Dear Church,
It’s been twenty-three(!) Sundays since we last met in person. I am absolutely stunned by that number, because it feels simultaneously like no time has passed, and yet in the same breath that we have been in this strange exile for so long. In that time we have celebrated Holy Week and the resurrection, examined the elements of the First Church and how it inspires us to live according to our purpose today, then the current deep dive we are taking into the spiritual gifts as the tools God gifts each of us to help Him love the world back into relationship with Him (catch up on all our messages in this series by visiting our YouTube channel or our podcast). In addition to launching a few digital community groups, there have been many beautiful stories of people in our church taking initiative to connect with one another, advocate for each other in dark times, and, well, be the Church.
It is a tough pill to swallow that we do not have a clear ending in sight for this pandemic, or an understanding of the toll it is taking on churches across the nation. The Barna Group has recently released statistics that show a 30-40% drop in online attendance for church services, while as many as half of millennial Christians have stopped tuning in to online church. It's estimated at least 20% of pastors could drop out of the ministry in the next year. I struggle with these statistics, for while we are not here to play the numbers game, it does indicate that the pandemic is routing the Church and leading to a drift in Jesus’ family.
I was encouraged this week by listening to a podcast by Pete Scazzero, the founder of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. He spoke of the importance of reorienting our ideas of “success” in the pandemic to what truly matters, not simply numbers and programs and models. First - are we in loving union with Jesus - are we prioritizing being with him, each and every day? Secondly, are we making disciples? Our goal isn’t to pump up views on YouTube, but to help form people to look more like Jesus than they did yesterday. As we’ve talked about before, the work begins on Sundays as we gather to worship (albeit digitally) and continues throughout the week as we carve out time to meet with one another (Zoom, FaceTime, text, etc.) and encourage each other to stay the course. We prioritize personal time with Jesus in prayer, silence, study.
"This is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity.’” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)
The reality is that the hype and novelty of “online church” has faded. This is our new normal, at least for a while longer. Our elders remain committed to ensuring we follow the Lord’s promptings to return to physically gathering when we can all arrive together. Until then, we are in digital exile. We need to buckle down and develop the discipline now to see us through for the long haul, and believe we will come out of this season more faithful to King Jesus than ever.
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“…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:22-25)
In an effort to stay connected and steward this season well, we want to move in the direction of “house churches” for the foreseeable future. Our heart is to safely and responsibly gather groups of 10-15 in people’s homes each Sunday morning to worship together using our online.church platform, then spend time sharing and praying with one another. The hope is that limited face-to-face commitments will give us the motivation we need to stay focused on the Lord and what he’s up to in and through our community.
You can sign up for our initial launch by visiting The Weekly.
We will also be starting up new online small group initiatives in the fall, beginning the week of September 20th. This will help us stay connected through the week and delve in to some specific arenas of the Christian life. Put that date on your calendar, as we’ll be sharing options next month!
Grace&Peace,
Ryan