Doing Church During COVID-19

The church of which I am a member has responded effectively to the pandemic. We quickly went to an online service, moved to doing Bible study and committee meetings (and even business meetings) online, and began providing proactive member contacts through phone calls and digital media. With the leadership of a COVID-19 task force, we have a phased plan to restart on-campus activities based on public health data rather than opinions or personal preferences.

Many of the things we are doing have gone very well. Our staff has led in putting together a Sunday morning worship experience that is recorded ahead and broadcast at the usual worship time. Many members have contributed recorded segments and it has been fun to see individuals and families offering music, art, and the spoken word. At last count, we seemed to be engaging more people in virtual worship than we were in person before the coronavirus.

Most of our Bible study classes have changed to a Zoom format. I taught my regular Bible study class online for four months with excellent attendance, and I am now subbing for another class through Zoom. In many cases, attendance online for these classes is about the same as it was in person.

Our Pastor Search Committee is actively moving forward through Zoom meetings and virtual interviews with candidates. After a brief hold during the early months of the pandemic, we began to engage with potential candidates, and committee members have enjoyed the convenience of working from their own homes.

Our church has also launched a leadership development program online. Children and youth ministries are engaging with students in unique ways. Benevolence ministries have continued with social distancing and good sense.

The bottom line is that we are still doing church! We are still the people of God in our setting who are attempting to do what God has called us to do.

Does this take the place of what we were doing before COVID-19 took control of our lives? Certainly not. There are some things you cannot do virtually. I miss corporate worship in person. I am not a musician or a singer, but I love congregational singing and worship offered to God by our choir, soloists, and ensembles. I miss the opportunity to visit with and have small talk with fellow church members. I miss the face to face interaction in the classroom during Bible study.

I know that our children and youth miss the personal interaction. We are social creatures, and we learn best in community, community that is not digitally enhanced.

Even so, I am not in a rush to return to onsite worship or Bible study if it inhibits our ability to do the things we value most in worship. If the number of worshippers is limited, we cannot have congregational singing, and we cannot get closer than 6 feet from each other, I will settle for what we have now.

I will go even further. I think there are some things we have learned about ministry and being church during these days that are worth continuing and developing. We are learning new ways to engage, reach out, and disciple people--strategies to embrace and develop.

Bottom line, God is still at work and continues to teach us what is important. And it seems that patience is one of those things!

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