Saturday, April 25, 2020

Saturday Lagniappe: Georgia Pastors React to Governor's Reopening of the State and More


Most GA Pastors Don’t Want to ‘put God to a foolish test’ by Reopening

As several categories of businesses begin reopening in Georgia today, many pastors in that state say their churches will remain online-only for now. Some have expressed concern and even outrage at Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s plan, saying it endangers the lives of churchgoers—especially African Americans. Read More

An Open Letter to Evangelicals on Self-Less Living During this Pandemic

We may be sequestered, but as we emerge and show our faces in public, the gospel is on trial. Read More

Should We Be Protesting Stay at Home Orders?

Egged on by certain high ranking officials, various frustrated Americans have taken to the streets (and largely ignored rules about social distancing) to demand that the country’s businesses open back up so we can all sing ‘God bless our standard of living’ one more time. There are numerous problems with this whole approach, and my concern in this post is that many of these oblivious people are devout Christians who should know better, since they are supposed to be loving their neighbors as themselves. Read More

Our Idols Are Exposed in Times of Crisis

COVID-19, like any other significant crisis, lays bare who we are: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Moreover, its revealing nature does not discriminate. Read More

Online Sexual Predators Eager to Take Advantage of Greater Access to Kids during COVID-19, Police Warn

Police are warning parents across Canada that in dark corners of the internet, sexual predators are talking among themselves about how children are home all day, every day and spending more time online because of the pandemic — and they are eager to take advantage. Read More
I would suspect that the situation in the United States is comparable to that in Canada, if not worse. Due to COVID-19-related layoffs sexual predators also have more time to pursue their prey online. I would also suspect that incidences of child sexual abuse by someone known to the child are also on the rise since perpetrators and their victims are spending more time together due to layoffs, stay-at-home orders, and school closures.
We're All Start-Ups Now

We’re all start-ups now. Talk about a level-set. In a matter of days, organizations large and small were ushered back to the start-up days. Read More

How Are You Thinking About Re-opening Church?

One of the most common questions ministry leaders are asking one another in this crazy season is around “re-opening church gatherings.” While none of us can really answer with any certainty “when” we can re-open church gatherings, we can think about “how” we will re-open church gatherings. Read More

A Pastor’s Response to the Re-Opening of Churches

My pastor, Mike Woodruff, captured my imagination with an analogy he heard that helped me envision re-entry — maybe it will be helpful for you. Sharks near the beach. Read More

24 Questions Your Church Should Answer Before People Return

If you think we’ll all rush back to church and pick up where we left off, don’t kid yourself – it’s not going to happen. Or at least it shouldn’t happen. We need to think and plan carefully so we do not endanger people simply because we let our guard down and believed that the Coronavirus crisis had passed. Read More
In our eagerness to gather, we should not forget that a number of coronavirus "hot spots" originated from church gatherings. The coronavirus crisis has not passed. We have just experienced the early stages of the crisis. If the COVID-19 pandemic follows the pattern of the "Spanish Flu" epidemic and other epidemics of the past, we can expect a second wave of coronavirus cases and deaths, a wave far worse than the first.
3 Fantastic Ways To Broadcast Your Services Beyond Your Sanctuary

In this article Easy Church Tech gives at least 3 if not 4 options to help churches broadcast their services in unique ways that will enable them to minister to more people than is possible during these strenuous times. Read More

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