LCC CONGREGATIONS REACH OUT ONLINE MINISTRY DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS
BY MICHELLE HEUMANN
A
cross the country, Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) congregations are united in a quest to deliver the Word to those who need to hear it in a time when gathering together in person is risky, and, in most places, currently banned—not because of religious persecution but because of the potential to share a dangerous virus with vulnerable members of our community. At present, the best way to continue worshipping together without spreading the virus is virtually, and many congregations are making good use of technology that wasn’t available to Martin Luther in his day. Grace Lutheran Church in Drumheller, Alberta, was one of the first LCC congregations to cancel in-person worship services and begin livestreaming. A small town with an outspoken epidemiologist who warned residents to prepare for a crisis, Drumheller cancelled townoperated events of more than fifty people on March 13, 2020. Grace held its first live-streamed worship service on March 15, and the video has since been viewed more than 700 times. Rev. Scott Gamble, pastor of Grace Lutheran, says that “people
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THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2020
are hungry for hope and an anchor,” and that while worshipping virtually is new for most people, “we can be the church in lots of different ways and in lots of different places.” Their live-stream setup is low-key: a cell phone and Facebook Live, with Rev. Gamble suggesting that “frequency is better than formality.” Rev. Clint Magnus, pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, has been recording sermons for about the past six years. He began when the wildfires
devastated the community of Fort McMurray, Alberta, and the president of the LCC congregation there asked Rev. Magnus to provide recorded sermons for their worship services. On March 22, 2020, after in-person worship services were suspended, he changed the format of the videos slightly to include all the readings, the sermon, a Creed, prayers, the Lord’s Prayer, and a benediction.
That first video now has nearly 2,000 views. “It is in a time of crisis that people turn to the Lord,” Rev. Magnus explains, “and that is when we must be bold and courageous to proclaim God’s love in Jesus Christ.” He encourages all congregations to post sermons and devotions online, regardless of the number of viewers. “Even if one person watches and is blessed, it is worth it,” he said. “It is the Lord’s work that we do, and it is He who works through us.” In Simcoe, Ontario, Rev. Dan Abraham, pastor of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, is using Zoom to live-stream Sunday worship. An affordable conference call program, Zoom allows members to see each other and visit before and after the service. It also allows for the sermon to be recorded and posted online later. Aleta Abraham, whom Rev. Abraham calls a “techno guru,” set up the program, and they are pleased with the results. It’s user-friendly, making possible a number of different ministry opportunities, including “Bedtime Stories with Pastor Dan,” so that even the youngest members of the congregation have some personal contact with their pastor. Livestreaming is also allowing some homebound seniors to reconnect,
