More churches cancel indoor services, turn to online to deliver sermons, music

COEUR d’ALENE — For Pastor Paul Van Noy of Candlelight Christian Fellowship, holding services on Sunday was a matter of serving the community.

“I did not want to simply close the doors and not have a chance to minister to our people,” he said.

So while many churches canceled indoor services and went online to deliver sermons and worship music, Candlelight and a handful of others in Kootenai County held their course as hundreds of followers attended.

“Candlelight, as well as the other churches of our community, are ready to serve those in need, whether churched or unchurched,” Van Noy said. “We are not a people of fear, rather, a people of faith.”

But this weekend, Candlelight will cancel services at their home on the corner of U.S. 95 and Dalton and broadcast from its studio, streaming at candlelight.org

Van Noy said Candlelight’s staff is “prepared to do whatever we need to do and give hope to people fighting fear, anxiety, stress and financial worries due to the coronavirus.”

Key, he said, is that the church be a place of peace in the midst of the storm.

“The times in which we live are not unexpected. These are things that we should all be aware of in a frail society,” he said.

Churches around the country adjusted services by doing such things as eliminating handshakes, asking people to sit apart, and not holding communion.

The Rev. Dr. David Gortner of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church canceled its services and meetings through at least March 31. Live-stream and home worship options are being offered through the Diocese.

In his message to his congregation, he wrote:

“This is going to test us all. As we watch the steady, speedy growth of cases of the coronavirus, we take to heart how important it is to practice this ‘social distancing’ well.”

He said these are “incredible times.”

Gortner called on people to not give in to the urge to grasp and hoard.

“They are times of high risk, of deep uncertainty. We don’t know how it will resolve itself, or when,” he said. “And, this little, tiny, tiniest of living microorganisms is leveling the playing field for us all, is showing us how little power and control any of us have.”

Pastor Mike Rima of Lake City Church said they canceled Sunday services on Friday after hearing of government recommendations to avoid large gatherings.

“We wanted to come in alignment with whatever the recommendations would be,” he said.

The sermon was moved online and this weekend, the music will be, too, at lakecitygo.churchonline.org. This week, the worship team was recording songs for Sunday’s broadcast.

Rima said Lake City Church will “make sure we’re doing our part in stemming this.”

Real Life Ministries held services in Post Falls, Spirit Lake and Coeur d’Alene on Sunday, which were attended by several hundred. But they have since canceled services and meetings on campus for an indefinite time and will have music and sermons online, said Pastor Jim Putman.

He said RLM will “always follow the law.”

“As a church, we don’t want to make a decision based on fear,” he added.

Putman said RLM is not built around the weekend services, but has many ways people stay connected.

Staff members are calling the congregation to check in and be sure things are OK. As well, its benevolence ministry will be offering assistance to people.

He said it’s hard to say when church activities will return to normal, as information is changing quickly.

“The truth is, we live in a broken world and it’s going to be OK if you’re a follower of Jesus,” he said.

Rima said people will face challenging times like this in life and will surely encountered others overwhelmed with anger, fear, pain and uncertainty. He called on people to develop a “posture of forgiveness.”

“Don’t lose faith and don’t lose heart,” he said. “We’re going to get through this. You’re going to get through this. And, I venture to say, the church will be stronger.”