Livestreamed services and programs kept us together at St. John’s when we were physically separated during the early days of the pandemic. Our virtual offerings are still a catalyst for sustaining our parish community.
“The online service means so much to me. I hope it never stops.”
A parishioner who lives a fair distance from St. John’s often attends Sunday services online before traveling to care for a family member with dementia. The livestreamed services center her and allow her to nurture an afternoon’s worth of patience and love. Another, now living with her family in India, hasn’t found another church that feels like home.
“Sometimes I talk to Sari during his sermons. ‘You’re right! You’re right!’ I’ll say.”
Close-ups of Sari preaching, lectors reading Scripture, the choir singing—virtual worship can offer an intimate experience, with no leaning around a pillar for a good view! In online ministry meetings and Bible study, the visual format brings everyone face to face, reinforcing a sense of connection.
“I feel part of St. John’s, even when I’m not there.”
Virtual engagement serves different purposes for different people. St. John’s parishioners worship together, learn together, find fellowship together online despite family responsibilities, physical health challenges, or winter snowstorms. For some online parishioners, St. John’s may fill the role of family no longer there—partners or spouses gone, children moved elsewhere; a virtual connection allows them to create new memories with their community. Others return to online recordings to deepen their understanding of a sermon or a program, or to listen again to music they love.
During Sunday services, the celebrant says, “May the grace that flows from this table find you wherever you may be.” Wherever you are, please consider supporting St. John’s and its online presence with a financial pledge.