Keeping the Faith, Virtually

By Allison Perrine

An unfamiliar silence fills the air in places of worship throughout the country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But that doesn’t mean people aren’t attending service.

Many religious organizations have shifted to online platforms for the time being, allowing people to practice their faith at home. It has been an adjustment, religious leaders in the Two River area shared, but ultimately more people are tuning in now than before the crisis, they noted. Here are the ways some local houses of worship are dealing with the stay at home order.

Lincroft Presbyterian Church

Every Sunday at 10 a.m., members of the Lincroft Presbyterian Church log into Zoom video conferencing software and get a taste of what they would normally have in church, in the comfort of their homes. Congregants are able to see and hear everyone through the application and have conversations.

“We’re really trying to break through the social distancing by social solidarity by using faith as a way to really think about how we’re walking all of this together,” said Judy Musa, a member of Lincroft Presbyterian Church in Middletown.

Each week, music director Mike Kabash releases music composed of individual choir members singing acapella. Pastor Diane Ford gives a 10- to 15-minute sermon on different topics and continues the service as normal.

“It’s kind of like taking the best of the physical experience and adapting it to how people are today,” said Musa – but digitally. And that allows more people to access the church, including people who are now tuning in from Florida or the Carolinas, she said. In the local area, some elder community members are participating in services who may not be able to get to church. Volunteer “tech deacons” – who are not actual deacons – help them do so.

“Now, you’ve really opened the doors of a physical thing to really, what it’s supposed to be, which is spiritual, emotional. It doesn’t matter where you are. You’re anywhere in the world and you can be part of this community and dial in,” said Musa.

As Easter approaches, church volunteers – or as Ford calls them, the “bunny brigade” – are delivering spring flowers to people who might not be able to tune into those video services or who are home-bound, the pastor said. And during Easter Mass, special music will be played and additional text will be offered for those tuning in.

“There’s always a special feeling on Easter morning and what I’m going to be working at is to not let people feel like, what a bummer Easter. There’s no such thing as a bummer Easter,” said Ford. “That ‘Grinch Who Stole Christmas’ story totally applies – the Grinch who’s trying to steal Easter. You can’t steal Easter.”

Congregation B’nai IsraeL

Congregation B’nai Israel in Rumson is also utilizing Zoom to host its virtual worship and other programs, including daily educational programs for children and adults. One of its unique and special new offerings, however, is story time.

Rabbi Doug Sagal now reads bedtime stories virtually for children of the congregation knowing that it can be a stressful and difficult time for everyone as they stay home – especially parents. One of his latest storytime tales was the classic “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.”

“I think everyone is anxious, everyone is concerned, but this gives us an opportunity to be together and to connect to one another,” said Sagal. And some of that interaction can be more casual, like the virtual happy hour congregation members had last Friday. “I think they enjoyed that more than the worship,” he joked.

As Passover approached, this year held from April 8 through 16, Sagal recognized that some people may not be able to go out and get proper Passover essentials. So, he decided to organize Passover Kits filled with matzoh, hard-boiled eggs, roasted shank bone, greens and parsley.

With the help of volunteers, those in need from the Congregation B’nai Israel community will get the kits delivered to their homes, which provide all the essentials for the major Jewish spring holiday.

“Basically, the motto that I’ve been saying to the congregation is ‘Our building is closed, but our community is open,’ ” said Sagal. “And the idea is that we’re still here.”

TOWER HILL CHURCH

Tower Hill Church in Red Bank moved its business virtually in about two days after large gatherings were prohibited by Gov. Murphy’s emergency orders. Since then, it has been able to offer Sunday worship, daily devotionals, choir practices and more, remotely. And all the while, senior pastor Jason Tucker was quarantined at home with COVID-19, said Karen Gyimesi, next steps and communications specialist for the church.

“We honestly have seen such a passion for people needing the word, needing to get some faith into their life now that there’s so much turmoil around them,” said Gyimesi.

The church now offers a weekly Sunday worship service at 10:30 a.m. through a Facebook livestream, with a live band and sermon. People who wish to view the service but do not have Facebook can also see the video at Towerhillchurch.org later that day. Tower Hill also offers a live daily devotional at 10:10 a.m. on Facebook, hosted by Tucker.

“This new way of life will not hold us back from spreading peace and connecting to the community,” said Tucker in a press release. “We will do our best to offer as many virtual experiences possible for all ages until we are allowed to gather at our campus again. That’s going to be one heck of a celebration.”

In general, the church averaged about 550 people attending in-person worship each Sunday. Now, representatives are seeing that its online Mass on Palm Sunday received more than 3,300 views by Tuesday afternoon. Additionally, the church has gained more than 41 new Facebook page likes and thousands of additional post engagements.

PILGRIM BAPTIST CHURCH

Attendance of church-goers has doubled at Red Bank’s Pilgrim Baptist Church since it moved solely to the online platform based on government orders, said Pastor Terrence K. Porter. The church had been utilizing some online features already, but it invested in online streaming about a month ago in preparation for the shutdowns.

“It seems this is the new normal and it may be a way of the future when it comes to the way we celebrate in our faith communities,” said Porter.

The church is offering a variety of online worship services and programs, including mid-week Bible study Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.; emotional wellness Mondays in which anyone can call the church from noon to 8 p.m. to speak with Porter about their emotions and pray; prayer meetings; and more. On Sunday, April 12 at 10 a.m., the church will host a live streamed Easter Resurrection Day service with live music by the PBC Music Ministry.

MONMOUTH REFORM TEMPLE

Monmouth Reform Temple has been streaming its worship services for several years, with an initiative brought forth by Cantor Gabrielle Clissold. After some push, the Tinton Falls- based synagogue decided to move ahead with the project through the StreamSpot carrier. The funds were donated by the cantor’s discretionary fund.

Now, the church offers its worship services solely online. Clissold and Rabbi Marc Kline are the only two in the temple as they preach and sing to viewers. They stand about 20 to 30 feet apart and the camera is only on them. Viewers can text Clissold’s cell phone during the service to provide feedback in live time, and they can also request what the closing song to the service will be.

“It’s hard not to start laughing sometimes,” Clissold said of the experience of singing to an empty room. “I have to remind myself that there’s 300 households tuning in.”

On a normal Shabbat, the congregation had about 50 people tuning in. Now there are over 200 every week, said Clissold. “People want to be attached somewhere, so people are looking where they might not have looked before,” said Kline. “When you know you can’t walk in somewhere, you look for it. When it’s always available, you may or may not look for it.”

CATHOLIC PARISHES

Roman Catholic parishes throughout the Two River area have been keeping their congregants in touch by posting inspirational messages or livestreaming Masses and liturgies on their websites.

On March 12, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., issued a dispensation from the obligation of attending weekend/Sunday Mass for the members of his flock in the parishes of the four-county Diocese of Trenton, including Monmouth County.

According to a release from the diocese, at a time when all churches in the Diocese of Trenton are closed to Mass-goers because of coronavirus restrictions, Catholics are invited to commemorate Holy Week April 5 -12 as a virtual experience via video live streaming. Anyone interested can access the videos, including Easter vigil, at the Diocese’s YouTube channel, @trentondiocese.

This article originally appeared in the April 9th, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.