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Tending to the proverbial flock during the time of novel coronavirus

From proprietors to preachers: staying connected

Posted 4/23/20

While most of us have been directed to stay at home to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, east Valley churches and businesses are staying connected with members, customers and getting …

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Tending to the proverbial flock during the time of novel coronavirus

From proprietors to preachers: staying connected

Posted

While most of us have been directed to stay at home to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, east Valley churches and businesses are staying connected with members, customers and getting new ones in a variety of ways.

Facebook and its streaming possibilities is one avenue being utilized by churches in Apache Junction and Queen Creek and, in Gold Canyon, for the owner of a tequila-tasting event business.

Mountain View Church in Queen Creek uses MVTV with a variety of programming, Dr. Vernet A. Joseph, family ministry pastor, said.

“We at Mountain View Church are dedicated to staying connected with our owners --- members. We have a variety of avenues where we are staying connected, but the main one is through our social platforms,” he said.

“We launched MVTV, which has a plethora of content for the entire community with audio and video assets that span multiple areas of life such as spirituality, productivity, life hacks, children’s content, daily devotionals, worship and praise,” he said.

The AJ Cowboy Church has been meeting at the Elvis Chapel at Superstition Mountain Museum and is looking for a new home, but its members are listening to sermons on an internet radio station and watching sermons on Facebook from home from across the U.S. and Canada, Pastor Cheryl Marie Rose said. She has been the church’s pastor for nine years.

“Our church is small and 70% of the members are snowbirds. They are loving being able to hear the message from all over the country as well as Canada. Bonus? We are catching more locals who have been meaning to come to church --- now they can,” she said.

“Another bonus, the service can be watched at any time of the day or night as it can be shared as a video. Every week more people have joined in the live service. We have five-times as many people hearing the message through Facebook Live, praise the Lord.”

Nightly streams on Facebook and posting on Instagram have kept Luann Lennox of TequilaSnobs in Gold Canyon connected with customers.

“I’ve been attempting to keep connected to my past clients and friends of TequilaSnobs by obsessively posting on Instagram and above all Facebook,” she said.

“People interact and connect and I hope even those who do not respond are still ‘seeing’ me and feel connected,” she said.

March through September is when the event business would have been thriving, but not with COVID-19 she said.

“Ahhh COVID. Anytime a COVID attack would be horrid but hitting me from March through September is especially bad timing. My TequilaSnobs event business thrives these months,” Ms. Lennox said.

“With Cinco de Mayo --- the fifth of May --- and beautiful summer days I am usually in the peak high-party mode. I do tequila-tasting events. Paid usually per person or a lump for a corporate gig, this is my time. The events entail a group of friends ... learning about, swirling, sipping and judging different tequilas. This all happens seated next to each other, gathered together around a table --- not 6 feet apart --- clinking glasses and saying ‘cheers’ or ‘Salud,’ which means ‘to your good health!’” she said.

Mountain View Church in Queen Creek

Mountain View Church, 4815 W. Hunt Highway in Queen Creek, has been using Facebook and YouTube, Dr. Joseph said.

“At Mountain View Church we are committed to being culturally relevant. Therefore we are engaged through social media and maintain a presence on Facebook and YouTube,” he said.

Topics the church has been tacking include anxiety, fear, depression, finances, relationships, health, generosity, confidence, clarity, hope, business, and productivity, he said.

“We have seen an increase in our online population. Our online platform --- online.mv.church --- was created prior to COVID-19, but we have been experiencing an influx in our viewership,” Dr. Joseph said. “Utilizing the Internet as a tool to spread good news is what we endeavor to do. We recognize that in this day and age the Internet allows you to have a global presence.”

They have some best practices on keeping connected with customers, clients and members.

“Be consistent, be creative, be relevant and be innovative with a purpose,” he said.

The church has also used email to reach its members.

“At Mountain View Church we understand how important it is to reach multiple generations so we maximize every avenue of approach,” Dr. Joseph said.

“We live in a very complex world today. Mountain View Church is a simple church. Church should be an important part of your life, but it should not dominate your life, Dr. Joseph said.

For more information, go to mv.church; e-mil info@mv.church; or call 480-677-2100.

AJ Cowboy Church

Pastor Cheryl of AJ Cowboy Church has set up a corner in her home office to be the “church,” she recalls.

“First time using my laptop I had to get familiar with how the page for video works, different from the cell phone as comments do not scroll by themselves so multi-tasking skills come in handy here. Going on three weeks and still learning and improving every week as far as that goes,” she said.

“We are currently looking for a new church building that will fit our growth, and when this is over, we pray and hope to have that secured. We look forward to having a great blessing of the building and probably a potluck lunch after services, too,” she said.

“So having this ‘break’ and having a virtual church is perfect timing for us, God’s timing,” Pastor Cheryl said.

She uses Facebook Live for sermons at the church’s usual service time.

“We decided to go with Facebook Live to have the message on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m., our usual church time. The online service with The Ranch radio was already in place --- have had that going for five years now --- so the message was in the perfect format for a 30-minute message,” she said.

“The message itself is simple. I include a joke in my opening as scripture says to make a joyful noise and there is nothing more joyful than laughter. Sermons are sprinkled with humor, real-life examples and love. Lots of love. What had to be learned in the virtual church is the Facebook process for going live and getting the word out to tune in. Definitely a learning experience,” Pastor Cheryl said.

She posts other items to Facebook throughout the week and keeps in contact with members who do not have access to the Internet.

“It is my job as a pastor to keep the church family uplifted. During the week I post uplifting and funny posts as well as important information on our pages every day. I also call a member a day to check on them and visit. I have mailed out greeting cards to those who are not on the Internet. I send out text messages to check on some,” she said.

During her Facebook services, she holds up a book of prayer requests she has received.

“I have been receiving so many prayer requests I have started a book to list them all so they can be remembered in my prayers. It is filling up rapidly,” she said.

“I can post prayer requests on our prayer-request page and the prayer warriors are called into action. The local members have let me know they are available for delivery of food or to help wherever needed,” Pastor Cheryl said. “People are worried, they ask if it’s the end days... which only the Lord has that answer.”

She also has heard from members who are struggling to make ends meet.

“We have received requests for help from young families who are struggling financially. We help. One young single mommy was surprised and blessed with a card in the mail and cash assistance enclosed from AJ Cowboy Church. There will be more requests for help as time goes by,” Pastor Cheryl said.

“Good Lord willing we will help our members. Collecting tithes in a virtual church is almost non-existent. Some members mail in tithes, God bless them,” she said.

Some church members and the bookkeeper can be reached best by email, she said.

“Email is used to keep in contact with our board members and our bookkeeper. Being paperless is a good thing in these circumstances as all records can easily be shared for financials,” Pastor Cheryl said.

“As we move forward we need to remember this too shall pass. We need to trust the Lord as those who have over the years when plagues ravished the earth. A church does not need a fancy cathedral or building to worship. A church is a body of believers who, when two or more are gathered, wherever they are, God is with them,” she said.

“I take my role as shepherd very serious, as I was chosen by God Himself to care for His flock and bring the lost into His kingdom. Please keep me in your prayers, as the enemy is out to destroy all who are doing His work,” Pastor Cheryl said.

The church’s Facebook page is @AJCowboyChurch and The Ranch Arizona’s Classic Country, the Internet station, is at arizonasclassiccountry.com.

TequilaSnobs in Gold Canyon

Ms. Lennox has postponed or lost all the TequilaSnobs events that had been scheduled and she has not added anything new.

“As we approach May Fifth and the summer of lost ‘Margarita Madness Parties,’ I am deeply saddened. Sad for the loss in revenue, yes, but mostly sad about the fun I am missing. I love to entertain, educate, meet new people and turn them into TequilaSnobs,” she said.

She has added a nightly Facebook event where she tells about a tequila.

“One thing I have been doing is ‘Sipping at Six.’ At 6 p.m. each night I have a different tequila and I give the education I normally would do at a TequilaSnobs event but I taste it instead of my guests. Often I ask the viewers --- live --- what they are tasting with me. Sometimes it is a tequila or tea, a Coke, wine or even kamboocha,” she said.

“I do indeed talk about the sip I’m enjoying but I do not avoid the reason I’m online and not at their house. We talk about the fact that it is a random Wednesday and we are drinking… because we don’t have to go to work in the morning and not going to be driving anywhere,” she said.

“There have been times I’ve really been raw and showed some emotion about my business being so on hold and how I will never get these days back,” Ms. Lennox said.

“For me it all hit hard when it was announced that we all ‘stay home and safe’ until at least through April 30th. I realized then I was not going to have the successful Cinco de Mayo I usually have. This was like telling Santa that he has to stay home Nov. 24-Jan. 1,” she said.

Once she goes live on Facebook she posts the videos in other areas for more exposure.

“Rarely does a video or any story bring me more event bookings but I feel it is important to simply have name recognition and the more people see TequilaSnobs the better. I hope this visual will make my clients feel connected,” she said.

She hasn’t been using email to contact customers.

“I initially considered email contact but seeing my email box fill up with all the emails of businesses on halt, I decided to connect face-to-face or at least for them to see my face. It’s faster and more passive for the receiver. And I hope more effective,” Ms. Lennox said.

For more information, go to tequilasnobs.com or facebook.com/Tequila-Snobs-197299017432668.