"And it came to pass" is written in the The King James Bible 452 times. If we will learn from that phrase then we should relax and realize that this pandemic will surely end, and the world will begin its new normality. Throughout the Bible we are taught that major events and crises may change the way we do things, but truth never changes. God was God and He was in charge before this pandemic, and He will still be God and in charge when the disease has run its course. Covid-19 has surely changed us, but it has not changed God, nor the principles that He has taught through His Word.
One-third to one-half of the world's population being under quarantine at the same time will definitely leave its mark. In some cases this pandemic brought changes that were already underway simply by speeding up the process. For instance, in the US working from home was a growing thing, but now it is a major thing. It seems to me that everyone is meeting online. My guess is that companies will realize the savings on this and lessen their investments in real estate and travel. Online purchasing and deliveries were already a major part of the economy, so another prediction is that shopping in the future will be done from your smartphone almost exclusively. The mom and pop shops that survive will learn to have a major online presence yet continue to be relational and still provide friendly and excellent service. Public schools moved rather quickly to online learning. I predict that distance learning will grow in popularity and use, but for the most part US education will return to much like it was before. In US government there will be a bigger push for online voting, as well as applying for almost all governmental services of any branch - local, state and federal. I fully believe though that bureaucracy will not get better - only worse - perhaps much worse. Writing checks were almost a thing of the past before Covid, but I believe that even the US greenback will become a historical curiosity as the financial system goes almost exclusively virtual.
It seems that everything in the US culture has been touched by this virus, and Churches were not immune to its challenges. In the blink of an eye the communication-media-audio/visual staff and/or talented technical volunteers came out of the background in church ministry and were thrust into the spotlight. From my perspective they did what God called them to do with utmost professionalism, speed and with expertise in very trying circumstances. By their skills empowered by the grace of God, most traditional churches are currently worshipping together online. (Clarification: Whenever I write or say the word traditional in relationship to church, I am exclusively talking about churches that have some sort of real estate investment. To me traditional has nothing to do with worship style. When I am writing about non-traditional churches, I am talking about the secret church that meets in dangerous locations around the world, or I am talking about the house church model, which has no real estate investments, nor programing investments, and may not even have a local pastor, but rather they are led by a local lay leader.) Amazingly the virus forced the traditional church to change overnight. Churches are usually very slow to accommodate any change, but this time the virus forced them to action. Almost all traditional churches moved to some sort of online worship experience, either through the social medias or their own online platform. Many of them even moved to online small groups through one of the online meeting apps available. The traditional church even geared up for an online giving experience. It has been amazing to watch as the traditional church adapted to a new way of doing things so very quickly. The nontraditional church had to adapt as well, but for the most part it has struggled. Even in countries with religious freedom meeting together in groups is no longer medically safe, and is currently against the social distancing mandates. The nontraditional church has been slower to adapt around the world for many reasons, but mostly the culprit has been a lack of resources. Overall the house church movement will survive and thrive, but whether or not existing house churches will return to normalcy depends upon the Holy Spirit and the strength of its local leaders.
During Covid-19 church leaders have seen much of their campuses closed and become useless for God's purposes during social distancing. Church leaders right now are looking at very expensive real estate and wishing that it was debt free. Church leadership is gasping in shock because alcohol sales have increased well over 200% during this lockdown. People aren't buying the booze to party. They are purchasing it to fill the holes in their hearts - to sooth their troubled souls - to have some release from the boredom - to negate the pain of losing their jobs. Church leadership is seeing in record numbers families and individuals who are going without basic necessities. Pastors and staffs are learning about case after case of severe depression, and currently they cannot do much to ease that pain. Virtual hugs are a thing, but they aren't the same as in real time, real life. Pastors and staffs are watching families fall victim to violence within the family structure. Domestic abuse killings have more than doubled during this time according to a study in the United Kingdom. On a positive note, many, if not most, churches that have gone digital have seen a spike in attendance, and they are realizing that they can reach people who will never darken the door of their church building - if only they do things a bit differently when the world goes back to work. Rest assured the wheels are turning in the church's leadership's minds.
After Covid-19 comes to pass I predict that the traditional church will become leaner and sweeter because of this crazy worldwide shared experience. Debt has hamstrung many churches even before this pandemic, but now more than ever church leaders realize that without so much debt they could have been an even more powerful force in their communities and the world, and a push to pay off mortgages will undoubtably ensue. The traditional church will react to the troubles that everyone is currently facing by making discipleship more applicable to real life events. Of course traditional churches will continue to do discipleship in mass group settings, but they will also offer a more personal mentor type Christian based learning. For example real men, who are Christ followers, will teach young men and some older men how they also can become real followers of Christ; thereby providing purpose and making the new believers stronger in the process. Christian women will teach younger women how to deal with relationships - one on one - and in doing so the family home will be strengthened. Because of Covid, the church is realizing now more than ever before that to be effective they need to be inside a home, behind the mask that people present on an average Sunday morning. They need to cook with people in their kitchens; they need to go to work with them during the week, they need to go to school and struggle through algebra finals, and attend soccer practice. Right now, this very night, the church and its leadership is learning that knowing someone in a personal way is the only way to help them overcome the obstacles holding them from freedom that Jesus offers them. Rest assured that once the church is fully unleashed from this pandemic it will do what it was called to do using much of what they are learning right now. The leadership as well as the membership is learning they can reach into people's homes and lives very effectively without that person ever stepping foot onto a specific piece of property. The traditional church right now is touching the lives of people they never even knew existed. I fully suspect that no longer will people be abandoned to the world because they feel no need to walk inside red bricks, stained glass and beneath a steeple. The traditional church is using this time to discern effective ways to find you if you are lost and then disciple you wherever you are. I don't see much of a change in physical presence on a church's campus for services or other ordinary events. Of course there will be many who come to witness the reopening of the church, but after the hoopla is over, I suspect some will remain but there are other long time attenders who will be a bit frightened to return to such a public setting. After Covid-19 comes to pass the nontraditional church - won't change much. I suspect it never will, but none-the-less, an era is changing. The traditional church will now feel more comfortable with nontraditional church methods and models. In fact, I believe the traditional church may even release at least some of their people to go and do nontraditional methods.
Covid-19 has stretched everything and forced changes that no one saw coming. Of course, there were some traditional churches better prepared to face this pandemic, but quickly most of the rest caught up with the curve, and God is being glorified. In fact, through this whole pandemic never has there been a moment that God was not glorified. There was never a lapse in sharing the Gospel. The truth is that more people are listening to a clear Gospel presentation in their heart language right now than at any other time in the history of mankind. Perhaps for the world this has been a crisis, but for God's church and His people it has been a time of learning and yes, even victory. Through this whole extraordinary thing it has been obvious that God was in charge before Covid-19; He has been in charge during this pandemic, and He will be in charge a long time after it passes from memory.
May God be Blessed through You,
Steve D
One-third to one-half of the world's population being under quarantine at the same time will definitely leave its mark. In some cases this pandemic brought changes that were already underway simply by speeding up the process. For instance, in the US working from home was a growing thing, but now it is a major thing. It seems to me that everyone is meeting online. My guess is that companies will realize the savings on this and lessen their investments in real estate and travel. Online purchasing and deliveries were already a major part of the economy, so another prediction is that shopping in the future will be done from your smartphone almost exclusively. The mom and pop shops that survive will learn to have a major online presence yet continue to be relational and still provide friendly and excellent service. Public schools moved rather quickly to online learning. I predict that distance learning will grow in popularity and use, but for the most part US education will return to much like it was before. In US government there will be a bigger push for online voting, as well as applying for almost all governmental services of any branch - local, state and federal. I fully believe though that bureaucracy will not get better - only worse - perhaps much worse. Writing checks were almost a thing of the past before Covid, but I believe that even the US greenback will become a historical curiosity as the financial system goes almost exclusively virtual.
It seems that everything in the US culture has been touched by this virus, and Churches were not immune to its challenges. In the blink of an eye the communication-media-audio/visual staff and/or talented technical volunteers came out of the background in church ministry and were thrust into the spotlight. From my perspective they did what God called them to do with utmost professionalism, speed and with expertise in very trying circumstances. By their skills empowered by the grace of God, most traditional churches are currently worshipping together online. (Clarification: Whenever I write or say the word traditional in relationship to church, I am exclusively talking about churches that have some sort of real estate investment. To me traditional has nothing to do with worship style. When I am writing about non-traditional churches, I am talking about the secret church that meets in dangerous locations around the world, or I am talking about the house church model, which has no real estate investments, nor programing investments, and may not even have a local pastor, but rather they are led by a local lay leader.) Amazingly the virus forced the traditional church to change overnight. Churches are usually very slow to accommodate any change, but this time the virus forced them to action. Almost all traditional churches moved to some sort of online worship experience, either through the social medias or their own online platform. Many of them even moved to online small groups through one of the online meeting apps available. The traditional church even geared up for an online giving experience. It has been amazing to watch as the traditional church adapted to a new way of doing things so very quickly. The nontraditional church had to adapt as well, but for the most part it has struggled. Even in countries with religious freedom meeting together in groups is no longer medically safe, and is currently against the social distancing mandates. The nontraditional church has been slower to adapt around the world for many reasons, but mostly the culprit has been a lack of resources. Overall the house church movement will survive and thrive, but whether or not existing house churches will return to normalcy depends upon the Holy Spirit and the strength of its local leaders.
During Covid-19 church leaders have seen much of their campuses closed and become useless for God's purposes during social distancing. Church leaders right now are looking at very expensive real estate and wishing that it was debt free. Church leadership is gasping in shock because alcohol sales have increased well over 200% during this lockdown. People aren't buying the booze to party. They are purchasing it to fill the holes in their hearts - to sooth their troubled souls - to have some release from the boredom - to negate the pain of losing their jobs. Church leadership is seeing in record numbers families and individuals who are going without basic necessities. Pastors and staffs are learning about case after case of severe depression, and currently they cannot do much to ease that pain. Virtual hugs are a thing, but they aren't the same as in real time, real life. Pastors and staffs are watching families fall victim to violence within the family structure. Domestic abuse killings have more than doubled during this time according to a study in the United Kingdom. On a positive note, many, if not most, churches that have gone digital have seen a spike in attendance, and they are realizing that they can reach people who will never darken the door of their church building - if only they do things a bit differently when the world goes back to work. Rest assured the wheels are turning in the church's leadership's minds.
After Covid-19 comes to pass I predict that the traditional church will become leaner and sweeter because of this crazy worldwide shared experience. Debt has hamstrung many churches even before this pandemic, but now more than ever church leaders realize that without so much debt they could have been an even more powerful force in their communities and the world, and a push to pay off mortgages will undoubtably ensue. The traditional church will react to the troubles that everyone is currently facing by making discipleship more applicable to real life events. Of course traditional churches will continue to do discipleship in mass group settings, but they will also offer a more personal mentor type Christian based learning. For example real men, who are Christ followers, will teach young men and some older men how they also can become real followers of Christ; thereby providing purpose and making the new believers stronger in the process. Christian women will teach younger women how to deal with relationships - one on one - and in doing so the family home will be strengthened. Because of Covid, the church is realizing now more than ever before that to be effective they need to be inside a home, behind the mask that people present on an average Sunday morning. They need to cook with people in their kitchens; they need to go to work with them during the week, they need to go to school and struggle through algebra finals, and attend soccer practice. Right now, this very night, the church and its leadership is learning that knowing someone in a personal way is the only way to help them overcome the obstacles holding them from freedom that Jesus offers them. Rest assured that once the church is fully unleashed from this pandemic it will do what it was called to do using much of what they are learning right now. The leadership as well as the membership is learning they can reach into people's homes and lives very effectively without that person ever stepping foot onto a specific piece of property. The traditional church right now is touching the lives of people they never even knew existed. I fully suspect that no longer will people be abandoned to the world because they feel no need to walk inside red bricks, stained glass and beneath a steeple. The traditional church is using this time to discern effective ways to find you if you are lost and then disciple you wherever you are. I don't see much of a change in physical presence on a church's campus for services or other ordinary events. Of course there will be many who come to witness the reopening of the church, but after the hoopla is over, I suspect some will remain but there are other long time attenders who will be a bit frightened to return to such a public setting. After Covid-19 comes to pass the nontraditional church - won't change much. I suspect it never will, but none-the-less, an era is changing. The traditional church will now feel more comfortable with nontraditional church methods and models. In fact, I believe the traditional church may even release at least some of their people to go and do nontraditional methods.
Covid-19 has stretched everything and forced changes that no one saw coming. Of course, there were some traditional churches better prepared to face this pandemic, but quickly most of the rest caught up with the curve, and God is being glorified. In fact, through this whole pandemic never has there been a moment that God was not glorified. There was never a lapse in sharing the Gospel. The truth is that more people are listening to a clear Gospel presentation in their heart language right now than at any other time in the history of mankind. Perhaps for the world this has been a crisis, but for God's church and His people it has been a time of learning and yes, even victory. Through this whole extraordinary thing it has been obvious that God was in charge before Covid-19; He has been in charge during this pandemic, and He will be in charge a long time after it passes from memory.
May God be Blessed through You,
Steve D
Nicely written. I really like your leaner and sweeter comment about what churches will look like. The churches that reach out into their communities during this time will leave the biggest witness, the biggest mark for Christ. Those that are only self-serving will undoubtedly die a slow death. Praying Christians are at work right now doing His work in their communities and are embracing the huge work that is to come.
ReplyDeleteThe Philadelphian church has taken the open door of COVID 19 and become more effective, more mature and more relevant. Great insight! Luv u brother
ReplyDeleteIt is a wakeup call to christians to reconstruct their spiritual life living in His grace,mercy and love.
ReplyDelete