Worship services are starting to resume at a few Altona churches now that the Manitoba Government has begun easing public health restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, although things certainly haven't returned to normal.

Reverend Melanie Kauppila serves on the Emergency Preparedness Committee for the Rhineland Area Ministerial group. She says two local churches have re-started some form of worship using the guidelines outlined in Phase 2 of the Province's Restoring Safe Services (Outdoor/Drive-In Events) announced June 1.

Last Thursday evening marked the first outdoor service held at South Park Mennonite Brethren Church. Until further notice, the weekly gatherings will be held on church property with limited seating of 45 available by reservation. Kauppila adds there is also talk of starting up the youth club by dividing participants into small groups and also meeting outdoors.

As well, Seeds Of Life Community Church has been experimenting with outdoor worship on Sundays. Again, Kauppila says those services are limited to 25 people at the moment with seating also available through reservation.

"We are all doing the best we can," she added, admitting that a reservation system is a strange way for churches to operate.

Additional guidelines being followed include no singing or responsive exercises, no sharing the Peace or passing of commonly used items like offering baskets.

And as far as she's heard, Kauppila says the Altona Bergthaler Church, Altona Mennonite Church, and the United Church have not yet come up with a plan to resume worship services but adds leaders are working to plot out the best way forward.

In addition, she says the regional branch for the United Church of Canada has asked Manitoba public health and government officials to come up with a broad set of guidelines for all worship communities to follow in the future.

"Having that common guideline is a way for us all to feel like we're in this together, playing out of some the playbook, and I think those are ways that bring us together and keeps a sense of unity and understanding," she explained.

Meantime, it's been just over two months since the Province implemented health restrictions that prevented people from gathering at their place of worship.

While live-streamed, digital or written worship services have partially filled peoples' need to share in their faith during this time, Kauppila feels it will be the return of community that will be most important to people when they can finally come back together as a congregation.

"It's the desire to see everybody else in your community," she explained. "Maybe those Sundays are the only time you see that person whether it's your friend or your neighbour...they may not be someone that you would regularly be in contact with. So there's the joy, almost a bit of surprise to say 'So good to see you!'. That part is missing."

On that note, Kauppila says from what she's heard, the local faith community has responded in beautiful and loving ways during this uncertain time either through forming small online coffee groups or with ministerial catching up via video chats. Through these efforts and many others, she feels people have responded to what she says is the truth of the Church not being about the building but rather about the people and what they do. Kauppila added people across all congregations have been trying to support each other as well, creating that sense of being in this together.

"So we can be well, and that when we do gather together we feel safe about it, we feel included and we know we have done as we have been asked to do, to be loving and kind and compassionate in a time that no one can predict or understand."

Kauppila encourages people to keep in regular contact with their faith community in order to keep up with the latest updates as things can change quickly.