NORTHFIELD — Pastor Bob Emberley was deliberate in planning his church service on Sunday, which he said was centered around a New Testament story of Jesus reviving a girl who had died.
“There’s obviously an Easter theme,” Emberley said. “And it’s kind of like our little church. Let’s wake up.”
The Community Bible Church has been on the move for almost the whole 12 years that Emberley has been its pastor. At different points in that period he has held services at Camp Northfield, Pioneer Valley Regional School, the Thomas Aquinas College campus and, more recently, in a field on Northfield’s Main Street.
Earlier this year, the church began moving into the building formerly occupied by Cameron’s Winery, at 105 Main St., which Emberley said he had been eyeing for years. He said he expects it to be a permanent home for the church.
“The church isn’t a building and it’s not a service, either. We’ve been able, whether it’s been online or through radio, to continue the teaching service,” Emberley said. “But, the comfort side of it, the real connection …”
This will hopefully also be a return from the pandemic, he said. For the sake of social distancing, Emberley in the past year has held his services in a drive-in format. By speaking through a short-range radio transmitter, people can park their vehicles outside and listen through their radios.
Recently, the Community Bible Church has also had small numbers of people meeting indoors, while others can listen by radio. About half the attendees listen from their vehicles, Emberley said.
“It’s not ideal, but it’s a workaround,” he said.
Having a permanent location, combined with the pandemic hopefully coming to an end, should make it possible for the church to return to its regular activities beyond its Sunday services, Emberley continued.
Most notably, he said, the church has not been able to host the weekly discussion sessions that it normally does. He said he expects that to resume soon.
He also hopes to be able to expand the church’s programming, particularly for children. The new location, across the street from Northfield Elementary School, might make after-school programs feasible, Emberley said.
“The church is not a building — it’s the people, it’s the family atmosphere,” Emberley said. “And yet, it’s been so long. The church is also a space you gather. To be able to have a place that is permanent … it’s just huge.”
Reach Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.