One of the Ministry Costs of COVID-19
This has been a difficult time for Christian ministry since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that things are getting better and that more restrictions will be lifted.
But there will be costs affect ministry that will last for a long time.
I’m not talking about reductions to budgets because of drops in giving. I’m not talking about loss of momentum for specific ministries. I’m not talking about those who have gotten comfortable staying home to watch church online.
Although all of those are significant.
I’m talking about loss of community. And by that I mean more than just that we have been away from each other as our buildings have been closed.
I’m talking about the shift in how we now see each other.
For the past number of months we have been trained to see every person, friend or stranger, as a potential source of infection. We have gotten comfortable seeing each other as a potential threat.
I must make myself clear. I am not suggesting that we are victims of a conspiracy by the media. We have legitimately needed to protect ourselves and to be cautious in our human interaction.
But seeing everyone as a potential threat is not something you can’t just turn off. Add to that the recent racial tensions, where people are seen as potential threats in other ways.
How do we rebuild community?
It is going to be difficult for us to create warm and inviting places of community. It will go against everything that we have trained for during this pandemic.
I don’t have any easy answers to this problem. But the starting point is just being aware that it will take much more than just reopening our buildings to regain the communities we once had.
