Local churches still offer services during pandemic

By Amber Hayden

With the Safer at Home order extended several churches in Glenwood City and Boyceville have begun holding services online using ZOOM, Facebook Live, or uploading to YouTube.

Pastor Brad Peterson, Trinity Lutheran Church in Boyceville, said they began offering worship live on Facebook on March 15, which was also the last time the church was together in person for worship.

“We offer both our Sunday service and Wednesday night service on Facebook, and then post the services afterward on our YouTube channel,” said Peterson.

In addition to the live streamed worship services, Trinity Lutheran has also been posting on their Facebook and YouTube more frequently. They have also added children’s sermons every Monday with kid’s songs available on Tuesdays and Fridays.

“We did a drive through communion on Easter Sunday which was a big hit, and we encouraged in home communion on appropriate Sundays,” said Peterson. “We are starting to do some ZOOM calls where members can get together online and we extended our daily video devotions. I’ve been calling many of our elderly members on a regular basis to check-in with them and see how they are doing.”

Peterson has been amazed at the response to all that the church has tried and for the support from the members and individuals in the Boyceville community.

“God has been our refuge and strength in these hard times,” stated Peterson. “We might be doing church very differently right now, but we are church together, not just as Trinity, but for all the churches of our community.”

Peterson does miss all of the Trinity family, however, from their nursing home residents, the quilting ladies, and all of the kids, parents, and everyone in between.

Trinity is normally an incredibly busy church with lots of things going on and to have an empty building, day after day, has been difficult at times, according to Peterson, But in the midst of all of this the Lord, has filled him with hope through the love, kindness, and support he has witnessed.

Holy Cross in Glenwood City has been offering their services online on YouTube, according to Missy Klatt.

“When you go on YouTube you have to search Jonathan Zielske,” Klatt explained.

They also post the link weekly on the FaceBook page for Holy Cross, and have been posting on other happenings with the church.

They have been providing confirmation classes and their weekly after school program JAM via ZOOM, as well.

“We have been sending out sermons to the elderly members, as well as those who don’t have access to a computer or internet,” said Klatt. “And we continually make phone calls to all of our members.”

Pastor Samuel Subramanian said that Glen Hills Parish has been sending out prayers, hymns, and scriptures to the congregation, which also includes a copy of his sermon, by email or the postal service.

“Not all of the members have internet so they are appreciative to get it through the mail,” said Pastor Samuel. “This way they are able to mediate on it while they are at home.”

Sunday morning sermons for the parish are found online through Facebook and YouTube, but there is no music that accompanies the sermon because of copyright laws.

Members of Glen Hills Parish are encouraged to find the hymns on YouTube if they wish to hear the songs and music.

To locate the sermon videos for Glen Hills Parish, visit their Facebook page and the links are provided each Sunday.