4 COVID-19 Changes The Church Should Keep
COVID-19 has changed a lot of things for people and organizations. Some of these changes have been frustrating and difficult while others have been long overdue.
Like everyone else, the Church has also had to make a lot of changes. And in my opinion, many of these have been good even if they haven't been easy.
To that end, here are four changes in particular I hope churches will keep even after COVID-19 is over.
1. Investing time and money towards engaging people online
One of the positive effects of COVID-19 on the Church in general was how it showed our churches the importance of reaching and engaging people online. When you have no other options but online, it gives churches no choice but to prioritize it.
The reality is many churches have sorely missed the boat on connecting with people online. It would also be a mistake for churches to assume people are engaging more online only because of COVID-19. The truth is that people have been there for a while, but when you aren't doing anything online you don't realize it.
Now that churches are seeing just how much of a bigger impact they can have when they engage people online, my hope is that this effort will continue whenever the coronavirus subsides.
And to be clear, I'm not talking about live-streaming a Sunday service. Sure, a streamed service can be helpful, but as I've argued before, I don't believe online church is actually church.
The churches that continue to create videos and other engaging content throughout the week will be the ones who help the most amount of people. This means that churches shouldn't lessen the time and energy they are now spending reaching people online even when life gets back to normal again.
2. Making quicker decisions
Along with not being seen as being with the times on the importance of online engagement, another stereotypical knock against the Church is how long it can take churches to make decisions. In some cases, churches can find themselves decades behind where they should be because they would rather maintain the status quo than innovate and take risks for the Gospel.
To be clear, I am not saying all churches need to have the same "modern" worship style or order of service. They absolutely shouldn't. But what I am saying is that churches can still hold to their convictions while not getting stuck with ineffective systems and structures.
The adaptability with which so many churches have responded to COVID-19 should show church leaders that even important decisions can often be made quicker than we often make them. It shouldn't be the standard operating procedure to take six months (or longer) to make needed changes on things that aren't working.
And if we are being honest, most people don't seriously consider, plan, or work on things until a deadline is coming up anyway. No matter how far in the future the deadline is placed.
There are certainly times where decisions shouldn't be rushed, but the Church historically has gotten a lot of things wrong (which should be no surprise given none of us are perfect), making decisions too quickly isn't one of them.
3. A sustained emphasis on prayer
My guess is many church leaders have spent more time in prayer in 2020 than they have maybe ever. COVID-19 has created so many problems and unknowns that many leaders don't have a clue the best way to handle any number of things that have come up because of it.
I know this has been true of me personally. And I have seen other churches as well make a more public emphasis on prayer. Even at New City where I lead, we have encouraged our people to pray and fast through breakfast and lunch on Tuesdays.
For me, this weekly rhythm has not only helped me pray in a more focused manner, but it's become a weekly reminder of my need for God. My hope is that as we emphasized prayer more both privately and corporately, we develop new prayer practices that we continue into the future.
COVID-19 and all of its effects on our world have shown us what is always been true; we are not in control. A sustained emphasis on prayer reminds us of this even when life is more stable.
4. A desire for the Sunday gathering
I've previously shared that my hope is that post-COVID-19, followers of Christ would possess a renewed sense of belonging to a faith community. Not for the sake of going to church more to check some sort of spiritual box, but for our own good. There are many benefits of consistent local church involvement (you can read about four of them here), but they can only be experienced if we prioritize our faith community.
Even as many churches have begun regathering again with various COVID-19 restrictions and fewer people currently coming back, it's still been a reminder of how needed a weekly time of gathering together is.
Attending a service is not just about singing some songs or listen to a sermon. You can do both of those things on your own. It’s about developing practices in our lives that orient our hearts on Jesus and keep us grounded in Him.
Singing together, praying for one another, developing and deepening relationships through repeated weekly interactions, communion, hearing the Word in community, baptism, and so much more. The weekend gathering is a catalyst for so much more that happens in a church. While online services are better than nothing, they can't do what physically being together can.
The gathered church is always vital to a growing faith. Now that we are all seeing with new eyes how much we need one another, my hope is that his realization won't fade whenever life is "normal" again.
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