I know that in this chaos, there are a lot of things that seem to be falling apart. Our economy. Our political stances. The very fabric of society feels like it’s deteriorating crazily with the majority of our interactions revolving even more around social media which is neither healthy or social. Distancing is more than just social and physical, right now.
But on the other hand, I feel like there’s some good things that are coming out of this in the churches around the nation (and even the world!). The following are 5 silver linings that I just thought, “Wow. These are good, now!” God willing, these all stick.
1. Broadcasting and Production Value have never been more more important.
In ministry, I have been privy to meetings and stories of those that have questioned (even verbatim) “Do we really need to stream our services?” That might be an entirely different debate for another time, but make no mistake – the answer (in this context) is clear. “Uh, yeah.”
Whether it’s the right people who make video/streaming/tech happen, the tools to make video/streaming/tech happen, or the processes to make video/streaming/tech happen – those churches who valued and possessed these things are doing well and those who didn’t – well, they’re either dying or they’re adapting on the fly – scrambling to make all or any of these a reality.
For the first time ever, there are people who are desperately seeking hope, and through these church services offered online, we can give that to them, even if they’re not locally close to our church. Speaking of local…
2. Local Community Outreach is a thing, now.
There are churches who are all about Sunday, the whole Sunday, and nothing but Sunday, so help them, God. And truth be told – that’s not a bad thing, but it certainly isn’t a great thing. Churches of all sizes should be one of the many arms that support the community in which they reside. World mission trips and seasonal charity drives are always a good thing, but a consistent relationship with outside, but local community partners has really helped show churchgoers and non-churchgoers alike that churches can be part of a powerful change, and there is no better time than in the middle of a crisis to reach out. We just have to send a simple text to ask, “Hey what can we do?” And the answers are filled with relief.
We can be the church in new and innovative ways that are inspiring and draw people closer to God. Much like the first point, it’s probably becoming a difficult uphill battle if that pre-existing relationship doesn’t exist, but God willing this stokes a fire that never burns out.
3. Parents are becoming champions of their kids’ growth in faith.
With the (virtually) unanimous population of churches being inside the homes of our families via streaming their services, I can attest to the fact that the kids and teens of their parents’ church world are getting more direct, consistent, and intentional guidance in the ways of loving God. Whether it’s a small church or a large church, the good ones are empowering the moms and dads of the faith to pray with their kids more, read the Word with their kids more, and simply talk about God with their kids more. Knowing my kids worship God by dancing and singing with other kids in their children’s services is great and all, but to see it first hand swells my heart with pride and joy to know that we’re setting up a healthy foundation for their future. It literally brings tears to my eyes.
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” This is a proverb, so it doesn’t mean it’s a promise. After all, there are plenty of kids (especially within the infamy of PK’s) those that leave, but I always hope for a prodigal return.
No matter what, I feel like it’s our job to keep our kids safe and to at least know Jesus Christ and this season is helping us do that.
4. We are now appreciating the value of physical/social interactions and unity we will one day have, again.
You never know what you got until it’s gone. Wowzers, is this true!
Extroverts and introverts alike (and especially the single/divorced/widowed population of the world) are feeling the pain of isolation. If people struggle with it, it can only get worse during these times. It sucks. I know suicide rates are up. And for those that do survive this, I imagine there might even be long-term psychological effects on some people because of what the quarantining that Covid Crisis has caused.
But the optimist in me believes that [not “if”, but] when we meet again, we won’t take the value of meeting physically together – and even moreso – for worship for granted. To join in the same room is going to be powerful feeling of hope and restoration that would parallel the recovery and celebration in the aftermaths of 9/11, Las Vegas’ October 1, etc.
5. This is a hip-check on why we do what we do.
For those of us in ministry, this can be hard for many reasons.
– Can I put bread on my table? Let’s be straight. Nobody goes into ministry for the money. But putting food on the table is still something we have to do and it’s hard to have faith in these times. I’m sure there are some churches (and even individuals) that do not have the financial cushion (rainy day funds) that larger/diligent churches have to float their staff/pastors for a certain length of time. With crisis’ like these, people can get their priorities mixed up and tend to give less. And when people stop giving to the church, ministry and staff in those churches tend to get nervous because that means they might be unemployed, too.
– Can I sleep again? The late-night hours spent, the creative strategizing on still “doing church” in the midst of this chaos; we hope there is ground to be gained, that there is someone who might fall in love with Christ through this.
Regardless of these times and regardless of what we do for a living, we should constantly be auditing our motives. We should constantly ask ourselves if this is what God wants or if this is what we need to do or if there’s a better way for us to be used, in our families, in our marriages, in our jobs, and in every aspect of our lives.
The good news is that we at least have these five aspects of hope and I’m sure there’s more. The even better news is that (God willing), these can become permanent rhythms in our lives and in our churches. Because when we are closer to God, everybody wins.