Lismore’s Centre Church pastor Rebekka Battista said she lets faith rule, not fear.

While church doors across the country have been forced to close under the government’s plan to stop the spread of coronavirus, Rebekka said the Centre Church has taken delivering sermons online.

The Centre Church is one of many organisations taking services online, including the Generation Go Church and the Anglican Church.

Pastor Rebekka Battista giving a sermon at the Centre Church in Lismore.

In these unusual times of physical distancing and social isolation, filled with change and uncertainty, Rebekka said people should switch off things that feed our fear and fill those spaces with things that don’t fill fear.

“Turn the TV off, read a book, take a walk and limit your online time,” she said. “Make sure the words you put out there are kind – if you are at the supermarket, remember the retail workforce is working hard and people are doing their best to keep the community safe.

“And love thy neighbour at 1.5 metres away.”

Rebekka said the Centre Church did their first live stream of services on Sunday.

“It was pretty amazing,” she said. “As a church we’ve never thought about it but we have creative TV and IT people who have pulled it together fast.

“We had our congregation sitting at home in their pyjamas and singing worship and sending pictures if their families watching the services to our closed Facebook group.

“Lots of churches across Australia are already streaming and are sharing knowledge and information to help others get online and stream.

“Technology keeps us connected, even though we are forced to separate physically. As pastors, we can reach out to everyone, connect and help people through this and walk along the journey with them.”

Rebekka said the Centre Church’s youth group - Hearts Youth - has also gone online and about 80 young people are already streaming their regular Friday night meeting and can be found on Youtube.

“We need a way to give hugs when online,” Rebekka said. “Maybe we can create a Lismore hug where we all go online and hug Lismore.

“We are a community that is filled with love and we want to make sure we love our neighbours and leave no one out.”

You can find details of when church services are streamed by visiting Centre Church Lismore’s Facebook page, or visit the centre Church website https://www.centrechurch.org.au/ where updated details will be posted.