At Trinity Lutheran Church, Locust Valley, Queens, the Covid-19 pandemic has not been kind. However, according to the congregational president, “We weren’t devastated. We are looking ahead.”

The congregation lost not only five long-standing, tithing members, but also the additional support of the Bushwick Adult Day Care Center, which rented space in the church building. The congregation did offer worship services on YouTube late into the quarantine and resumed in-person services during Christmas 2020, but they voted not to put up a Christmas tree. Their pastor retired during 2021.

As with many situations in our Christian life, at those times when we are down, we look up and find God working despite the devastation. Mr. Darden continues, “The Bushwick Adult Day Care Center may come back now because of Covid-19 restrictions are starting to be lifted. Going forward means seeking another pastor who can support us while we support him with what we have. Now, with the possibility of working with a pastor who does outreach and can bring back a cohesive congregation, we have hope that we can survive,” voiced Mr. James Darden, with that same hope underscoring his words.

The pandemic showed this resilient congregation that it needed to reach out to their community. “No one wants their church to end or die,” Mr. Darden reasoned. “If the adult daycare center doesn’t come back, then we have opened our minds to using our space in a different way. We see the need in our community for after-school programs and tutoring. We will look for a pastor that can help show us where we need to go.”

Ultimately, Trinity, Locust Manor, has learned through the Covid-19 pandemic that it must continue to pray and seek Him to find the answers. “That gives us a little bit more insight into what we really need,” shared Mr. Darden, “and what we need is to reach out to our community in order to keep us alive.”