Regina churches embrace COVID-related adaptations
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and First Baptist Church Regina have fully embraced the virtual platforms their congregations were thrust into two years ago.
The two churches are currently using a hybrid-model hosting services both online and in-person.
James Chimirri-Russell, pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, says they have come a long way from pushing a camera around on a tea cart to the direct to Facebook and YouTube stream they have now.
He said having both the virtual and in-person options has made attending the services easier for more people.
“Our reach has become much broader given that there are people who were like really desperate for this kind of content,” said Chimirri-Russell. “All they were waiting for was for us to take that initial push, which was a very unpleasant push, it was super hard to do it, but now that it’s running it’s been great for them and for us.”
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church holds two services on Sunday and one on Wednesday, as well as weekly activities such as youth group and book study.
These activities currently run in the hybrid-model as well, but are made to be easily adaptable.
“We’ve done our best to have that be either online and in-person constantly or able to switch online at a moment’s notice because at any second it could change,” said Chimirri-Russell, adding the youth group was switched to online in the fall after many of the participants were deemed close contacts at school.
First Baptist Church Regina is also happy with the accessibility the online platforms bring.
In March 2020, Joel Russell-MacLean, lead pastor, did the first virtual service himself with his guitar, and now they have weaved the aspect of Zoom into their services, giving people the opportunity to interact and preach from home.
On Sunday, they were joined by a church in Dauphin, Man., a speaker from southern California and a pastor from the Philippines.
“There’s some creative and fun things you can do you know have people take part from around the world and remember that you’re part of something so much bigger than what you often see day to day,” said Joel Russell-MacLean.
He says it’s about relationships and staying in touch, and being able to reach those who are shut in has a positive impact.
“They were able to take part in some of our activities during the week or on Sundays and that’s just rich, it’s not just making the best of things, it’s actually a gain,” said Russell-MacLean.
Both churches say it is likely the virtual portion of their services are here to stay as it provides a means of connecting people together in a way that suits them, watching on their own time from the safety from their home or even remaining part of their church after moving away.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.