Moving On From Covid-19 As a Church

​Our chief medical officer issued an appeal in the local newspaper, Grey Bruce This Week on March 3 urging residence to “Be intentional about moving on from Covid-19.” On March 21 the mask mandate ended and come April most remaining pandemic restrictions will come to an end as well. As a local church we need to be intentional about moving on from Covid-19 too.

Before I lay out some reasons why local churches and Christians need to move on from Covid (e.g. virtual church) let me first look back and celebrate a few ministry highlights from the past two years of ministering during Covid (many which include the virtual):

1. Praise God that we had just upgraded our technology so that we were able to facilitate a livestream during Covid!
2. The special times shared by those who led the livestream.
3. For how our newsletter helped to keep us connected.
4. For how the church members ministered to one another through phone calls, emails, etc.
5. That our livestream and phone in service enabled us to reach out into our community (and beyond!).
6. That even our life groups continued to meet, either online or in small groups at church.
7. That we were able to honour the authorities and love our neighbour while creatively finding ways to continue to be a Church.
8. That we remembered we have a reason to meet and a purpose to exist.
9. That the priority of worship and discipleship were highlighted in the absence of other programming.
10. For the “spiritual refugees” we were able to minister to whose churches were closed when ours was open.
11. For the newcomers we welcomed because we continued to be open.
12. For the multiple micro services we hosted in the 3rd lockdown so that everyone had an opportunity to gather.
13. For the financial health that we enjoyed, no doubt because we kept seeking to fulfil our mandate as a church.
14. And probably many, many more…

However much the Lord uses times of trial in a congregation’s life, like our personal trials, we should never want to remain there. Here are 5 reasons why we need to move beyond Covid as a congregation and get back to normal if you haven’t done so already:

1. Facts over fear: Sadly 42 people died in Grey-Bruce from Covid related issues (elsewhere I had 2 relatives die and know of one person who ended up in the ICU). We can be thankful that more didn’t die and part of that was no doubt the public health measures put in place. But still, Covid was not as dangerous as many first feared. For example, here in Grey-Bruce there is a .0004% chance you might die of Covid. That is about the same risk of dying in a motor vehicle accident, yet we all still drive. Dr. Arra’s letter is a medical case in point to move beyond Covid.
2. Knowing the reason: Disease is a terrible reality. Covid was not successful in bursting the bubble that we can control everything, including diseases and mortality. The truth is that as Christians we know that the general cause of disease is sin (Ro 3:23) and that diseases are not going anywhere until the Lord returns (Rev 21:4). Though we still face the corruption of the body due to sin today, knowing its source and end helps shape our outlook in the midst of it.
3. Faith over fear: Faith in no way grants the believer immunity from diseases or death, however, it does mean that we can face them with the peace and assurance of knowing that to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil 1:21). We don’t need to have the fear that unbelievers have because this is all there is. Sadly, all too often the cultural mentality shapes how Christians think. We need to be reminded that God gives us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control (2 Ti 1:7).
4. We’re commanded to gather: It is quite clear that Christians are commanded to gather (Heb 10:25). The great dilemma caused by Covid was that we either couldn’t or didn’t in the interests of health. Two years of Covid has not only had knock on effects emotionally, socially and economically but spiritually as well. Some churches have closed up shop. Some Christians have gotten into deep ruts of not physically fellowshipping. To be sure, non-physical forms of fellowship can suffice for a time, but God’s ultimate design is for us to gather. Even if large corporate worship services were a concern for some Christians there are small groups and even one to one opportunities they could have (and could still) take advantage of if for health reasons they are reticent to attend public worship and other church functions. The litmus test I’ve often offered is one of consistency, that if you are visiting others or going to the shops than you can share in fellowship of some form. Covid is passing, diseases will always be with us, what we miss is more than what we’re gaining if we stay away from the body.
5. Virtual church is not the same: A recent article highlighted some key reasons why gathering virtually is not the same:
   1. Attending worship is not a form of entertainment to be accessed from home like a movie; it is an act of worship.
   2. Attending worship is not about what you get but the worship you offer to the LORD. He is the audience (not us), Christians leaders are the prompters but the congregation are the actors.
   3. Even getting ready and making the drive (think gas $, time, effort, weather) is all part of your offering of worship. Worship involves sacrifice.
   4. Together believers participate in worship (or fellowship or discipleship events), something that is all too remote in something like a livestream.
   5. You miss out on the ordinances.
   6. Virtual church makes it easy to perform digital church hopping rather than committing to your local church.
   7. Additionally, we miss out on Jesus’ promise to be with us in a special way (Mt 18:20).

Technology has not been all bad as I shared in the aforementioned celebrations. We’re keeping our livestream as a form of outreach (and for those who are ill, away, housebound or snowbound!). Technology will continue to help us surmount geography and hold those last minute meetings that weren’t possible before Covid. These are good things.

However, if you profess to be a Christian but still haven’t come back to church now is the time to seriously consider coming back because the disadvantages far outweigh the perceived advantages.