BOYNTON BEACH, Fla .– The Florida East Coast Baptist Association goes beyond church walls to invigorate the church community.

The organization is meeting this week for its two-day summit at Boynton Beach.

More than 75 churches participate from Cocoa Beach to South Miami.

The annual meeting comes as concerns grow about the long-term effects of the pandemic on church members.

“They are now outside their norm,” said Toby Philpart, moderator of the Florida East Coast Baptist Association. “We are reconnecting because people may not come back and this is of great concern.”

The association will continue to bridge the digital divide between members by continuing to host virtual church services.

Members of the organization also spent time this week volunteering at The Lord’s Place homeless shelter in Boynton Beach.

“The east coast of Florida understands that part of its mission is to go beyond the walls of the church,” said Jovan Davis, pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church. “One of the things we’re doing in this conference is we’re actually going to go to Lord’s Place as well as the Boulevard Manor Rehabilitation Center here in Boynton Beach as a service project to engage in awareness.”

The religious landscape is changing rapidly across the country.

The Pew Research Center reports that a growing share of Americans are now attending in-person church services.

According to the report, among those who say they generally attend services at least once or twice a month, a clear majority (64%) say they have been in person in the past month, the first time that this has happened. has been the case in three surveys conducted since the start of the pandemic.