When lockdown orders were issued in March, churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship were forced to rapidly adjust to a new lifestyle.
For Missouri United Methodist Church, changes have been both substantial and meaningful.
According to the Rev. Fred Leist, the church discontinued on-site worship in March, shifting to remote services. This continued for nearly three months until it became slightly safer to have a small number of people in worship.
“We used to have four services on Sundays,” Leist said. “After we starting phasing back into this method, we only hosted one, and for a long time we had a lot fewer people in attendance.”
Though the pandemic has made life difficult for many, and has demanded people change their normal way of life, the church has seen positive outcomes, Leist said.
It has stepped up its contributions to the community and established ways for people to attend services and practice their faith.
Throughout pandemic and to this day, Missouri Methodist has livestreamed its services. Those unable to view the worship services live are able to view them on YouTube with archives that date back to July.
Even after the pandemic ends, the church will continue to livestream its services and upload the archives to social media channels.
During the summer, as well as during more temperate weather, the church hosted held vesper services in outdoor parks around the city. People in masks gathered outdoors to participate in sunset evening services while following the guidelines set by the Boone County Health Department.
The men’s and women’s ministries have been incredibly active in holding Zoom meetings, Leist said. The college ministry (The Neighborhood) has been active in hosting events and reaching out to students on campus.
The amount of community service and outreach programs in the church has increased throughout the pandemic. Missouri Methodist donates monthly to people in need throughout the state, Leist said.
Missouri Methodist has collected thousands of dollars for student dental kits, and its monthly donation projects change. The church also stepped up partnerships with several agencies in town.
This article originally ran on columbiamissourian.com.
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