Topeka EDITION Getting our includes Lawrence, Manhattan, Emporia & Holton FREE! NE! entertainment The Area’s Most Complete Event Guide TAKE O at home Page 16 GOLF CLASSIC Page 13 “I Still Believe” CELEBRATING FAIT H, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN NORTHEAST KANSAS facebook /metrovoicenews Celebrating our 14th year! VISIT US AT or metrovoicenews.com VOLUME 14 • NUMBER 8 April 2020 TO ADVERTISE, CONTRIBUTE, SUBSCRIBE OR RECEIVE BULK COPIES, CALL 785-235-3340 OR EMAIL [email protected] NEW RESIDENT Seeking Back to the Bible church guide offers free digital Topeka Bible Church COMFORT app for churches in the to keep them storm connected See inside back cover! An Easter Without Going to Church To help churches stay connected and minister to their members during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Back to the Bible is offering a free digital service. The BttB.App platform offers churches the ability to integrate their existing web - sites with various functions such as coor - dination of online groups and classes, live The Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort arrives in New York City to provide relief for the area's hospitals. (AP) streaming as well as taped sermons, direct email correspondence with congregants, The USNS Comfort arrived March It is staffed by a crew of 1,200 and – nor fail to recognize – that the doctors social engagement between members, 30 at the front lines of the coronavirus will "serve as a referral hospital for non- and nurses across America, those who among other uses. Arnie Cole, CEO of The Centers for Disease Control outbreak in the United States, bringing COVID-19 patients currently admitted are treating patients in these unprece - Back to the Bible, says this app meets the and Prevention issued a formal rec - a message of hope and comfort to New to shore-based hospitals," freeing up dented times, they are all heroes," needs of churches of any size. ommendation that public gatherings Yorkers and all Americans in the midst space in those facilities for local medical Mustin said after the Comfort docked “This is a good time to remember that be postponed or canceled for the next of the pandemic. professionals to tackle the growing pan - at Manhattan's Pier 90. the New Testament meaning of ‘church’ eight weeks. For organizations that The Navy hospital ship, which con - demic. "As a resident New Yorker myself, I never referenced a building,” says Cole. serve high-risk populations, the tains 1,000 beds, a dozen operating "Not all of our nation's heroes wear can attest to the invincible spirit of New “Rather, it referred to the believers them - threshold is 10 people, though most rooms, a medical laboratory, a pharma - military uniforms," Rear Adm. John York," he said. "From the ships that she selves—people who often met every day. churches aren’t even doing that. Easter cy and more, sailed into New York City Mustin noted. built in World War II to her unflappable We have the same need to connect daily worship (April 12) as we’ve known it harbor for the first time since the "Especially today, we acknowledge determination following 9/11 and now, and the BttB.App platform meets September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. that many wear scrubs. Let us not forget is doomed. Early on, many pastors n Please see COMFORT page 2 n Please see BACK TO THE BIBLE page 2 probably presumed that preaching to cameras rather than congregations wasn’t going to encompass a whole season. Topeka attorney answers questions about Stay-Home-Order Events are moving quickly from By Joe Patton Toward this end, we offered on our bad to worse. No doubt pastors worry If you listen to the news, it's Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ that two months of canceled worship Armageddon. At Patton and Patton, PattonAndPatton/, to answer questions – services will provide the proverbial Personal Injury Lawyers, we don't without charge – about the Local straw to break the camel’s back of believe in doom and gloom. Our peo - Emergency Order, which was adopted last congregational decline. For years we ple are working remotely, but we are week and extends to April 26th. Later the preachers told our congregations how here for you. We answer questions. We Governor issued Executive Order #20-16 “coming to church doesn’t make you a are proactive. (https://governor.kansas.gov/news - Christian” (usually followed by the Control what you can control. We room/executive-orders) which super - tread-bare analogy about how being have been through many crises; we will sedes the local Order. The new Order took in a garage doesn’t make you a car). get through this one by working togeth - effect on March 30th and continues to We never really meant to be taken er. We will not only survive, but as a April 19th. seriously. Fewer and fewer adults community, working together, we will Religious gatherings are exempt under already report attending church in thrive. As Andy Stanley said, "When they the State order but would not be after tell the stories of this time, let our stories April 19th under the County Order, Please see EASTER page 4 n be stories worth telling." n Please see STAY-HOME page 3 2 • April 2020 __________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com _________________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews ________________________ Topeka Metro Voice Will Drive-In Church Be the New Normal During COVID-19 Outbreak? Several churches are try - tact, ... really warms peo - ing a new kind of service — ple's hearts and encour - one that is completely safe aged everybody, including during the coronavirus me." pandemic. They're calling Genoa Church Pastor it "drive-in church." Frank Carl preached to a Paul Daugherty, pastor larger crowd of 600 peo - of Victory church in Tulsa, ple in 300 cars in Oklahoma, shared the Westerville, Ohio. Carl results of his innovative tells the Christian Post church service on that this is the first time Facebook. Genoa Church has held a "Desperation is the drive-in service. breeding ground for "We decided to do this INNOVATION — tonight as an alternative way to our church rose up with allow people to worship creativity in the midst of a collectively in a safe envi - crises! THE GATES of ronment of their own car HELL WILL NOT PRE - and to honor the guide - VAIL— WE ARE THAT lines of our governor," CHURCH!!" he wrote. "As Carl said. A drive-in service at Victory church. (Facebook/Paul Daugherty) 4,000 people showed up Could this trend last tonight to sit in their car for beyond the COVID-19 an outdoor DRIVE-IN CHURCH and hope and victory and miracles "Everybody who was in their car had lockdowns? Pleasant Hill Christian Church in Potosi, SERVICE lot — and another 36,000+ happened tonight! GOD'S NOT FIN - the biggest smile on their face, just – Jenny Rose Spaudo | charisman - Mo., is meeting at the Starlight Drive-In joined us online worldwide not includ - ISHED and the BEST DAYS for the because we didn't physically gather for ews.com Theatre in rural Washington County. ing the thousands who joined us live CHURCH are truly in front of us! church the week before and everybody on radio with @kxoj2 where i preached Don't lose hope!" misses it," The Associated Press reports half on our roof and half from a scissor Daugherty isn't the only pastor to Bruckner as saying. "Being together, have the idea of drive-in church, even though there is no physical con - Republicans – I've said the same mes - lift 35feet in the sky to reach both sides sage to all of them. What you see hap - of the parking as JESUS was LIFTED though. Rev. Nick Bruckner of COMFORT continued from page 1 pening in New York is not unique," he UP hearts were forever impacted by Unalakleet Covenant Church conduct - continued. "Yes, we are more dense. Yes, the message of HOPE and VICTORY ed a similar service in the village of Hurricane Sandy, I have great confi - we are bigger than most places, but, this over the virus! Unalakleet, Alaska. BACK TO THE BIBLE dence that New York will weather virus spreads among Americans. This "Then after service we were able to Despite the strong winds and sub - continued from page 1 freezing weather, Bruckner preached today’s storm as well.” virus does not discriminate. It does not bless thousands of people as we gave “If there is ever a time that we need out boxes of groceries & frozen chick - outside through a microphone to his that need. It’s a timely offering designed discriminate by age, it does not dis - congregation of 35 while they were in to quickly and easily fill a variety of digital to work together it is today," New York criminate by party, it infects all en in a drive through manner for 600 Gov. Andrew Cuomo added. "The cars full of families!!! So much love their vehicles. gathering needs during this time of social Americans. And what you are seeing in distancing. Because we know many president is right – this is a war. And New York is going to spread across this churches are being hurt by the financial what does this nation do when it’s at country.” crisis this pandemic is causing, this app is war? It comes together and it acts as "I’ve said to them all ‘prepare soon, 100% free for them to use.” o n e . ” prepare early, get your preparations in Releasing this week, the BttB app pro - “I’ve been speaking with a number place and don’t think that any vides multiple ways for congregations to of my colleagues, governors all across American is immune from this virus," connect digitally, drawing congregants the nation, Democrats and he added.