them from attending service.
“We’re reinventing ourselves,” he said. “It
meets the needs of other people. We can
continue to be available to (former members),
but also to our own members here in
Madison County.”
For churches who already offered online
services, the switch to 100% online service
wasn’t too difficult to achieve.
For Crossroads Church Richmond, located
on South Keenland Drive, online services
already existed for those who wished to worship
but did not live near a Crossroads location,
or “site.”
David Reichley, the Richmond community
pastor at Crossroads Richmond, said after
the outbreak their church decided to “shut
(things) down and shut (them) down quickly.”
Meaning no in-person church services were
held and the church swiftly rerouted activities
into a 100% online format. However, this
change did not come without faults.
Reichley said the hardest hit area of worship
was worship designed specifically with
children in mind.
At Crossroads, a special area is dedicated
to children between first and fifth grade —
this area is in a separate part of the building
and is where children learn through kidfriendly
Bible stories, games and music.
“It’s much harder to do online,” Reichley
said.
Yet, at a time when individuals are asked to
social distance, Reichley attests Crossroads’
bonds to the community have never been
stronger.
Crossroads has worked with local nonprofits,
such as God’s Outreach, by asking
members to volunteer and get out in the
community. Members have helped hand
out groceries to those in need and donated
their time and energy to look after those who
need it.
The church has taken services a step
further by creating a phone call initiative in
which every attendee of the church — both
past and present, who can be found in the
Crossroads database — is called by church
leadership, who hope to check in and offer
guidance. This newfound outreach program
is something Reichley believes the church
will continue to practice.
“Even when we get back together, that is
something we’ll continue to value and do,”
Reichley said.
Crossroads has not yet opened its doors,
although churches were given the OK in mid-
May, and will continue to offer online services
until church leaders feel it is safe enough
to open up.
“We’re trying to make a good, healthy,
safe decision,” he said. “The last thing we
want to do is make a decision that puts people
at risk.”
Through it all, Reichley assures that the
loss of an in-person service did not lead to a
loss of faith for those who practice.
“You realize the church isn’t a building,
it’s the people and the work God
does through the people,” he said.
ABOVE: Charles Judd leads a worhip service for
McCready Manor residents.
BELOW: Crossroads Richmond delivers coffee and
donuts to Baptist Health Richmond.
You can
still make
memories
and we can help
Dad told the hospice
team he wanted to fly
859.986.1500
hospicecareplus.org
Call today to learn more about our
home-hospice and home-palliative programs.
He even got to
pilot!
June- July 2020 Madison Magazine 17