Trying to do church in the middle of a pandemic poses its challenges, as you might imagine.
Our last in-person church service was on Sunday, March 15, and since that date, we've been holding all of our services online. We use Facebook Live to broadcast services on Tuesday nights, and then we post the video to our YouTube page, and also schedule another Facebook post for our regular Sunday service time for those who just need to watch their church on Sundays.
But our church services haven't been the only thing affected. Our youth formation has been turned upside down as well. And this past summer we weren't able to hold a traditional Vacation Bible School for our 15 Sunday schoolers.
However, our Sunday school parents didn't let a little distance deter them from trying to provide a summer faith formation experience. They decided to just move it online over the course of three months. And so the parents split into groups of three, each group responsible for developing an activity for the kids to participate in at home, and then they all of the families came together at the end of the month for a online video chat to share their experiences. ... And, I have to say, while not your typical VBS adventure, our kids loved all of the activities that transpired this summer.
The activity that may have been the most elaborate took place in August. A couple of parents developed an interactive mind and body mystery activity at the church that our kids had to solve. Each of the families came in on a designated week to find a "whodunnit" puzzle that the kids had to solve by completing various physical activities and mental challenges all throughout out church, including in classrooms, the Pastor's Office, in the Sanctuary and up and down the stairs. They were busy everywhere!
The premise of the mystery game was that: "A team of thieves has broken in and stolen a great treasure from the church and is now threatening to expose this treasure to the world should we not comply with these demands."
The Sunday schoolers, who were secret agents working on behalf of our church, then had to solve a series of puzzles and perform a series of tasks that led them throughout the building to find out just exactly what it was that the thieves had stolen.
To say that the interactive game was a hit with all of the kids is an understatement. They were thrilled to share their findings during their August online video chat when they all came back together.
I can't thank the adults who helped make this activity possible for the Sunday schoolers enough! ... And, as I told our congregation on our Facebook page, this is another example of how our church continues to be actively involved in ministry even when we are separated.
So, if you find yourself struggling to see how the Spirit is active in the middle of this troubling time, keep the faith! ... The Holy Spirit is alive and well and active in our congregation and elsewhere! We just are being forced to look a little harder for the results!
Here's wishing that all of those Sunday schoolers out there -- here in our church and every other place of worship -- have a blessed and joyous year as they begin their Sunday classes online this fall. May the Spirit continue to work through our Sunday school teachers and students! 🙏💒🔥❤️
Oh, and just what exactly did that nefarious team of thieves steal from the church? ... Well, I guess you'll just have to ask one of our brave and intrepid secret agents! 😀👊
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