Empty tomb, empty churches

On a typical Easter, local churches fill with worshipers celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.

This year, Easter was anything but typical.

Church doors were shut during Sunday's services, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on God's houses.

Instead, local pastors offered online services, streaming on smart devices and computers in Summerland-area homes, rejoicing as the stone was rolled away from the front of the tomb and the light of the world reappeared.

Mark Hoffman, pastor of Ewing Full Gospel Church, said it was different not seeing people in church Easter morning.

"It was hard in some ways ... but I find encouragement when I think about the church. In the book of Acts, they were meeting in different ways as well and the church continued to grow," he said.

In past years, Full Gospel Church has averaged 53 worshipers on Easter Sunday.

As of Monday, 266 individuals had viewed the Easter message, which was live on Facebook.

Hoffman said 115 people had watched the live broadcast by the time the service ended.

While worshiping with others brings a sense of community, the spirit of church exists wherever he is worshiped.

Hoffman said church has never been about the building.

"It has always been about the people. I believe in some ways, we have lost sight of that," he said.

Hoffman has seen an increase in human connection, church members checking on others.

"The church - doesn't matter what denomination you are - needs to be strong right now. We should be the answer and bring the hope of Jesus to people who are hurting," he said.

Daniel Feusse, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Clearwater, called the Easter experience "surreal."

Feusse also fills a vacancy at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Orchard.

"I actually recorded our Easter service on Saturday afternoon so that our parishioners could watch it first thing Sunday morning. But it was still Easter," he said.

The message of Easter remained clear.

"Earthly events that affect the gathering of the Lord's people still don't change the fact that Jesus rose from the dead, and because of that, the day was still special."

On average, approximately 140 usually attend Easter services at the Lutheran church.

"As of 4:30 p.m., Monday, my service had 96 views," Feusse noted.

Church is more than a group of people, Feusse said.

"When Jesus talks about two or three being gathered together, he also adds that they do so 'in my name.' All through the Scriptures, the name of the Lord is synonymous with him gathering his people together to feed them and care for them."

In the book of Numbers, the Lord instructs Aaron the high priest to place his name on the corporate gathering of his people.

Feusse said since the Lord gathers His people, they need a place in which to "be gathered." 

"This is an important concept when we talk about the Church. It is Christ, the head, gathering us, his body, the body of Christ, the church, in order to bring the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. This He does by coming to us and being 'in communion' with us. This requires us to be 'gathered' in a specific place. Any message of Jesus can't be shared until Jesus first imparts it to us, his body, the Church," Feusse said.

While Hoffman only began posting live services on Facebook when directed health measures were put in place, this isn't his church's first foray into video messages.

They also post videos of the weekly message on the church's YouTube channel.

"To some point, we will continue to do things live. I think it will be on a smaller scale," he said.

Feusse does not anticipate continuing the recordings when the DHM is lifted.

"We don't have the capability to broadcast our services live at this time and it is a tremendous amount of work to record and post."

He said it took approximately five hours to record, edit, upload and post the churches 45-minute Easter service.

Adjusting to the recording technology has been a learning curve.

Feusse said he has learned to use a new technology he didn't know before.

He has incorporated adjustments into each recording.

"I have adapted each week, correcting errors or learning something better over the previous weeks," he said.

Hoffman has also discovered adjustments that need to be made.

"I have learned lighting makes a big difference in how things appear. Sound is a huge thing as well, so learning to improve in some of those areas has been a learning curve," Hoffman said.

To improve video techniques, he has done a lot of reading, watching videos and talking with pastors from other churches that have already been live-streaming services.

Neither pastor has used a mock flock - faces of parishioners taped to pews - during filming.

Feusse said a small group is in attendance to help with music, congregational responses and singing.

Both pastors have discovered changes in the way they minister to others during COVID-19.

Feusse said he cannot conduct many of the personal visits he routinely would make to shut-ins, those who are hospitalized or parishioners in nursing homes.

"It has been very difficult," he said.

Hoffman said showing the love of Jesus is vitally important.

"If it's calling to check on one another, picking something up for someone if they can't get out," he said. "I've had to adjust how I connect with people, finding new ways of reaching out to people."

Feusse said one blessing has been the ability to offer 10-person short communion services periodically throughout the week.

"I get to see and talk with many people on a level I rarely get to experience, about their fears, anxieties, frustrations, along with their hopes and their faith in the Lord," Feusse said. "That has been a wonderful unexpected outcome of all of this."