CASE STUDY: COVID-19 CHURCH SOLUTIONS FROM ALASKA
Eagle River, Alaska
Sunday, April 5, 2020
God is blessing us in this trying hour at The Sanctuary of Eagle River, Alaska. We are navigating the same challenges as others having to move almost all ministry activity online. We haven’t come to a complete solution and don’t expect to. In these challenges, the solutions, and the wider setting of an instantly changed world, there are opportunities that we’ve identified and wish to share with you.
The obvious challenge that arose was how to continue to have church services once most of the country had asked assemblies to limit gatherings to smaller than the average church size. Further challenges were found in updating other functions of the church to be accessible at a distance such as classes, giving, communication, and care. Going beyond maintaining the norm, there is also the challenge of identifying opportunities and seizing them.
Our church is a re-plant with NAM (North American Missions) status in the UPCI. Our church systems were recently implemented and make use of modern technologies. These technologies made our transition much easier. The modern systems being used are a Church Management System (CMS) named Elvanto. The CMS keeps member and guest information, facilitates mass email and text message communications, and logs giving through a service named Tithely. We use both systems together. The communications ability assisted in sharing our solutions and having a greater degree of participation. Online giving was already being done in our church. Communications were as direct and as expedient as can be expected.
To adapt a worship and preaching experience, we decided to record a live service and then produce that into an online video for those who stay home. As mandates became more stringent, we went to only recording services with no live audiences. We chose not to live-stream for practicality. Recording and presenting at a later time gives more control, a better finished result, and allows sharing on multiple platforms simultaneously much more simply. We quickly learned that recorded services also did not have to compete with the streams on Facebook nor were they hidden like some live-streams were. I believe that recorded services serve a further function than serving the existing assembly. Prospective new members will be able to see what our church is like and more comfortably decide to plan a visit.
We wanted to keep as much church activity in the usual time slots as possible and Zoom was a good tool for that. We pray corporately on Tuesday evenings and study the Bible Thursday evenings. Zoom meetings were planned for those times. I am already practiced with Zoom due to my debt elimination business, though others have found it rightfully challenging. However, with many schools and employers transitioning along with us, people are catching on quickly.
Identifying opportunity is a challenge that I prayed for wisdom in. I don’t want to have to win back anyone who was disaffected. I do want to expand the Kingdom of Heaven and the family of God. I know that generally there are great opportunities in chaos and abrupt change.
In care ministries, we found our greatest opportunity and solution so far. Wanting to keep the church connected in personal relationships, especially for those who are new, we implemented Care Groups quickly. All of our contacts in Elvanto were divided by neighborhood. We asked certain couples in each neighborhood group to serve the others as Coordinator. Their role is to weekly speak to each group member, offer prayer, ensure they are OK, and coordinate with the neighborhood group to meet any needs that may be present. These groups were promoted with open enrollment in local Facebook groups with success and many in the community have engaged positively, some joining. I believe that however we can provide community in this time of isolation will be well received.
Identifying opportunities is not an activity that we have exhausted and we have seen some more opportunities, in addition to local Care Groups. One of these opportunities is personal Bible studies via video conference. With video conferencing, the common objections to meeting in the home are side stepped and time is saved from commuting to and from another location. Further, the teacher’s screen can be shared, showing slides and scripture. We have secured some new Bible studies in just the last week in this way.
The last opportunity I see is the chance to celebrate when services are again allowed. When mandates are lifted, there will be a hunger that I expect God to meet and being wise to the winning of souls we should capitalize on this opportunity. We should personally and directly invite all that we can. We should give rides when needed and promote widely. For our church, we plan to wait and have a belated Easter service with all the activities that people will feel they have missed.
In addition to the opportunities, I believe that our model of church will weather this storm better than those that are attraction-based. The call for greater commitment and the expectation of a supernatural experience better moors those who are a part of churches like our own. One friend asked me recently, “Are people who go to a church that is simply three songs and a sermon-ette going to return after they see they can get that online?” I expect some will not. I expect some will look for a greater experience, but others will be drawn to an authentic church.
Ours is a church with an average attendance of about 35 before the shutdown. The only staff is myself, the pastor. We have a great team and a great culture. We are blessed to be nimble and ready to adapt to the challenges of this hour.
The results of all of this transition activity is a body of Christ in Eagle River that is still active at least three times a week. We are actually communicating with and caring for each other to a higher and more deliberate degree. Our worship and preaching experiences are high quality, widely available, and contextually optimized for viewing online. Personal Bible studies are still being taught. Promotion is still being made as are contacts in the community.
P. Derrick Seagraves is a North American Missionary in Alaska and an alumnus of Indiana Bible College. He enjoys fishing, hunting, reading, and raising his three toddlers in the Greatland. His wife Shannon is also alumni of Indiana Bible College. If readers would like to follow their church activities online, they can view their Facebook page. If anyone would like to connect to Pastor Seagraves personally, please see Seagraves.me.
