Do you look at Covid-19 as a mountain or a molehill? Do you have faith the size of a mustard seed or do you have faith the size of an ocean. The second question is much more important than the first because if you have faith the size of molehill, then you will be able to move a mountain. The worst possible scenario would be for you to have no faith at all.
There’s no doubt Covid-19 has been disastrous for nations that have lost freedoms, churches that have lost members, and families that have lost individuals. However, if you stand back long enough, you might begin to see a bigger picture. And hopefully your students see your faith remain in a faithful God.
Covid-19 has been a disruption in all of our lives and not just an interruption. Two years into this disruption and we still do not know how long this disruption is going to last. I am sure there will be some effects that we will have to live for the rest of our lifetime. One thing we do know, however, is that many people who used to go to church and who we thought would come back have not. A general rule of thumb is 50% of church members do not attend the physical church service anymore and unfortunately, it appears a certain percentage of this number never will.
There used to be an old game show called To Tell The Truth where three people pretended to be a certain person. Panelists were allowed to ask all three people questions but eventually had to take a guess at which person was the real person. Panelists and the audience at home knew who the real person was when the real person was asked to stand up.
Using the nature of this gameshow, I want to suggest some good things that have come from Covid-19.
- Covid-19 has shaved off many nominal Christians from attending church. Now, that in fact is not good because we would like non-Christians and nominal Christians to attend church. However, if the church looks more like Jesus and less like the world, is that not good? A church that looks more like Jesus will be more attractive to a watching world.
- With the decline in attendance, some churches are struggling to stay alive. This again is not good. However, some of these churches had lost their way pre-covid and have now been forced to reach people for Jesus outside of their walls. These churches should have been doing evangelism all along.
- The process of persecution purifies, refines, strengthens, and often grows the church both numerically and spiritually. Persecution is not good in and of itself and certainly isn’t something that Christians should seek. However, persecution for the Christ-follower is unavoidable because Christ himself promised it would come to those who believe.
In short, what I am saying is that I believe the real church will not only survive these trying times, but will thrive. Only those churches that are alive and vibrant will remain. Churches that were dying pre-covid and that refuse to change post-covid will not last. Sure, some of their buildings will remain as some churches have more money than they know what to do with. But churches where worship and mission are dead will not attract the next generation. Their buildings will be empty. Kenda Dean has rightly noted that the next generation wants to be active agents of change rather than passive objects of ministry. David Setran says it may not be fair to ask why the next generation is leaving the church if they were never actually part of the church to begin with.
No matter how hard I try, I cannot get away from this quote by Ken Castor in the book Teaching Next Generations: “Older generations, by putting the needs and concerns of younger generations above their own, successfully encourage the next generations to follow Jesus and effectively empower them to lead in faith.” It’s not that the younger generation is more important than the older generation. It’s that the older generation keeps a church alive by releasing control and passing on the baton of faith.
Castor continues, “The question has often been posed: ‘Will the next generation follow in our steps?’ [That’s the wrong question]. Instead, the question should be reframed: ‘Will the next generation follow in the steps of Jesus?”
I couldn’t agree more. If the older generation didn’t follow in the steps of Jesus, why should the next generation follow suit. New wine is needed for new wineskins.
I once heard a story about an older lady in a church who went out of her way to sit with a younger lady during worship. The style of music was not the older lady’s preference but the older lady joyfully clapped and sang along because she was so happy that her younger counterpart was in church and was praising Jesus.
The answer to dead churches and dead people is and always has been Jesus. Jesus brings life! Andrew Root says the American church doesn’t have a lack of resources. It has a lack of life.
Praise Jesus! Worship Jesus! Go to the nations and make disciples for Jesus! Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.