- Experience and helpingpeople deal with tragedy
and disaster allows the faithcommunity to gain trust,
reduce fear and spread hopewhere it's needed most.
- And religious gatheringsare emerging as hotspots now.
- [Tara] As COVID restrictions
ramp up again across the country.
- We also put out new guidelinesfor places of worship.
- [Tara] Churches must remain creative.
- How was that for you?
- In the 20 years I've been ministering.
So I just had to imaginethat they were out there
and try to ignore all the empty seats.
- [Tara] To ensure meaningfulworship while encouraging hope
and fellowship amid a relentless pandemic.
- (indistinct) solidarityyou two shall rise.
- [Tara] Still, we find our social
and spiritual interactions limited.
Not by choice, but in many cases by law.
- Church services haveresumed here in New York city
but with limited capacity.
- [Tara] Since COVID first hit,
we've seen how loneliness,fear and stress can overwhelm.
- The church is often timeswhere people turn first
when they're in a crisisand looking for help.
So that one of the immediatethings that churches can do
would be to provide counseling
or other types of support services.
- (indistinct) I believe that the Lord
is calling us out of the boat like Peter
- [Tara] Ernest Clover ofDC's dream center says,
"Following that divine directionmeans leaning on faith."
- I don't know where the other side is.
I don't know how bad this storm will get.
- Lord we are grateful,
that we have this opportunityto come here today.
- [Tara] With the blessing of his team,
Clover and the dream center
have been supporting the community.
- Seven days a week, givingout non essential items
has been a drastic change.
- [Tara] Temporarily scrappingother community programs
to focus on food.
- And I get to work there onSaturdays, in open market,
when they distribute produce to everyone.
- [Tara] And other suppliesto help those in need.
- I help prepare the mealsthat go out every day
since March 16th.
- It fills the gaps.
I would say, due to the income
that comes in for me right now
it's not a whole lot, but itdoes what it does what it does.
- [Ernest] We've had over 50,000meals go out of that window
and that little white house.
We've had over a hundredthousand hygiene items
and non-perishable food itemsgo out of this dream center.
It's something I wouldn't even
have the parameter to prayfor, which was fresh produce.
- [Tara] And much like churchesand ministries elsewhere,
- [Ernest] Because thestructures of society
have been so thoroughlyrocked to their foundations.
- [Tara] People are comingto the center with a hunger,
for more than food.
- That's even a littlebit not giving out items.
They just want to talk
- [Tara] A basic need that forsome is no longer easily met
which health experts saycan have grave consequences.
As the government and healthcare system
deal with areas like testing,masks and social distancing,
Dr. Stephen Grcevich says
ministries play anessential role addressing
the unprecedented socialisolation filled by so many.
- [Stephen] Being able to offer people,
you know, the hope thatwe have in Jesus Christ
and being able to, you know,
to offer people, you know,opportunities for connecting,
we as a church are uniquely positioned
to be able to care for them
and to offer encouragement and hope.
- [Tara] Experts say outreachduring this holiday season
could be more important thanever, even before COVID.
This time of year can be lonely
and even depressing for someof your family and friends.
In Washington, I'm TaraMergener, CBN news.
