For Pastors and Worship Committees
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A Reformed Biweekly 75th Year of Publication | May 11, 2020 | No. 3113 $2.50 Theme issue: Technology News. Clues. Kingdom Views. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE WORKERS When doctors and nurses risk their lives for us, we can see reflections of the face of God. | John Van Sloten I RECENTLY INTERVIEWED AN ALBERTA EMERGENCY ROOM physi- cian, an emergency room nurse, a unit nurse and a primary care para- medic for an Easter-based sermon I was working on. Seeing news reports depicting these incredible souls work at the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic made me curious about what drove them. Who are these people that so willingly step toward the danger and choose to touch those no one else will touch? As a faith leader I believe that God made these healthcare profes- sionals, and that their selfless vocational impulses – wherever we find David and Brittney Salverda re-enacting the Road to Emaus from their kitchen table in Victoria, B.C. them – are borne out of the selfless heart of God. So as I conversed with each of these care providers, I listened for BENEDICTION FROM echoes of God’s voice. Continued on page 3 THE KITCHEN Five B.C. pastors take us behind-the-scenes of church online. | Meghan Kort CRITIQUING PREACHERS AND WORSHIP STYLES HAS LONG BEEN “challenging journey” for church- a post-church pattern for congregants. Some Sunday mornings, our es and their leaders. tongues are quicker to question than to urge empathy and understanding From where they sit behind for those who lead us in worship. Perhaps the move to critique is quick- computer screens and telephone er these days as we come to church through emails and gather around lines, do we really know how our screens. Are we tempted to forget that these are uncharted waters for pastors are managing amidst all the very real people who are working hard to pivot our fellowship from of this? in-person to online? Our pastors did not get a seminary class on video editing or leading WRESTLING WITH worship through conference calls. Every denominational office has RECORDING sprung into action to offer supports and resources to fill the gap. These “After the first [online service], I supporting organizations applaud the work of pastors and worship cried about it all night,” confesses committees who have made changes in mere hours and days that under Pastor Brittney Salverda. “I felt normal circumstances would take months and years. like: I’ve never done that before “It’s remarkable to see the creative, thoughtful work that so many and I hated it and I didn’t say any- leaders and congregations have developed, often with very limited time thing I wanted to say. Let’s take and resources,” said John Witvliet, director of the Calvin Institute of it back.” Christian Worship. Yet Witvliet also acknowledges that COVID-19 is a David and Brittney Salverda Photos of healthcare staff projected onto Rio’s 30-metre-high Continued on page 2 Christ the Redeemer statue in a tribute to front-line workers. MAIL TO: PM# 40009999 R9375 PM# 8 | The future of farming 17 | Zoom manners 24 | The CRC across borders News PASTORS CONTINUED team pastor a congregation of about 200 members in Victoria, B.C. In the few days they had to discern how to move online, they agreed to let go of any need to replicate the feel of in-person worship and instead record videos of interview-style services at their kitchen table after their kids went to bed. The Salverdas see this as a good opportunity to try something new. “I sometimes need a little kick- in-the-butt in order to try new things,” admits David Salverda. “This requires experimentation. It requires creativity, and, for me,” says Brittney Salverda, “that re- quires a great deal of courage and not caring. Not caring if it sucks. I can’t pull an all-nighter doing a retake. I could. I could. But I will not let that voice, which is quite Clockwise from top: Andrew Aukema records his sermon in the sound booth of the Prince George CRC sanctuary; Ed and Gerda Adema gathered around the screen; loud, say ‘you just need to do a Telkwa CRC gathering via Zoom on Easter Sunday; Geoff and Jaime McDonald and their sons Jonas, Sacha and Phoenix (left to right) worshiping in their home. retake that was awful;’ ‘you look ridiculous;’ ‘you weren’t artic- from people than an ordinary Sunday service,” says Aukema. Engaging plains Joe Ellis, who pastors this they did speak to the challenges ulate.’ That part of me, I’m just in a liturgy is hard work. Each person is invited to share in the tasks of congregation along with his wife of balancing pastoring and parent- trying to kill it.” reading, carrying discussion, praying and making music. For those who Michelle. The Ellises facilitate ing without the supports of their Encouragement from congre- don’t feel comfortable singing along with YouTube videos or playing their services using Zoom, an on- in-person community. “Having gants has given the Salverdas their own instruments, Aukema encourages them to write or share about line video conferencing platform a two, four, and six-year-old is a the courage they need to contin- how they have seen God’s goodness in the past week in lieu of singing. which allows participants to join huge gift, but over the past months ue with creating online services. Those who don’t have many others living in their home may gather, by computer, tablet, smartphone we’ve seen all of our normal fami- “You won’t believe it,” exclaimed while maintaining their distance, with one or two other church members or landline phone. The landline ly supports vanish,” explains Ellis. one elderly member who lives who are related or live nearby. phone access is key since many “This has been hard and often I’ve alone, “I felt like you and David Aukema says that the church will likely transition to a pattern that members live rurally with slow felt like I just don’t have as much to were sitting in my living room allows for some return to the familiar Sunday morning service experi- or limited internet access. During give.” The normal routines of pas- with me!” ence, perhaps using the current guided home-worship format for two their online services there are any- toring and sermon-writing are now weeks and then doing a live streamed service every third week. Aukema where between 33-45 devices on- structured by naptimes and punctu- WORSHIP THROUGH sees a value in both formats and comments that publicly accessible vid- line with up to 100 participants. ated with trampoline injuries. LITURGY eo feeds of church worship services “could provide a new front door” Prior to the first service, Ellis says As our church leaders stretch In northern B.C., Andrew Auke- for those curious about what goes on at church. he spent a lot of time on the phone themselves in new creative direc- ma pastors Prince George Chris- explaining how Zoom works and tions, perhaps tapping into new tian Reformed Church, a smaller ZOOMING IN even made himself available the talents or making a few missteps, congregation with fewer than 100 Unlike these churches in Victoria and Prince George, most of those who day before for people to make test may we extend an extra measure members. He too finds himself attend Telkwa Community (Christian Reformed) Church still see each calls to try it out. of grace to their efforts. Let us wrestling with doubts after ex- other’s faces every week during worship. “The first Sunday that we gath- remember that we are the church. perimenting with new worship “We placed the highest value on an online platform that would enable ered online, there seemed to be While we may be sitting in the tools and platforms. “It’s almost the whole congregation to engage with each other in some way,” ex- a palpable shared relief that we places where we typically con- like spiritual warfare,” he says, could see each other. It felt special sume food or media, may we re- describing the experience of sit- to see each other in our homes sist the temptation to consume and ting with an audio recording of FOR PASTORS AND . more of a glimpse into each critique. Rather, let us be willing his sermon. Aukema includes the other’s lives,” says Ellis. Some re- to take worship risks ourselves, sermon recording with a home WORSHIP COMMITTEES marked how surprisingly intimate making phone calls, learning new worship guide designed to lead a group video chat could feel. digital skills and participating households through their own li- Helpful advice from four B.C. pastors: Telkwa Community Church has whole-heartedly in this season of turgical service. • “Give yourself the freedom to experiment. We’re all learning as a culture of sharing during the ser- worship. While acknowledging that we go.” – David Salverda vice, especially during the con- change is hard, Aukema echoes • “Kill off the perfectionist side of you.” – Brittney Salverda gregational prayer. “I wonder if Meghan Kort the Salverdas’ call for churches • “Ask yourself, is this something people are consuming or is it the fact that our congregants were Meghan is Assistant Edi- to push through and try some- something people can participate in?” – Andrew Aukema used to sharing their thoughts and tor of Christian Courier. thing new: “Take the opportunity • “People are overwhelmed with content. What we all hunger for prayers in normal times, made it She is a historian by train- to make changes .