Sunday worship is perhaps the most obvious moment of the church’s communal life. Limited by COVID-19 restrictions, churches across the country are discovering new ways of being community and learning that loving one another and our neighbors — while physically distancing ourselves from them — is possible.
If you’re leading a congregation during these days, bless you. If you’re a member of a congregation, remember that this major shift in how to be church is a huge lift for pastoral staff. Find ways to support them in this tricky, yet necessary, movement. One pastor who cited the old adage, “It’s like building the airplane while you fly it,” speaks for many who are working hard to help maintain a strong community life.
Here are some ways churches across the country can adapt while maintaining a strong sense of community:
1. Offer virtual pastoral care and spiritual support
Pastors and lay ministers can reach out to church members with particular needs via phone, FaceTime, or Skype. Don’t forget to reach out to missionaries your church supports and any members who were already at a geographic distance. Another way to enhance spiritual support within the body, is to share prayer concerns via email, phone, text, or other methods.
Note: Pay special attention to those who’ve experienced all kinds of trauma, as the current situations may trigger old hurts.
2. Enhance social connections
One church that’s offering an online Midweek Devotional is highlighting various members of the church family in ways that they aren’t able to do in a regular Sunday service. In this type of a feature, a church can introduce, or reintroduce, a missionary or church member via video, audio, or text (as in a written newsletter).
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