COVID19

Ministry is complex under normal circumstances, but in the middle of a pandemic, what once was overly-busy ministry is now a response to people in crisis. With World Mental Health Day around the corner on October 10, pastors can access tools, courses, and even conferences to better equip themselves in serving their congregations.

With so many church holding church outside due to Covid-19, having a portable outdoor projector screen is now essential. There are many varities of sizes and costs to meet everyone's needs. Churches can repurpose indoor projectors with the below outdoor screens, but make sure to check the lumens to make sure the output is strong enough for outdoor visibility.

Around late summer, most churches start looking towards Fall and what events to host that time of year. Obviously, 2020 is anything but a typical year. Even planning weekly services is influx based on the spread of COVID-19 in your region. How do you prepare for an event 2-3 months out when you don't even know what next week will bring?

With a different kind of fall looming in front of us thanks to COVID-19, many families, including mine, will be homeschooling or distance learning. All summer I’ve been thinking, “What will the fall be like? What could I do differently if we’re distance learning?” Although our kids are enrolled in California public schools, perhaps this is my opportunity to work in a Bible curriculum before they get started for the day. In the past, I’ve used a short devotional or reformed lectionary guide to get my kids a little scripture with their daily vitamins and orange juice. With less driving hither and yon, it is possible your family might have more time to work in a more robust Bible curriculum. There are multiple online Bible curriculums that have been beefed up during COVID-19 to give us homeschooling newbies a little more confidence. 

Just when you thought the days of the family-sponsored pew were over, COVID-19 has completely changed the way we do church. Now most members are required to reserve their seats in order to attend a church service. In parts of the country where the virus isn't running rampant and indoor events are allowed, most organizations must ensure social distance and 25 or 50 percent capacity per state orders. To do this effectively, churches must use a managed seating software program to make sure they won't have too many people attending their services.

In June, after months of being forced to hold worship services in an online-only format (thanks to COVID-19), California churches were allowed to begin meeting in person again. This time, with a limit of 100 people or 25% of the building’s capacity. Just a few weeks later, Governor Newsom ordered that churches “discontinue singing” while gathered for worship services. This resulted in an uproar from many Christians. How can we hold a worship service without worshiping? How can the government dictate whether we praise God or not? Didn’t Jesus say that we must sing?

I have been leading worship in a full-time capacity for twenty-two years. Still, nothing could have prepared me for a global pandemic, hybrid worship, and a situation that began in our church on Sunday, March 15, 2020. On that Sunday, our worship team did most everything we would normally do on Sunday with one major difference… there was no congregation in our worship space!  Like most churches across the country, and around the world, we found ourselves in an unprecedented scenario. One no one could have foreseen and one for which no seminary education could have prepared us. Our church had to learn how to minister to our people solely through livestream technology on Sundays and Zoom meetings throughout the week. 

A new survey of 750 churches of differing sizes from around the world compiled by the church technology company Logos, makers of Logos Bible Software, shows that while the majority of pastors feel comfortable reopening their buildings, they expect changes in attendance, programming, and operations.