Most churches I know have regathered, and the recent CDC guidelines for masks have opened the door more widely for regaining some sense of a “normal.” At the same time, some stressors remain, such as those listed here:
- Space issues. What used to be the 80% rule (that is, a church plateaus in growth at 80% capacity) may well be the 60-70% rule post-COVID. North Americans may have become even more comfortable with having more space around them—which will affect church growth issues.
- Children’s ministries. This issue remains at some level as long as schools are still requiring masks. For some, following school mandates mean requiring masks in Sunday school and children’s church.
- Sacred cow resurrections. Frankly, COVID pushed us to reduce some ministries—often, long-term ministries no longer as effective as they once were. With the return to “normal,” churches will need to determine which ministries they will re-start.
- Spending patterns. Many churches almost flourished financially during COVID, with members still giving and churches spending less. With next year’s budget, churches will wrestle through which previous line items to put back in the budget.
- Staffing plans. For those churches who reduced staff at the beginning of COVID, returning to previous staffing levels will likely not be easy, welcomed – or even recommended. My hunch is that churches will look more at part-time positions.
- Missions commitments. I fear some churches previously only slightly committed to missions will have lost any passion during COVID; others will need to increase efforts to re-start partnerships when travel becomes an option again.
- Pastoral turnover. This past year has been wearisome for everyone, but many pastors have been exhausted. Some have held on because they didn’t want to leave a church floundering during COVID, but they may make other decisions as things settle down.
- Fringe members. Churches that carry out discipline may well need to decide how to handle members who never start attending again. The COVID-based reasoning for non-attendance will be gone at some point.
What are your thoughts?
Navigating the church with the spectrum of Covid restriction views and what we should/shouldn’t do. The waring down of people over the year and it’s affect on how they react. Wearying.
While a growing number of people are getting vaccinated, rural counties have a much lower vaccination rate than urban ones. A number of factors account for this development. Among its implications is that rural counties may become pockets of the COVID-19 virus and rural churches may be at higher risk of becoming the epicenter of a fresh outbreak of the virus. We also seeing the spread of what may prove to be more infectious and more dangerous variants of the virus in the United States.
The latest CDC guidance created a lot of confusion, leading some people to believe that the CDC was no longer recommending face masks and other preventative measures for all people, vaccinated and unvaccinated, rather than for vaccinated persons in certain circumstances. It has resulted in some states, counties, communities, businesses, and churches lifting their mask mandates for everyone, a premature step that may lead to further infections.
Among the circumstances in which health experts are recommending vaccinated people wear face masks and observe other precautionary measures is working with unvaccinated children in school and at church. Children are not immune to the virus and they can spread it. While some children may experience mild symptoms when they have contracted the virus, others have required hospitalization. The CDC has not established how long the present vaccines will protect people from infection or whether those who have been vaccinated cannot spread the virus. Those who are vaccinated against the virus may have to get an annual booster shot.
Some developments have an upside. Wearing a face mask has reduced the infection rates of flue and cold viruses as has social distancing and handwashing. We may see other health benefits. We are relearning the value of large windows that open; natural ventilation; and spacious, airy rooms. We are also learning the disadvantages of ventilation systems that do not replace stale air in a room with fresh air but recirculate the same air. We have learned to appreciate outdoor worship. In the 1970s and 1980s there was a movement to reintegrate children back into the worship gatherings of the church and to plan worship with sensitivity to their presence. Segregating children from adults in their own worship gatherings was found to contribute to young people having difficulty making the transition to adult worship gatherings and leaving the church in search of a church that offered a worship experience like the one that they had experienced in the children’s worship gatherings. There has been an increased awareness to plan our worship gatherings with greater sensitivity to the presence of children.
More churches have been required to take their services and small groups online and have in the process expanded their outreach to a much larger segment of the population. This process has also drawn to their attention the drawbacks and weaknesses of their services and small groups.
The pandemic has also highlighted the need for greater community engagement.