East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis is closed until further notice, but it is continuing to serve in both expected and unexpected ways.
“At times like these, we have a choice,” associate minister David Faust told theindychannel.com. “Do we live by fear, or do we live by faith? We’re choosing to live by faith.”
In addition to livestreaming a Sunday morning worship service, church volunteers offered prayers for individuals in cars during a drive-through Communion kit distribution at the church’s main entrance on Saturday morning. The church has also helped produce the first of several planned devotional videos geared especially for “older folks who are feeling fearful and isolated right now,” Faust said.
The inaugural 10-minute “At Home with God” video featured a devotion by Faust, a solo by Joey LaPlant singing the Lord’s Prayer, and pianist Wayne Lundberg playing hymns. (The videos are produced by Kenneth Nelson Ministries in partnership with E91.)
After Lundberg played “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” Faust noted that it is based on Lamentations 3—”a book filled with expressions of sorrow and frustration, anxiety, and grief. The people of God were in a time of great pain when Jeremiah wrote these words. And yet he looked at God and said, ‘God, I’m going to praise you for your faithfulness.'”
These videos, Faust said, are an additional resource for people of all faiths who want to grow closer to God and their families during the coronavirus crisis.
The drive-through Communion kit distribution was featured on both wishtv.com and theindychannel.com. Volunteers chatted and prayed for the people who drove up, and then provided them with self-contained Communion kits. The idea was for the Communion kits to be used in conjunction with the church’s online Sunday service.
Faust smiled as he noted, “The very first car were the people who show up first for church early on Sunday morning every week.”
Faust told wishtv.com the church is combatting isolation among its members.
“Loneliness is a big problem all the time, but right now people are feeling so cut off and isolated from their communities,” he said. “This is a way for us to connect with people and for them to feel more normal. For those who love the Lord, we want to help them connect with God.”
“Right now we’re being reminded it’s not where we worship that matters.”
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