New opportunities in an unusual ministry season

When normal life ground to a halt in March of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic upended the routines of school, work, social lives – and church. Redeemer first cancelled in-person worship services on March 15^th in response to the pandemic, and had only a matter of days to assemble a livestreamed service of worship. From there, the changes just kept coming.

But six months into the uncertainty of the pandemic, as Redeemer embarks on a unique fall season of ministry, the worship, community and mission of Redeemer are flourishing in ways it would have been difficult to predict in the spring.

“That’s what any challenge does,” says RPC Senior Pastor Tom Gibbs. “A challenge creates an opportunity to adapt and grow.”

New challenges, new skills and new growth

The initial challenge of the pandemic for Redeemer was how to conduct a vibrant worship service through digital means. With that challenge came a steep learning curve and a significant investment in equipment and time. Any visitor to the RPC building in March and April would have seen the sanctuary transformed by audio-visual equipment, lighting and power cords. The pastoral staff and music team adapted quickly to a new schedule of filming music and sermons ahead of time for broadcasts, then adapted again when Redeemer opened three in-person worship services in May. In June, when San Antonio experienced a surge of Covid-19 cases, Redeemer returned to livestreaming only.

“We have had 21 Sundays without in-person worship,” Gibbs says. “That’s 40 percent of the Sundays in 2020. That was unprecedented. So, we had to learn new skills, but hopefully we’re emerging with some new technological side doors for people to find their way into the church.”

As the process of broadcasting worship services became more streamlined, the investment in new skills has yielded fruit – both in new arms of digital ministry and in congregational growth.

In August, Redeemer filmed a digital version of the Introduction to Redeemer class, which is required for those wishing to become members at Redeemer. It was anticipated that the class might be smaller than usual. Instead, more than 30 people from the online class will become members at Redeemer this fall. Several of those new members have never been able to attend a worship service in person at the church building because they relocated to San Antonio during the pandemic and could only connect with the church through its livestreamed services and digital offerings.

“I feel pretty sure that had Covid never happened, we would not be doing a livestream right now,” Gibbs says. “But that has created another avenue through which we are reaching people for worship that never would have happened otherwise. And that’s what I mean by adapt and grow. For us there was never this idea that ‘We’ve just got to survive to the other side of Covid,’

It was ‘How do we respond so that Redeemer continues to flourish and the Gospel goes forth?’”

Many of Redeemer’s flagship ministries expanded into digital offerings during the pandemic and will continue to provide digital options in the fall. Redeemer Children’s Ministry is filming weekly children’s worship videos to keep children connected to the RPC catechism curriculum and Scripture memorization schedule and equip parents with a structure for discipling their children at home. Women’s Bible Studies will launch with in-person and digital small group options and a livestream of Bible study leader talks.

Community and Mission

Maintaining community during an age of social distancing is another dilemma of pandemic ministry. Community groups moved their usual gatherings online through the spring for safety, but quarantine or not, families have had babies, people have lost loved ones or confronted medical challenges, and the Redeemer community has surrounded members with prayer and practical support.

When RPC Associate Pastor Victor Martinez had back surgery this spring, a group assembled by Redeemer Deacon Eric Arguello organized a work day at his home to take care of odd jobs and yard work. After working at the Martinez home, the group, which now calls itself the Hit Squad, went to the home of each RPC pastor for a work day. Arguello says now they are taking names and lining up projects for Redeemer members who may need help with anything, big or small. Arguello sees the potential for it to become a long-term ministry.

“I think everyone has been blessed by it,” he says. “We’re praying that it’s going to ignite through the congregation.”

The concern for neighbors has also extended outward into the city. Through the Interfaith Welcome Coalition, Redeemer has been involved with the Bus Station Project for two years, providing backpacks of food and toiletry supplies to migrant families traveling through the downtown Greyhound bus station on their way to family sponsors in their immigration process. But that process changed significantly during the pandemic. Now, families are required to observe a 14-day quarantine in San Antonio before traveling to their sponsors, often housed in hotels or other temporary lodging, and unable to leave the premises.

Through IWC, Redeemer members have been able to volunteer to grocery shop for the quarantined families. An email list to sign up to provide the groceries has over 30 Redeemer members, and slots were filled almost as quickly as they are posted, according to Chrissy Fitch, a Redeemer member who has been an active volunteer with the Bus Station Project and organized the email list.

Redeemer members contributed over 60 pairs of shoes to a shoe drive in response to a request from the Haven for Hope homeless shelter downtown. And when RPC Ministry Partner Ransomed Life put out a call for care packages because their volunteers could not visit the girls they work with in person, the Redeemer Women’s Ministry publicized the need through its Facebook group and gathered many donations.

“Our people have adapted and stayed connected, and I think something Covid has allowed us to witness is non-programmed displays of community and concern for one another,” Gibbs says. “That’s people assuming the Christian responsibility to be a neighbor, and it’s beautiful.”

Looking Ahead

Gibbs says one of the most surreal moment of his life in ministry after hundreds of Sundays in the pulpit was sitting at home on a Sunday morning, watching himself preach a sermon broadcast via a pre-recorded livestream.

“You have to watch video of yourself preaching in seminary, and then you kind of hope you’re never going to have to do it again,” he says.

But while unique in some ways, pastoral ministry in the season of Covid has brought up a lot of the same conversations it always does – conversations about trusting God, growing in the Christian life and persevering in trial. As Redeemer’s ministries gear up for modified fall launches, Pastor Gibbs says he is thankful for the spirit of the congregation through this season and encourages Redeemer’s members to remember that in the struggles of Covid there is also an opportunity to grow.

“We’re still in a non-ideal situation,” he says. “Covid is still a reality that we are having to negotiate as a church and as a society, and that is proving to be a wonderful opportunity for us to practice Christian virtues and the disciplines of patience and self-sacrifice, the virtue of hospitality and even forbearance – the idea of not just being patient with circumstances, but also being understanding of those who have a different point of view. This is a great opportunity to lean into the kind of habits and practices that Jesus said should characterize Christians.”