Documentary Segments and Key Themes

Select One of the Key Themes Below to Watch an Episode!
 

Episode 1: Innovations During COVID  In response to new restrictions, many churches throughout the Southern New England Conference embraced a spirit of innovation and used the challenges of 2020 as a catalyst for growth, discovery, and change. In this documentary segment, church leaders speak to the different forms that innovation took within their congregations. From technological enhancements to outdoor services, this segment celebrates the creativity that emerged in 2020 in our conference churches and serves as testimony to the power of resilience during uncertain times.	Episode 2: Impact Towards Mission The COVID pandemic of 2020 put in place a number of restrictions that impacted the ability of churches to facilitate services, events, and activities that would normally be undertaken to advance their missions and impact their faith and local communities. With limited options to connect with each other and with their larger communities, many aspects of church life were impacted by the pandemic. In this documentary segment, church leaders describe the challenges of this era, including challenges to pastoral care, lack of access to resources within communities, and the overall impact of distanced service delivery on their missions.
Episode 3: Racial Justice As the COVID Pandemic emerged, issues of racial justice came to the forefront of the nation's collective consciousness, spurred by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. As protests and vigils were organized across the country, churches in the Southern New England Conference were moved to approach racial justice with greater rigor than ever. In this documentary segment, church leaders describe their church responses to the racial pandemic of 2020, highlighting organized protests, book groups, and the formation of racial justice structures within their churches to challenge the status quo and actively work towards a more just world, starting with their individual faith communities.	Episode 4: Frustrations and Lessons Learned In moving out of the pandemic era, churches have had time to process the challenges of the pandemic and to reflect on how to best move forward using the hard-earned knowledge, skills, and resources acquired during the pandemic. While many aspects of the COVID-era church were challenging, churches experienced a number of spiritual revelations that transformed their vision for community and service. In this documentary segment, church leaders speak to their lessons learned and touch on their vision for the post-pandemic church.