A Deadly ‘Checkerboard’: Covid-19’s New Surge across Rural America
As the death toll nears 100,000, the disease caused by the virus has made a fundamental shift in who it touches and where it reaches in America, according to a Washington Post analysis of case data and interviews with public health professionals in several states. The pandemic that first struck in major metropolises is now increasingly finding its front line in the country’s rural areas; counties with acres of farmland, cramped meatpacking plants, out-of-the-way prisons and few hospital beds. Read More
Five Reasons Your Church Members Are Disagreeing about When to Regather
It has become a common theme at Church Answers. We are hearing from pastors and other church leaders about members who have divergent opinions on the timing for regathering the in-person services. No surprise here. It might be helpful, however, to understand the reasons behind the disagreements. We see five major themes. Read More
What Is the Attractional Church?
An attractional church conducts worship and ministry according to the desires and values of potential consumers. This typically leads to the dominant ethos of pragmatism throughout the church. If a church determines its target audience prefers old-fashioned music, then that’s what they feature in order to attract those people.Read More
The Coming Pastoral Crash
I don’t want to be a prophet of doom, but as a minister in touch with many ministers, I see a coming pastoral crash. And I’m not sure we can stop it. The impact of the world response to COVID-19 will be felt for many years to come. It will be felt in every career field and in every home. This post does not diminish the hard work and adjustments being done by first responders, law enforcement, health care workers, and the educational structures. But from my perspective, those who serve in ministry are, in my thinking, in particular danger for several reasons. Read More
11 Self-Care Steps For Leaders Who Are Barely Holding On
Motivation is hard. And comfort food feels so good. But it’s more important now than ever to stay healthy. Read More
My 4 Step Method for Outlining Sermons [Repost]
Recently I received a question from a reader regarding how I outline my sermons and what I use for notes while I preach. I want to share his question and my answer with you. Read More
As In-Person Services Resume, Kentucky's Largest Church Sets No Timeline to 'Regather'
On a Sunday morning when churches around Kentucky began to open their doors as COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease, the state’s largest church remained closed to in-person services, and senior pastor Kyle Idleman, speaking on behalf of church leadership, isn’t yet saying when those might resume. Read More
Among the things that I found interesting in this article was the responses of the members of Kentucky's largest church to the senior pastor's poll.“About a third of you think we should’ve started meeting several weeks ago,” he said. “About a third of you think we need to just monitor the situation and continue to take precautions. And about a third of you think we probably shouldn’t regather until there’s some kind of vaccine or proven treatment...." These responses are consistent with my own observations. A segment of the population does not believe that churches should have suspended their gatherings in the first place. This population segment also tends to dismiss the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic and need for shelter-in-place orders and other public health measures that state and local authorities have implemented to mitigate the spread of the virus.
No comments:
Post a Comment