Staying Connected

We have been called as believers in the Lord to be part of the body of Christ.  1st Corinthians 12
reminds us of the potential of that entity:
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.

Paul writes later in the chapter:
18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.

We belong!  We belong to Christ, and we are part of one another.  God has called us to be included in this glorious entity called the Church.  We need the Church, and the Church needs each of us to fulfill our calling and to participate in its mission.  Those who don't know Christ can see us loving one another and functioning together, lifting up Jesus so that people will be moved toward His love. The world needs to know Him, and He makes the way possible for those who would believe to come into a relationship with Himself and His Church.

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God has sent out the invitation for all to come to Him through Jesus Christ, and the Church is
certainly open for business, no matter how it looks in the age of COVID. 1st Timothy 3 describes the Church:
14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

The way that church attendance looks has certainly shifted during the COVID-19 crisis, and even churches that have begun in-person worship have introduced concepts such as social distancing, wearing masks in services, and a reduction in small group ministry, including children and students.

And, after almost a third of a year of the virus threat, how are church members engaging?  The Barna research organization set out to identify what the Church is looking like these days in terms of attendance.  It related that:

Recent data show that, among practicing Christians—those who identify as Christian, agree strongly that faith is very important in their lives and attend church at least monthly (prior to COVID-19)—over half (53%) say they have streamed their regular church online within the past four weeks. Another 34 percent admits to streaming a different church service online other than their own, essentially “church hopping” digitally.

So far, so good, it seems - but keep in mind, this is data from late April and early May, so, according to Barna, there may have been a shift.  But, as the survey summary states: "the responses shown here—reflecting engagement during the height of the U.S. social distancing measures this spring—can be instructive for church leaders moving forward, particularly following recent spikes in COVID-19 cases."

One area of concern has to do with practicing Christians who are not either worshipping online with their home church or another one.  The Barna website relates that 32% of practicing Christians have done neither, stating, "Though some of these churchgoers may be part of the minority of congregations that were still gathering for physical worship during these weeks, we can, for the most part, confidently interpret this group as those who have dropped out of church for the time being."

And, only another third, or 35% of practicing Christians are continuing to "attend" their "pre-COVID church" exclusively.

So, you have essentially three different segments of practicing Christians: 1) those who are still attending the church to which they went prior to the coronavirus, 2) those who are no longer attending church in any form, and 3) the rest: either those who have made a church switch or view multiple churches; those two categories basically evenly split that other third.

And, this departure from being connected physically to the local church has had its emotional and spiritual consequences, with the Barna website saying, "Respondents who have stopped attending church during COVID-19 are less likely than their peers who are still attending the same church during the pandemic to agree with the statement “I am not anxious about my life, as I have an inner peace from God” (76% vs. 87%). Practicing Christians who have stopped attending church in recent weeks are more likely than all other practicing Christians to say they feel bored “all of the time” (17% vs. 6%) or that they have felt “insecure” for at least some of each day (11% vs. 7%)."

But, based on the data, the summary says, "What we do know is that churchgoers, even those who have stopped regularly attending worship services during the pandemic, want support from a church community."

There are several brief concepts that come to mind here.  One is that believers need the Church.  When we accepted Christ as our Savior, He inducted us into a body of believers, an entity built on His truth, a rock that sustains us and undergirds us.  And, no matter what the circumstances, believers are called to function as part of that body.

And, whether they know it or not, unbelievers need the Church, too.  Of course, the entire world needs to come to know Jesus Christ, and He died for everyone. The local church can be a powerful witness as we build relationships and minister hope to those who do not know Him.

Plus, the world needs the Church.  Just look around - there is a tremendous amount of need in our world today. And, there is an abundant amount of grace and wisdom that God gives to us.  We need solutions, we need power and direction.  The body of Christ has been entrusted with Christ's light, in order to lift His name up and draw attention to a Savior who loved the world and gave His life.