I decided to separate the links to articles that are related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects upon the life and worship of the local church from the links to articles that are related to justice issues. This is not to suggest one is less important than the other but to facilitate the reader’s navigation of the articles.
In a number of ways the COVID-19 pandemic is drawing attention to the weaknesses of the local church as well as to its strengths. As states reopen due to political and economic pressures, some churches are eager to return to the old normal, even going as far as acting as if the pandemic is a thing of the past when health experts are warning us that we are still in the first wave of the pandemic and the worse may be yet to come. Other churches are awakening from a state of denial in which the seriousness of the pandemic was dismissed as exaggerated by the media or the pandemic itself was treated as a hoax perpetuated by opponents of President Trump to deny him a second term.
Churches are facing a host of new challenges. What may have worked before the pandemic is not going to work in the COVID-19 era. The pandemic has forced this realization upon church leaders.
5 Specific Ways the Current Approach to Church Seems Badly Outdated
One of the reasons so many churches struggle these days is that the way we do church is badly outdated. Culture is changing rapidly, which means people are changing rapidly. If you want to reach people, that probably also means you need to change your approach rapidly.That freaks out a lot of Christians who think that because the message never changes, nothing should change. Read More
Rural Church Accounts for 200+ Oregon Coronavirus Cases
Coronavirus infections are spiking in Oregon, where health officials announced this week that 236 new cases of the disease are linked to a single church in the town of La Grande, Oregon. That’s now the largest outbreak in the state, which has temporarily put all applications for reopening on hold. Read More
The story of this church shows how a church that does not take any precautionary measures against the transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus or which implements less than adequate precautionary measures can become the epicenter of a COVID-19 hot spot.Are Religious Communities Reviving the Revival? In the US, Outdoor Worship Has a Long Tradition
Religious communities have been forced to find alternative ways to worship together during the coronavirus pandemic. For some that has meant going online, but others have turned to a distinctly non-digital practice steeped in this history of the American religious experience: outdoor worship. Read More
The worshipers in the photo are standing too close together even for an outdoor gathering. They are also not wearing face masks. Outdoor gatherings can reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission provided the number of participants is not large and the participants are taking other precautionary measures such as social distancing and face masks. COVID-19 outbreaks have been traced to large outdoor gatherings at which the participants stood or sat close to each other and did not wear face masks.5 Things I Am Preaching to Myself While Preaching to a Camera
Last week I shared six things I am greatly missing from teaching in old-school physical gatherings among people I love who are singing to God and ready to hear a message from His Word. When preaching to a camera, it can easily feel like I am preaching to God’s people without being among God’s people. And I miss preaching to them from the posture of being among them, of hearing them sing, of being able to look at them as they hear the Word, and from being able to hang out with people in between services. I long for those days again, but in the meantime, here are five things I am preaching to myself as I am preaching to a camera. Read More
Churchgoers Aren’t Able to Lift Every Voice and Sing during the Pandemic – Here’s Why That Matters
Because of COVID-19, churches no longer reverberate with song; hymnals are neatly stacked and projection screens blank. Even as church leaders plan for reopening, scientists warn that it might be too early to resume singing in groups. Read More
Helping Kids Feel Safe and Secure during Crazy Times
Dale Hudson offers suggestions on how we can make our kids feel safe and secure during these troubling times. Read More
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