Social distancing and sheltering-in-place has been challenging for pastors recently. Their face-to-face encounters are reduced to phone calls and pastors are finding themselves getting creative with social media, video calls, and drive by visits. It hurts to go months without seeing people that normally fill the church building every week and it can be difficult for pastors to stay connected with their congregation and balance the blending of home and work. Despite serious obstacles, some pastors are encouraged the changes that they see taking place in the church during this crisis.
The Mobilized Church
In the midst of the pain and grief brought about by this pandemic, the actual church--the people, not the building--is mobilizing to care for their neighbors and serve their communities during crisis. Groceries are being delivered to the elderly, prescriptions are being picked up for those who need medication, meals are being donated for front-lines workers, electronic devices are being purchased for children who suddenly need to do their schoolwork online, food is being shared with families who no longer have an income, supplies are being collected for homeless shelters, neighbors are caring for each other.
Our standards and expectations of what church is and what churches should do are changing because Sunday morning face-to-face gatherings are suddenly no longer the focal point of church activity. Maybe they never should have been in the first place. What is left of the church when we take away Sunday mornings and VBS and Sunday school and events for teens and womens gatherings and mens gatherings and choir practice and band rehearsal? We are finding that when we take all of those things away, the church still remains. The programs and events and worship experiences, while nice and fun and helpful and unifying, are not what make us the church. Many Christians are finding new ways to connect with one another, new ways to grow in the faith, new ways to worship the Lord, and new ways to love their neighbors, besides inviting them to church. Inviting people to church is a good thing, but it should not be our primary method of sharing the gospel.
Social Media
There are people who do not attend church on Sunday mornings for a variety of different reasons. Some have been hurt by people in the church before. Some people may feel fear and anxiety with the thought of walking into a church. Some people may not be physically able to get to church. For some of these people who do not or cannot come to church on Sunday mornings, watching a virtual church service or joining an online church community may feel safer or more possible for them. It can be much less threatening to type a question or comment on a livestream video on social media than it is to walk into a church building, have to talk to people, and ask a question or share a comment in front of everyone at a Bible study.
Messages are available online now more than ever, and people who are concerned and scared about the virus are searching for hope now more than ever. This convergence of hope with people seeking hope is happening online. For a lot of people who may feel uncomfortable stepping inside of a church or speaking up during Bible study, social media sermons and Bible studies and podcasts are providing a way for people to engage with church, ask questions, participate, and grow in the faith.
With churches moving to online platforms across the globe, pastors and church attendees have the unique opportunity to virtually attend as many church services as they would like every week and hear from pastors that they don’t normally have the opportunity to hear from. It is encouraging to be reminded that the Word of God is being preached all over the world and that the Holy Spirit is moving in the hearts of people in churches near and far.
Prayer
We are praying like we have never prayed before. We are praying on Zoom, praying on Facebook Live, praying on the phone, and praying at home by ourselves or with our family members. We are praying for our communities and leaders, for neighbors who are suddenly unemployed, for family members who are sick, for friends who are grieving, for brothers and sisters who are isolated or afraid or worried, for the people who are most vulnerable to the virus and for the people who are on the front lines fighting it, for wisdom to navigate the new challenges we are facing, and for balance as we maneuver the blending of home and work.
The impact of this virus is severe, but God’s Spirit remains active and so God’s people remain hopeful.
Want to hear more? Listen to Pastor Autry Watkins, Pastor Dexter Harris, Pastor Eric Boone, and Pastor James Middleton in Episode 6 of Church Unfiltered here.
The Mobilized Church
In the midst of the pain and grief brought about by this pandemic, the actual church--the people, not the building--is mobilizing to care for their neighbors and serve their communities during crisis. Groceries are being delivered to the elderly, prescriptions are being picked up for those who need medication, meals are being donated for front-lines workers, electronic devices are being purchased for children who suddenly need to do their schoolwork online, food is being shared with families who no longer have an income, supplies are being collected for homeless shelters, neighbors are caring for each other.
Our standards and expectations of what church is and what churches should do are changing because Sunday morning face-to-face gatherings are suddenly no longer the focal point of church activity. Maybe they never should have been in the first place. What is left of the church when we take away Sunday mornings and VBS and Sunday school and events for teens and womens gatherings and mens gatherings and choir practice and band rehearsal? We are finding that when we take all of those things away, the church still remains. The programs and events and worship experiences, while nice and fun and helpful and unifying, are not what make us the church. Many Christians are finding new ways to connect with one another, new ways to grow in the faith, new ways to worship the Lord, and new ways to love their neighbors, besides inviting them to church. Inviting people to church is a good thing, but it should not be our primary method of sharing the gospel.
Social Media
There are people who do not attend church on Sunday mornings for a variety of different reasons. Some have been hurt by people in the church before. Some people may feel fear and anxiety with the thought of walking into a church. Some people may not be physically able to get to church. For some of these people who do not or cannot come to church on Sunday mornings, watching a virtual church service or joining an online church community may feel safer or more possible for them. It can be much less threatening to type a question or comment on a livestream video on social media than it is to walk into a church building, have to talk to people, and ask a question or share a comment in front of everyone at a Bible study.
Messages are available online now more than ever, and people who are concerned and scared about the virus are searching for hope now more than ever. This convergence of hope with people seeking hope is happening online. For a lot of people who may feel uncomfortable stepping inside of a church or speaking up during Bible study, social media sermons and Bible studies and podcasts are providing a way for people to engage with church, ask questions, participate, and grow in the faith.
With churches moving to online platforms across the globe, pastors and church attendees have the unique opportunity to virtually attend as many church services as they would like every week and hear from pastors that they don’t normally have the opportunity to hear from. It is encouraging to be reminded that the Word of God is being preached all over the world and that the Holy Spirit is moving in the hearts of people in churches near and far.
Prayer
We are praying like we have never prayed before. We are praying on Zoom, praying on Facebook Live, praying on the phone, and praying at home by ourselves or with our family members. We are praying for our communities and leaders, for neighbors who are suddenly unemployed, for family members who are sick, for friends who are grieving, for brothers and sisters who are isolated or afraid or worried, for the people who are most vulnerable to the virus and for the people who are on the front lines fighting it, for wisdom to navigate the new challenges we are facing, and for balance as we maneuver the blending of home and work.
The impact of this virus is severe, but God’s Spirit remains active and so God’s people remain hopeful.
Want to hear more? Listen to Pastor Autry Watkins, Pastor Dexter Harris, Pastor Eric Boone, and Pastor James Middleton in Episode 6 of Church Unfiltered here.
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