There is little doubt in anyone’s mind that COVID has changed our world. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently outlined several such areas, such as altered shopping habits, remote learning and big government. It’s also changed things for the church, and here I outline five of those changes and how the church might (or, in some cases, must) respond. As you will read, not all of the changes are good. Of the five shifts outlined here, I would contend that only three should be embraced. Two, on the other hand, must be forcefully resisted. But for good or ill, here are five ways COVID has changed the church....
How We'll Know When The COVID-19 Crisis Is Over
The U.S. is not out of the woods yet. The Delta variant has spread just as fast through the U.S. as epidemiologists feared it would. It now accounts for more than half the cases in the U.S., and far more than that in certain states. Lynn Goldman, an epidemiologist and dean of the school of public health at George Washington University, says the U.S. has certain things working for it, and some against it.
Presenting Hybrid Church Effectively (Part 2)
While there are divergent opinions about online services and worship, there is common agreement that a hybrid offering can be effective in reaching people who may not return to a post-pandemic, in-person setting. Hybrid has been defined as a combination of an in-person service with an online service, either livestreamed or recorded, of the Eucharist, Morning Prayer, Compline, Noonday Prayer, or a Bible study. Even those who may not be enthralled with hybrid recognize its value.
I did not post a link to the first article in this three-part article series on hybrid church as I found it to be quite negative. The opinions that were voiced in the article reflected the kind of thinking that has contributed to the decline of the Episcopal Church. This article takes a much more positive view of hybrid church.6 Questions about Prayer
Infrequent prayer teaches a church that God is needed only in special situations—under certain circumstances but not all. It teaches a church that God’s help is intermittently necessary, not consistently so. It leads a church to believe that there are plenty of things we can do without God’s help, and we need to bother him only when we run into especially difficult situations.
11 Obstacles to Effective Discipleship in the Church
Leading a church to be a discipling church—especially if that’s never been their focus—is not easy. You might, in fact, be learning that truth the hard way. Here are some obstacles to effective discipleship in the church....
Why and How Reading Shapes Your Soul
I remember a seminary professor of mine saying once, “The biggest problem most preachers have is they don’t read enough fiction.” I’ll admit, at the time, with all the problems I could list that most churches and pastors experience, a lack of novels was not near the top of my list. In time, though, I came to realize this professor was right, and more importantly, I came to understand why. I realized, too, that when it comes to moral decision-making, the same holds true. So I’ll propose a similar ally in a quest for understanding and nourishing our moral and ethical frameworks: stories. Here’s why.
Discover the Ministry of Asking Others Questions
I love this article by Blake Glosson, a student at Reformed Theological Seminary, about the importance of asking others thoughtful questions as a way of ministering to them and showing interest in their lives.
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