Everything’s Changed

Hi this is breathing welcome to the Salvation Army's words of life.

Welcome back to words of life.

This is week two with our producer Chris Benjamin welcome Chris hello everyone. Last week we began a new series discussing the post-COBIT church this week.

In our discussion we look back at the beginning of the pandemic as the panel shared what it was like for their church and their community as we went into lockdown now throughout the series. We want to mention the Salvation Army's emotional and spiritual care helpline that is still active. If you need someone to speak to call 1844458 that's 1-844-458-4673 was like everybody I know this conversation is important and we believe that God is blessed. Jeremy and Chad and figure out what church looks like an art in our communities got into college and now in our postcode world. So again we are elsewhere things immediately as our congregations that is first and we are at home now say time to have a lease that preliminary level of lifestream already available so we had a little bit of experience with that.

So to be able to launch that into the homes of our members.

We are very appreciative of having that capacity to be able to do that and went through you, then figure out that the virtual world was working was not Harley engaging in our worship. The store church members not only within the treatment for Harley engaging within our communities and how are we handling our food distribution.

How are we handling those going down with utilities and what we call our home sweet home program is a homeless assistance program that we offer.

They still engage with those in need of not only within your church members so we have a creative in making that happen and that we had a team around us together brainstorm become innovative and creative new initiatives to make that happen. I am excited that you're here because you are one of our Salvation Army mission specialists employed by the Salvation Army specifically to do mission work. You're here in Atlanta and will require international core which our last episode, we learn Angie what did your church look like pre-COBIT and what's it look like now kind of experienced COBIT. We usually do programs like worship because we had been doing all we a style all in person program. So we are working when handling a person working and maybe animation about where they forcibly translate simultaneously without acknowledging that links late-night items may follow all (and I have heard from Dan to alter why we have been doing this was the worst why we have been doing is working. So I believe times about sometimes people just do what they just do these findings contents that we really think about what this looks like with the worst time so we just really, how can you just make people really getting meaningful.

The worse eight in our disease Egyptians channel that he mentioned the early kind of response, particularly its technology and in my own experience I hear my wife and I attend the Salvation Army in Atlanta what they call the Atlanta Temple core.

I think we all took a breath, because we didn't know what to do what was happening. How would we have church did you have a moment of vulnerability were he didn't know what was happening this, what and when that would like for you for asking. This is scary as our services is only were going from being able to work together to now have three different worship services in three different languages not having any experience planning visual anything like that somewhere there sometimes have this had not been full of ourselves, because this is from the world and so it was beginning to figure out okay what is the best thing we can do this Meeting people and having make this work because a lot of our folks also aren't necessarily very tech savvy. So we have some people in congregation. It could get on Facebook they think that Einstein's science and trying to lock some of her arranged and that you need to download this at this in the long general worship for us. It was really difficult and I think is here to have church free, then at the beginning doing three services because it took a lot of effort. So I think what I'm trying to ask you if I were being honest, I actually went through the depression during code. I just I'm not used to to be worship. I need people in my life, and without that interaction pretty is just a social nature of what we do is Christian people as humans left me feeling kind of listless anybody else. So before I can harm your 2010 mega church are absolutely love and have no services and all all the options that I needed was missing connection. So, although it was great and I love it. There was no so when I thought about program. We shut down. You know, online services, great week next with people we fellowship this crucial part of our relationship with God is the fellowship with other believers as we keep that in the middle of this. So that was the biggest question I had to address and so I started just calling and calling and calling and talking and try to keep that going as a challenge to truly just click and see live and play golf connecting with people is different because in West Virginia because of the D community as their eyes just to harass. It was like a shot in the arm for me like Abby Morgan. The Christmas tree crazy like this is Christmas on crab.

Let's go and so instantly hard-core mobilized and we we thought that as we saw depression and some of that is in the name of Jesus were not going there. You are now core and so we commissioned soldiers and homes to say this is now the Salvation Army while you are responsible for your street, your neighborhood here when errands are soldier started an exciting Sunday school. I think Our soldiers encourage because we Artie live in a place that's Tommy people were kindly safe living by Boston a lot situate check the coming of the first is normal and so a lot of our people are front-line workers. I can't think of anything in Huntington that work from home or stayed.

I mean, it was business as usual late was this deep-rooted sense of justice because our soldiers really how come I'm not getting that extra money because I'm working and I'm exposed universe that we never shot court on Wednesday, we moved everything to a plexiglass window and 270,000 pounds if you push this window. People wrapped around the building so it was just like I did.

He is just chaos in the world I live in all the time thing but it's just like you know you do not have time to sit down do not have time even even the computer stuff. We were just like okay that's nice but you knew that person and get the canteen get we just it was law for me because it just every day was like yet another challenge and challenge. I so we made it intentional that the soldiers would come in and say what is the word has for you.

I might start looking at what we don't need a billing rate like he forgot his gaze. The King of glory can come in like our channels are big enough for God's glory.

This is who we are like it's a whole community is that first responders are constantly asked to ERS. The Army and so see you when you do not deserve to be sitting in this room is speaking to a deeper biggest fear right now my spirit now is that we think that getting back into our building is the pinnacle.

Now back to that can't happen. How are we reaching the church the race and getting back into her building. I don't believe is the answer you Gov.'s Highlands chart will allow that to be yeah so you know you talk about what we do a parade permit is not subject to extension has allowed us to be more intentional about people you folks know what is right. It is changeable for God so Jesus can change your life.

Know what I have in our church known as works for communities that will be a substitute for transformational so for Johnson City text messages response but they know the words sounded there should, yeah, I guess that something is you know so the Salvation Army we are a mission driven organization. We don't believe in faith by works certain faith without works is dead.

I have since there's a lot more that these folks want to share with you. Hope that you accept the Salvation Army's ocean doing the most good means helping people with material and spiritual needs to become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army visit Salvation Army USA.org to offer your support and love to hear from you.

Email us@radiouss.salvationarmy.org or call 1-800-229-9965 four, write us at PO Box 29972, Atlanta, GA 30359 tell us how we can help share prayer request or share your testimony.

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