Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

By Jill Sperling

COVID-19

Easter church services to stay outdoors for Kamloops churches

Mar 30, 2021 | 4:16 PM

KAMLOOPS — This weekend marks Good Friday and Easter Sunday, both of which are important days for the Christian church. But, with indoor services once again banned, churches a

re having to look for new ways to celebrate.

Last week, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced indoor religious services would be allowed between March 28 and May 13. These dates encompass important holidays for various faiths. One of the first is Easter.

However, with increasing COVID-19 cases in B.C., the province backtracked and will no longer allow indoor religious gatherings.

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At Summit Drive Church in Kamloops, the plan was already in place to hold drive-in and physically distanced walk-in outdoor services for both Good Friday and Easter.

Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

“When we heard that we could also do indoor services, that actually just made me pause and pray and again ask God what would be best for our community, what would be best for our church family and talked to our leaders and we decided that we actually wouldn’t do indoor services on the Easter weekend because we would have to change directions with our drive-in and we were able to host so many more people with the drive-in scenario,” said Lead Pastor David Fields.

Fields says the church will be able to host children’s church inside the building at a limited capacity.

He says he feels for other churches that have had to shift their Easter plans due to the change in restrictions, adding community and fellowship are important within the Christian faith.

“I could look at the regulations and just be mad, or I could look at these regulations and say, ‘Okay, Lord, what can we do with this? What can we do with what we do have?’ And to recognize that Christians all throughout history and around the world, especially in the global south where there is legitimate challenges to being able to meet, they meet outdoors, they adapt, and the church isn’t going away.”