In The Seat
2 years ago, the world shut down, when COVID hit, a lot of places were told to close their doors. People were mandated to social distance and were told not to go out and with that a lot of businesses and churches started to go online as best they could. It has been amazing to see the growth of Navarre United Methodist Church online service throughout these past couple years and, although it has been very enjoyable to sit out on my back porch poolside drinking my morning coffee while watching and listening to service, there’s just something about being in person at church on a Sunday morning. The online service has given the opportunity to reach so many more than just our community and has been an asset to help grow our congregation. I enjoy watching when people type in the comments “Good Morning from…….” And see how far we are. Did you know that we have had people watching as far as Germany! How awesome is that! It has also allowed our daughter who has grown up in NUMC the opportunity to attend when she is away at college in a different state and not miss a beat!
Attending on Sundays and singing along with the band and listening to the word of God, it is an indescribable feeling and connection when inside a great church environment. I’ve always believed that Jesus is with you wherever you go, not just when you’re in church, but he’s with you at home and in your car sitting in traffic, or even at the store while dealing with the crowds. Being a Christian doesn’t mean you have to have perfect church attendance every Sunday, but when you are able to be in person and present, the people connection doesn’t compare to the computer connection. There has come a lot of success with church online and I, for one, am excited that our church has that as an option because if I am out of town on vacation or sick at home, I can still attend my church on Sunday morning and not miss a thing. On Sundays I’ve sat regularly at home for church online for a long time, I am back in person and am looking forward to continuing to grow alongside my congregation.