re-opening guidelines. Using the building and sanctuary does not make us the church – We are the Church and we are continuing to thrive during this time of social distancing.
At May’s Council on Ministries meeting, we spent much of the time talking about next steps for resuming in-person worship services. We recognized that we have not been “closed” – in fact we have remained open and welcoming despite the social distancing required for the health and safety of all. Worshiping by conference call initially and now via Zoom simply means we are being the church in a new way. We have adapted and expanded our sense of what is worship and we plan to continue this style of worship while the local communities and the state “reopen” and the implications of this process becomes known.
After much discussion, review of NECUMC Conference guidelines, state guidelines, and in coordination with Pastor Alecia, the Council on Ministries team decided to continue using Zoom for Sunday services through June. At our June COM meeting, we will evaluate this decision again – and hope to resume some sort of in-person services for the summer months. This will depend greatly on how we all collectively feel, how the community response to reopening has been and the procedures in place to prevent community spread of COVID-19 when we do resume gathering in-person.
We’ve been blessed with great participation on Sunday services. Going virtual has meant that we have been joined by members and friends who would not have attended an in-person worship. Those who have moved away have continued to worship with us. Our Missionary in Nicaragua, Dr. Belinda Forbes worshiped with us a few weeks ago. So continue to invite others to worship with us. Our invitation to Christ needs to continue to happen even though we are not physically present in our sanctuary on Sunday mornings.
Over the next few weeks we will be trying some variations to the service and some of the participants will be participating from other locations – like the sanctuary or the Fisk Outdoor cross. But in all cases – we are bound together – not by a physical building – but by the living presence of Christ in our lives.
So … Virtual Sunday Worship services with fellowship afterward will continue through June. At the COM June 16th meeting we will re-evaluate and make a decision about our summer informal services. There is no rush for us to return to formal Sunday worship services and programs other than the sincere desire to see each other in person. We are intact, our faith community is strong and we are supporting each other in ways that are new and varied.
Thanks to the leadership at Fisk as we navigate these new waters together. If you have any concerns or ideas for worship or programs at Fisk, do not hesitate to contact me or any of our Council on Ministries team. I’d love to chat with you – maybe even see you over Zoom!
We Are Fisk!
Sherry Culver, Chair Council on Ministries, [email protected]
This is an extraordinary time. While we have been separated, in many ways this social isolation has forced us to consider what is most important to our families, our friends, our community and our church. As Massachusetts begins to “re-open”, we find that our timeline for resuming in-person services in our Fisk sanctuary does not have to follow the state re-opening guidelines. Using the building and sanctuary does not make us the church – We are the Church and we are continuing to thrive during this time of social distancing.
At May’s Council on Ministries meeting, we spent much of the time talking about next steps for resuming in-person worship services. We recognized that we have not been “closed” – in fact we have remained open and welcoming despite the social distancing required for the health and safety of all. Worshiping by conference call initially and now via Zoom simply means we are being the church in a new way. We have adapted and expanded our sense of what is worship and we plan to continue this style of worship while the local communities and the state “reopen” and the implications of this process becomes known.
After much discussion, review of NECUMC Conference guidelines, state guidelines, and in coordination with Pastor Alecia, the Council on Ministries team decided to continue using Zoom for Sunday services through June. At our June COM meeting, we will evaluate this decision again – and hope to resume some sort of in-person services for the summer months. This will depend greatly on how we all collectively feel, how the community response to reopening has been and the procedures in place to prevent community spread of COVID-19 when we do resume gathering in-person.
We’ve been blessed with great participation on Sunday services. Going virtual has meant that we have been joined by members and friends who would not have attended an in-person worship. Those who have moved away have continued to worship with us. Our Missionary in Nicaragua, Dr. Belinda Forbes worshiped with us a few weeks ago. So continue to invite others to worship with us. Our invitation to Christ needs to continue to happen even though we are not physically present in our sanctuary on Sunday mornings.
Over the next few weeks we will be trying some variations to the service and some of the participants will be participating from other locations – like the sanctuary or the Fisk Outdoor cross. But in all cases – we are bound together – not by a physical building – but by the living presence of Christ in our lives.
So … Virtual Sunday Worship services with fellowship afterward will continue through June. At the COM June 16th meeting we will re-evaluate and make a decision about our summer informal services. There is no rush for us to return to formal Sunday worship services and programs other than the sincere desire to see each other in person. We are intact, our faith community is strong and we are supporting each other in ways that are new and varied.
Thanks to the leadership at Fisk as we navigate these new waters together. If you have any concerns or ideas for worship or programs at Fisk, do not hesitate to contact me or any of our Council on Ministries team. I’d love to chat with you – maybe even see you over Zoom!
We Are Fisk!
Sherry Culver, Chair Council on Ministries, [email protected]
