Churches continue to connect
The nation’s Covid-19 lockdown has presented many challenges for local churches, but they continue to keep connected and positive.
With personal bubbles to stay in, churches are using technology to carry on services and connections.
Innerlife Church pastor Adem Guneyi said they had everything online at this stage, including live services and small groups, and Easter services would be, too.
He said there were also live sessions run on Sundays and three times a week for children.
“It was a bit of a shock but the team pulled together and got everything done. Once we got the technology sorted, it went relatively smoothly.”
He said churches wanted to be there for people, and that Innerlife Church was making calls to more than 1200 people who had visited the church in the past three years to ask them how they were going and if they needed anything.
“It’s about reaching out right now and being that voice to help.”
Salvation Army Tauranga corps officer Francis Vemoa said they had been using technology to hold their services and stay in touch with the church community. Their services are being streamed on Facebook and Youtube.
They had also been using the “good old phone call” and text messages to check in on people and their families.
“There are people missing the social interaction, but if we want our country to be clean again, so to speak, and get out of lockdown, we all need to play our part.”
He says they will be having services on Good Friday and Easter
Sunday, and that everything seems to be going well using online services.
“It’s been a mixed bag of feedback. Some people aren’t on social media or don’t have access to the internet, and that’s where phone calls are a great way to interact and keep them up-to-date.”
The church was also making a local video, talking to people to encourage and reassure them that we were all going to get through this, he said.
“There are a lot of anxious people who are scared, confused and concerned.”
Catholic Parish of St Thomas Aquinas, Tauranga Moana priest Father Philip Billing said they were also live-streaming their services on Youtube, along with a Facebook page where they were putting reflections, videos and other information to help keep the parish community connected.
The parish had been calling people, Skyping and messaging, he said.
“It’s a different time for everybody. We are aware of that, and we are here and ready to help people however we can, either by phone or video if people need to talk, and of course we can pray for people.”
St John the Baptist Anglican Church vicar Ruth Dewdney said they were doing services through the video conferencing app, Zoom.
“It’s a huge technological learning curve for me, reinventing and upskilling as to what I do.”
She said the church also had a phone tree going, where every member on the parish roll was phoned on regular basis to check up on them. Although it was a difficult time, it was also a chance for people to connect in with their faith in a different way, she said. “We are fine. We miss meeting in the church and can’t have communion together during services but church is still happening, just not in the building.” Dewdney said they would be holding Zoom services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
The Orchard Church lead pastor Greg Burgess said the church had also gone online, like many others.
He said they do a virtual service on Sundays at 10am, which could be accessed on the church’s website or Facebook page.
“We are staying connected via Zoom, texts and phone calls.
“Our home groups and other small groups still meet via video conferencing and we have a plan to keep in touch with our whole congregation regularly.”
Burgess said the church had a virtual service planned for tomorrow at 10am and another for Resurrection Sunday at the same time.