The Future of OHOLF

The future of the Oberlin House of the Lord Fellowship is bright and exciting. The congregation anticipates big changes in the years to come as we begin to transition into a new normal. Visions for the future are in the works, and not everything is clear at this stage. However, one thing is certain, no one expects a transition back to the status quo. The overwhelming consensus has been that the Church will ultimately be making some permanent changes in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Many members have expressed a strong hope that the Church’s use of  technology won’t end after quarantine. Although it can never replace the feeling of being in a physical space, Zoom Services have been enjoyed by the majority. Many see digital Worship as a blessing in its own right, because it has the power to bring people together from all over the country and world. Firstly, people have been tuning in from other House of the Lord congregations around the country, bringing together people who have moved away or who members normally don’t get to see as often as they’d like to. The ability to tune in from anywhere has also resulted in far greater attendance rates each Sunday. Whereas before quarantine there could be anywhere from 15-25 congregants attending physical Church each week, OHOLF is now seeing an average of 35-45 accounts tuning in each week for Sunday Services, many of those accounts representing entire families in quarantine together. In many ways, Zoom Worship has brought the Church together more than ever, despite being physically apart. Recognizing this trend, the importance of a semi-digital future has been reaffirmed for Church leaders. 

The sudden and critical need for digital communication that has been brought about as a result of social distancing measures has been a learning curve for the Church, to be sure and it will continue to be a learning process in the future. Outfitting the church to offer both digital and in-person access to Services and programs in the future is a hurdle that the Church is planning for in advance. Equipment, technological support and manpower to keep equipment running smoothly will be a challenge in itself, at least in the beginning. However, the Church is enthusiastically preparing for a future that offers a combination of digital and physical access to their community.

Increased programs and gatherings hosted by the Church are also a major possibility for the future of OHOLF. During quarantine several new programs and gatherings associated with the Church have been added and other pre-existing ones have been successfully maintained. Church gatherings outside of Sunday Worships that have been adapted to the digital world include but are not limited to Bible Study, Monday Noon Prayer, Health Meetings, 20 Somethings and Date Night. 

Many of these meetings will likely return to their original in-person structures, but only once the Church is completely certain that it is safe. This could include new programs like Date Night for married couples. Other gatherings have potential to be continued as digital events, such as 20 Something, where young people affiliated with the Church can come together and catch up about their lives and ambitions as they navigate college and postgraduate young adulthood. As they struggle to find ways to stay connected in a socially distant world, the Church is experiencing a newfound enthusiasm for opportunities to gather that many hope will extend past the context of Coronavirus. With any luck, these programs will continue to thrive for many vibrant years to come.