Like many active churches in the Twin Villages, Second Congregational Church, UCC on Main Street in Newcastle has been hard hit by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, Second Congo has been closed to the public out of caution for safety and spread.

The downsides to closing the building are obvious and painful: The missed opportunities to meet and worship in person, share fellowship and provide regular community services have been felt deeply. Normally, Second Congo is humming with activity all week long.

But since March, the only “open to the public” activity has been the weekly Ecumenical Food Pantry (EFP) when clients can have curbside delivery to their cars, provided by a small cadre of personal protective equipment (PPE)-compliant volunteers. The spacious Fellowship Hall, once home to a myriad of community meetings and after-worship Coffee Hour, now resembles the warehouse of a supermarket. The lofty, historical sanctuary with its lovely stained-glass windows hosts only Pastor Char Corbett who, with husband Jim as technical support, leads virtual worship services via Zoom, YouTube and Facebook. Despite all the drastic changes, there have been notable positives in the life and vibrancy of this church.

Minister of Music Jane Wilmot has boldly risen to the challenge by producing recordings of piano and organ music and combining these with recordings from church singers to produce virtual choir experiences for each Sunday service online.

The staff and congregants are adapting surprisingly well to the new world of virtual communication and its technology. The church has drawn wider community participation, often seeing at least as many attendees as before the shutdown, and has provided technical tutelage for online gatherings. And there is a projection of significant growth of year-round population in Midcoast Maine and opportunities for churches to reach out to the newly arrived looking for a church home.

Recognizing the church is not confined to its walls, the leadership and congregants have stepped up efforts to keep in touch with members and friends isolated for many months. Many of the ministries have moved outside the church walls, meeting safely with people in the churchyard, grocery store parking lots, at Veteran’s Park vigils, outdoor restaurants and other outdoor venues. The church has an email Prayer Team Ministry. Requests from church members, friends and the wider community are shared with this team for daily prayers. Planning for hosting a community-wide interfaith memorial service for COVID-19 victims is underway for when gathering is safe to mourn our collective grief and losses. The new weekly Zoom Bible Study has drawn many new, non-member friends. Like medical personnel and teachers, pastors are working overtime to keep up.

Of course, church budgets have been challenged by fewer annual pledges and the absence of plate collections. The physical plant upkeep, utility, insurance and maintenance bills still come in regularly. Improvements for safer ventilation systems are almost prohibitively expensive. Plans to provide outdoor services in the summer and fall are in the works, assuming the resumption of safe indoor gatherings will depend on Center for Disease Control guidelines.

These are surely not normal times. The return to joyous gatherings will be a blessing.