Everyone is anxious to see life resume as normal, and all were happy to hear of the several possible changes in COVID-19 restrictions last week.

For churches throughout the city, gathering in person just can't be compared with online virtual meetings.

Mark McEwing is Lead Pastor at Prairie Vineyard Church on Duke Avenue, and shares his thoughts.

"We're looking forward to the changes," says McEwing. "We've been doing pretty much everything online, and we're definitely looking forward to getting together in person again as soon as we can. We've had a small amount of people continue together online and we've been at about 15 people. So, we might all be able to get together with with the 10 per cent of our maximum capacity. But we're probably going to be Zooming with a few people that can't make it to be part of the big crowd."

McEwing explains, with the new technology, things have gotten comfortable enough to get by with those few more available options.

"A lot of the things that we used to insist on doing in person, we had to switch to doing online," continues McEwing. "So, now we know we could have a lot more ways with which we're comfortable with communicating than we did before."

He explains his perception of the need for in-person fellowship.

"I think getting together is a vital part of Christian fellowship. You can kind of have a little substitute online, just having that face-to-face communication, and that is a good thing," adds McEwing. "But I think there's something a lot more profound than we really understand that takes place when people get together physically. It's something that we can experience as a family, which is great. But I feel sorry for the people who are on their own and really aren't permitted to gather in any sense with people. At least the latest wave of restriction-lifting was helpful in permitting people to get together in slightly larger groups."

McEwing is sure to note that even when they are able to reconvene in person, they're still going to be faithful in keeping restriction guidelines and recommendations in place.

"But we're definitely looking forward to worshipping together in the same space."

Christ ChurchJoyce Wiebe is pastor at Christ Church in Portage la Prairie in 2nd St. SW. She notes her congregation is also glad to hear recent news of reopening.

"I'm very thankful that they're going to be opening up more for churches, and I hope that it will continue to open," notes Wiebe. "We have been having services just between ourselves on Messenger FaceTime, and so we've continued having services in that manner while things are shut down. And although it does work, it's not quite the same as being able to see somebody face-to-face or to communicate in the same way that you do when you're actually in a church service in a building."

Wiebe says there is an important element in being able to physically gather in a church meeting.

"When you're actually physically together in space, you can read the person's movements," continues Wiebe. "You can see in their eyes whether they're happy or whether there's a sadness underlying there. And people are more open to sharing something with you if they're going through a struggle, or if something that's really exciting is happening in their lives. And you become a part of that and it's part of being the family of God."

She notes once things open up fully again, they won't be continuing online, seeing as they've used FaceTime, and they're communication hasn't been on YouTube as some of the larger churches.

"We're not a big church by any means, so we've kept it in more of a smaller group-type service," adds Wiebe. "It hasn't really been out there for the general public to take part in."

She notes everyone is looking forward to the reopening.

"It's just that you need contact with people, and running around in Walmart isn't contact with people," says Wiebe. "They might be seeing a lot of people, but it's certainly not something that is going to encourage you. I'm very much looking forward to getting back into services, and I'm hoping they're going to open them up a little bit more and allow meetings and the different things. Right now, they're saying that it might not open up fully. It might just be 10 per cent or 50 people, whichever is less. So, I'm just really hoping that they'll loosen things off for the churches so that people have somewhere to go and worship and fellowship together."

Mike Blume pastors Breath of Life Christian Teaching Centre, and notes they're still going to continue online with YouTube and Facebook for a time, even after things open up a bit, noting they recently relocated their ministry to Portage in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic last summer.

"We have been reaching out across borders, internationally, with our online ministry, and online ministry will always be a part of our work, anyway, even when we do choose to gather in person again," says Blume. "We gather in person and have some fellowship apart from our online meetings according to restrictions, seeing as personal fellowship is very much vital. Yet, COVID-19 has allowed us to see just how much can be done with technology, and we've got a great team of musicians, as well, who have been helping us out with worship. People outside of Portage have actually come to see our online ministry as their own church. But getting together is important and really offers a spiritual element that cannot be experienced otherwise."