A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how our church was coping with the pandemic and its effects on our church. I thought I would give you an update and invite our readers to share their experiences, also.
We have now presented our Sunday morning worship online for four Sundays. We’ve posted our worship videos on Facebook and Utube, and we’ve also posted them on our church’s website. Our viewing audience has increased each week. It hard to determine exactly how many people watch the whole service, but we estimate that 685 people watched on Easter Sunday. We’re confident that many more people are worshiping with us online than did in person. Before the pandemic, we did not broadcast anything online. We only posted an audio recording of last week’s sermon on the website. The government restrictions forced us online, but we have decided to continue with online services when we resume public worship.
On Thursday night of Easter week, we observed the Lord’s Supper online. We purchased Lord’s Supper kits (little plastic containers with wafer and juice), and the deacons distributed them to our members. They delivered 700 kits, and we know that some folks joined in communion, even though they did not have a kit. So, we know more than 700 participated in the Lord’s Supper, a record high for our church.
The first Sunday we worshiped online our offering receipts were about $9,600, about half of our weekly budget requirement. That really concerned me; however, the next two Sundays we received more than $30,000 each week. For Easter week our faithful members gave more than $28,000. So, I can say that our folks have done well, and our budget won’t suffer. In fact, our giving is up.
Our deacons have come through like champs during this crisis. The deacons called all our church members to check on their welfare, and they also delivered the Lord’s Supper kits.
We have learned a lot about posting video worship services. The first video was rushed, and it was not the best quality. However, the quality of the videos has improved week by week. We post the video on both Facebook and Utube. At least on my computer, the quality of the picture is better on Utube. I heard that some churches had problems with Facebook—buffering or complete stoppage. We have not had any problems. Our auditorium has been changed into a recording studio. It still gives me pause when I go in there. We just purchased a draped backdrop, and we plan to purchase better cameras.
We’ve begun teaching Sunday school classes, using ZOOM. This has gone fine, and lots of folks are participating in the classes.
We’ve also been sending out daily emails. We call them Encouraging Words. I write those. Our senior pastor has been recording his sermons, but he hates preaching to the camera. Personally, I praise the Lord that we’re reaching so many people via internet worship, but I sure miss worshiping in person. There is nothing like raising one’s voice in praise along with God’s people. Then, too, I miss the personal contact with our folks.
Well, that’s the update from Central Baptist Church in Crandall, Texas. How are you all doing?
My post reveals how ignorant I am about social media. It should be YouTube. I’m guessing the pandemic has forced a lot of old pastors to learn about social media. Of course, we can always appeal to our grandchildren for help. 🙂
Dr. Mark, this is an inspiring and encouraging story. Thank you for this report.
Thanks, Stephen. I wish I could say that as soon as the pandemic hit, we developed a great master plan. The truth is that we’re making this up as we go along, learning new things every day.
My church is in a small rural town primarily with a senior membership. Most have cellphones and use text, a few do not. Some have computers and are active on social networks. I do not Facebook and do not have a computer in my study. I am not so good at using my phone capabilities either. Though I am using it for this. I have been sending a text devotion based on the sermon I would have preached ( I am still doing the sermon prep and I have more time for that now). I call the few who do not text to share that devotion with them.
My wife and her Sunday School class meet via Facebook for those who have that while the rest join by conference call on their phone. My wife has been posting my text devotion on her Facebook page so I know that my teaching has gone halfway around the world to an IMBer that we know. I have reached 10s though not 100s more that I know of. It struck me when my wife showed me some responses on Facebook that what I am sending out can be forwarded to others by any who will do so. For all who are preaching and teaching God’s word that is a good thing.
It appears that a number on my contact list went to another person when my contact had a job change in his phone number so I had a request to remove a person from my text
devotion list. He or she was thankful when I told them I would. I have not heard from them since so I assume they were removed from the list and that no one on that list is still responding in the list
A member who has been faithfully active for fifty years called to ask for the church mailing address so she could send in her tithes and offerings. I sent that to everyone else and found it funny that faithful members did not know the address to a place they attend several times a week.
On Easter Sunday my wife and I stood under our church drive through and invited the members to drive through and wave, blow the horn, and even talk as a way to come out and celebrate the resurrection. I was overjoyed at who and how many came. About half our members were able to drive to church! The weather was bad and at 12:30 p.m. we were in a tornado warning and went home.
We missed our Lord’s Supper and will do it very soon upon our return to corporate worship. I think it should be done by the church body gathered together in a physical place. Years ago I saw an article( it was probably in Leadership or Christianity Today …when that was the internet!) about having private communion with just yourself and God. That clearly misses the point. When I read 1 Corinthians 11 it just seems best to me that we be together in person to take the Lord’s Supper.
I live near the city where the Mayor had the police give tickets to church attenders in their cars as written about in a previous post. I am ready to go back to church at the church building. We can do social distancing in our church building better than any store we can still go to in that city!
Let me give an update on our church’s giving. I assumed that most of our folks were giving electronically; however, our Minister of Education/Administration told me yesterday that online giving has comprised only about 40%. Most people are bringing their donation to the church or mailing it.