{"id":31430,"date":"2022-09-10T15:30:08","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/what-every-church-must-embrace-to-survive-covid-19\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:30:08","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:30:08","slug":"what-every-church-must-embrace-to-survive-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/what-every-church-must-embrace-to-survive-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"What Every Church Must Embrace to Survive COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Charles Deluvio photo – Unsplash<\/div>\n

By Trevin Wax and Y Bonesteele<\/em><\/p>\n

Before the pandemic, Lifeway went through a season of refining our values, and one of our favorite statements is \u201cBetter Together.\u201d<\/p>\n

We believe that championing team spirit is a must for a Christian organization, and that we do our best work when we are connected to others with different gifts and talents.<\/p>\n

The value of being \u201cbetter together\u201d is not only true for Lifeway. The church has the opportunity right now to find creative ways to be better together, to persevere together, to move forward for the sake of the kingdom together.<\/p>\n

In a recent survey, pastors were asked about the pressure points they are feeling most right now and the ways they most need support.<\/p>\n

The results indicate a greater need for all those who belong to the Body of Christ to work together so that we can meet one another\u2019s need in these times of uncertainty.<\/p>\n

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Pastors can\u2019t do it all alone.<\/p>\n

A Problem Throughout History<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Church leaders often say that 20% of the congregation do 80% of the ministry. Whether or not that statistic is true, the point is that relatively few church members do most of the work.<\/p>\n

In larger churches especially, it\u2019s easy to slip into the role of a consumer of \u201creligious goods and services\u201d rather than be a partner in kingdom work and ministry.<\/p>\n

But when crises come along, like the one we\u2019re experiencing with COVID-19, that consumerist mindset just doesn\u2019t cut it. We\u2019re in an \u201call hands on deck\u201d moment, and we\u2019ve got the opportunity to see the Body of Christ working in unique and innovative ways.<\/p>\n

Members Serving Members<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Take a look at some of these comments from pastors in the Lifeway Research survey:<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now I’m most feeling pressure about not letting people fall through the cracks. I’m worried about those members that are not able to receive what we are putting out online. At this moment I could use the most support from church leaders and members calling these members to check in on them.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a big pressure to be reaching out to everyone in our congregation, making sure that they are okay, and continuing to serve them with God’s Word in different capacities. I feel overwhelmed with increased ministry workload. I could use the most support with prayer and with other volunteers helping and continuing to help me serve our congregation and our community.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Pastors know that during a season in which corporate gathering is unavailable the rest of the Body of Christ will need to step up and serve in different ways.<\/p>\n

Pastors can\u2019t do all the work of the ministry (and they never could); they\u2019re called to equip the saints <\/em>for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12).<\/p>\n

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See also  8 Ways to Persevere in Ministry<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cTrying to distribute the work of keeping people connected has been difficult. We are <\/em>seeing very little effort from leaders other than staff.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI am new to online streaming and video production and need volunteers to help produce the weekly worship.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Pastors in smaller churches feel the need for support even more strongly:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is tough to keep in contact with those who do not have technology. We also have many adults wanting to connect\/watch Bible Study teachings, but being the only one on staff and already running the student ministry and volunteering to help feed people in the community, I don’t have time to prepare one more lesson.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a small congregation, so most worship prep is on the pastor anyway, but now there are many more moving parts to that, especially in the area of communication, i.e. emailing links, texting, etc.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The Future of Being Better Together<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Perhaps a time like this reminds the church the importance of discipleship and training servant leaders. Or maybe this is a time to call out servant leaders to meet immediate needs.<\/p>\n

As Jesus called Simon and Andrew and James and John by their boats, pastors have the opportunity to call on people they may otherwise overlook\u2014members who have not been significantly involved in serving in the past, but who, while quarantined in their homes, may find an avenue of service.<\/p>\n

Pastors can also be helping other pastors. In the survey, one pastor mentioned, \u201cI have appreciated our denominational conference making internet opportunities for pastors to connect and share our experiences during this time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Bearing one another\u2019s burdens and sharing similar stories eases the sense of anxiety. Pastors often feel isolated and alone. One pastor, when asked about the support he needed, simply said: \u201c<\/em>a call from the congregation asking how I am.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s remember that we are the body, all of us, pastors, leaders, volunteers, and members. Only Christ is the head.<\/p>\n

So we all need to work together to get through this time together\u2014for each other and for the Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n

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Trevin Wax<\/h2>\n

@TrevinWax<\/p>\n

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Trevin is the vice president of resources and research at the North American Mission Board, general editor of The Gospel Project<\/em>, and author of Rethink Your Self<\/em> and This Is our Time<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n