Frank, I really don’t think it’s a good idea to gather at the church. Yes, I know this is the holiest of weeks. You are correct. Easter is coming. Yes, I know you miss your church. Yes, I know you will take precautions. Oh, you have a mask. That’s good. And hand sanitizer? That’s great, but we need to keep our distance. Yes, I know you understand that. Yes, I heard you. I know it’s Holy Week. But to come to the church to ring the bell …
I was about to launch into my public service announcement about the need to stay home, especially as the COVID-19 virus began making itself known to our rural community, but I was interrupted.
“Pastor, I don’t think you understand,” Frank sighed. He sounded as exacerbated as I was with our phone conversation. “I need to hear our church bell ring.” Read more »
April 8, 2020
And the steeple bell rang
Frank, I really don’t think it’s a good idea to gather at the church. Yes, I know this is the holiest of weeks. You are correct. Easter is coming. Yes, I know you miss your church. Yes, I know you will take precautions. Oh, you have a mask. That’s good. And hand sanitizer? That’s great, but we need to keep our distance. Yes, I know you understand that. Yes, I heard you. I know it’s Holy Week. But to come to the church to ring the bell …
I was about to launch into my public service announcement about the need to stay home, especially as the COVID-19 virus began making itself known to our rural community, but I was interrupted.
“Pastor, I don’t think you understand,” Frank sighed. He sounded as exacerbated as I was with our phone conversation. “I need to hear our church bell ring.” Read more »
Many of a certain age can harken back fondly to loading into the family station wagon and visiting the local drive-in movie theater. Finding just the right spot to get a great view of the screen, attaching the scratchy metal speaker to the partially rolled-down window, and sitting in the back seat with blankets, pillows, a big tub of popcorn, and a drink were integral parts of the outdoor movie experience. 
It has been a week of mission at Manokin Presbyterian Church in Princess Anne, Maryland, along the state’s Eastern Shore. That’s because the 30-some members of this congregation, first organized in 1672, continue to stay in touch with each other, even though they have not gathered for worship since March 8 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
At 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday the Office of Vital Congregations will continue its weekly Zoom calls on the Seven Marks of Vital Congregations with a discussion on “Spirit-inspired worship.” 
Presbyterian pastor and lyricist the Rev. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has written new lyrics to the tune “The Church’s One Foundation” that speaks to Christians who are about to miss out on their traditional Easter celebration. 
As churches face financial decline, growing numbers of mainline Protestant clergy are moving to part-time ministry work when their churches can no longer afford a full-time pastor. 
For nearly a dozen years, Laura VanDale has crisscrossed northeastern Ohio, encouraging congregations in the Presbytery of the Western Reserve to tackle the root causes of hunger. 
Known for their creativity and their ability to improvise, pastors and church educators are passing along what they’re learning about how to reach and minister to the most senior members of PC(USA) congregations during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness (OPW) is calling on people to contact their congressional representatives about domestic and international issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Technology appears to be the greatest benefit and the greatest challenge of doing church differently during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, according to a new survey by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Research Services.