ministry during covid

[Leveche5]

Hello,

I'm wondering what your christian friends, or your church does to reach people during the covid situation? Especially where any organized meeting is prohibited. I'm curious to see if anyone found ways to connect or had great ideas.

 

[Tree of Life]

Hello,

I'm wondering what your christian friends, or your church does to reach people during the covid situation? Especially where any organized meeting is prohibited. I'm curious to see if anyone found ways to connect or had great ideas.

We assemble together for worship, preaching, and sacrament. Where the government forbids this, we ought to civilly disobey.

 

[seeking.IAM]

Churches in my Diocese have followed their own path based upon good science, not government. We do submit to governmental authority, but have at times been even more restrictive than required in order to be good stewards of the community's health. We had no online worship before. Now you can worship with us online, outside in warmer months, or inside during colder months - both distanced and masked.

We have found ways to increase programming during the pandemic. There are more services offered each week, more study groups, and more fellowship groups now than ever before, although many of them are virtual. I can be more involved with my church than ever before.

Some outreach has been adapted. For example, we do a large Thanksgiving dinner for homeless, marginalized, and folks living in our community shelters. This year we still did it, but we assembled dinners and delivered them to folks in their homes, shelters, or where they are. We also started a service of grocery shopping and delivery for those who are ill, at high risk, or just afraid to go out.

The Church is alive and well and will not be stopped by a virus.

 

[Leveche5]

Churches in my Diocese have followed their own path based upon good science, not government. We do submit to governmental authority, but have at times been even more restrictive than required in order to be good stewards of the community's health. We had no online worship before. Now you can worship with us online, outside in warmer months, or inside during colder months - both distanced and masked.

We have found ways to increase programming during the pandemic. There are more services offered each week, more study groups, and more fellowship groups now than ever before, although many of them are virtual. I can be more involved with my church than ever before.

That's actually great. We find getting people involved online is hard, as in, people follow our webcasts but just don't appear on virtual meetings we set up so we can meet afterwards. Some may be older and never took a liking to these platforms, some may not have the hardware, but most of them I feel is just not interested...

Some outreach has been adapted. For example, we do a large Thanksgiving dinner for homeless, marginalized, and folks living in our community shelters. This year we still did it, but we assembled dinners and delivered them to folks in their homes, shelters, or where they are. We also started a service of grocery shopping and delivery for those who are ill, at high risk, or just afraid to go out.

The Church is alive and well and will not be stopped by a virus.

The Church is indeed alive and it's great to see that you find the way to keep working for your community.

Keep the ideas coming, people.

 

[Tolworth John]

Hello,

I'm wondering what your christian friends, or your church does to reach people during the covid situation? Especially where any organized meeting is prohibited. I'm curious to see if anyone found ways to connect or had great ideas.

It is quite strange normally we would have maybe upto a hundred people attending a morning service under half that an evening service and a handful a midweek meeting.
Yet our morning service sent out on utube regularly has two hundre plus viewers from many different parts of the world, not just the UK.

So our evangelism as we cannot meet is on line.

 

[ThisIsLoveUK]

Hello,

I'm wondering what your christian friends, or your church does to reach people during the covid situation? Especially where any organized meeting is prohibited. I'm curious to see if anyone found ways to connect or had great ideas.

Hi Leveche5, and all my brothers and sisters around the world!
My church has always streamed its services online at the same time as in-the-building, so it was relatively easy to be just online when the church had to be closed. In fact, our senior pastor and his wife made themselves available online every morning, to pray for people, which I know a lot people found really reassuring.
On a personal level, I wrote a Gospel play for women in prison some years back, and had the privilege of performing it for women here and abroad. And now that I'm shielding (staying at home with my mother, who is elderly), I'm turning the play into very short, very simple YouTube word-videos, to hopefully reach people online! The first video is about the woman caught in adultery (John 8:2-11) and if anyone wants to watch it (

), I'd value your feedback!
Several of my non-Christian neighbours and friends have watched it and responded very positively, but none have given their lives to Christ yet. I'm hoping that seeds have been sown in their hearts which will bear fruit in God's perfect timing.

 

[Unqualified]

We have a handout dinner for anybody twice a week even during this unfortunate time. As far as personal evangelism I don’t see any opportunities. I don’t want to pick up hitch hikers any more and I don’t see any. At the dinner people just want their food. I know they need encouragement but with social distancing and masks it’s hard. There is only time for a God bless you but that has gotten old. I’m supposed to reach out... but how? Any ideas?

 

[ThisIsLoveUK]

Maybe ask those coming for the handout dinner if they have any prayer needs, as they're given their meal? As you say, most will just want their food, but perhaps one or two might want (Covid-safe) prayer, which might lead on to their wanting a relationship with Jesus for themselves...?

 

[Lg2000]

It's really hard right now with the lockdowns. My church has lot a few members due to the rona. We do Monday night open word reading via zoom and prayer meetings via zoom but as far as outreaching I don't see any of it right now.

 

[Jesse Dornfeld]

1. We are the salt of the earth.
2. Hide it under a bushel? No!

 

[ThisIsLoveUK]

Hi @Lg2000. @True Counterphobia's right: you're the salt of the earth right there in your neighbourhood and wherever you go. And you're the light of the world, too, during these dark times. So even if it's just an encouraging, Spirit-filled text to a neighbour or work colleague who doesn't yet know Christ, that might make all the difference in the world - and more importantly, in eternity!

 

[rebornfree]

Hi Leveche5, and all my brothers and sisters around the world!
My church has always streamed its services online at the same time as in-the-building, so it was relatively easy to be just online when the church had to be closed. In fact, our senior pastor and his wife made themselves available online every morning, to pray for people, which I know a lot people found really reassuring.
On a personal level, I wrote a Gospel play for women in prison some years back, and had the privilege of performing it for women here and abroad. And now that I'm shielding (staying at home with my mother, who is elderly), I'm turning the play into very short, very simple YouTube word-videos, to hopefully reach people online! The first video is about the woman caught in adultery (John 8:2-11) and if anyone wants to watch it (

), I'd value your feedback!
Several of my non-Christian neighbours and friends have watched it and responded very positively, but none have given their lives to Christ yet. I'm hoping that seeds have been sown in their hearts which will bear fruit in God's perfect timing.

I thought it was very good ThisIsLove: just about the right length, Biblical and neatly presented. I also like the fact that you concentrated on the love of God and that it kept to the Biblical account and didn't start preaching at people about what they should and shouldn't do. (I used the word "at" deliberately - I hate heavy-handed evangelism and love messages which engage people and help them to think.) I was wondering whether it would be worth ending on a scripture, such as John 3 v 16, but maybe it is better as it is. It's sown a seed of thought leaving it open for them to take the next step.

I'm glad that your non-Christian contacts enjoyed it. I agree about God's perfect timing. I continue to witness to my neighbours, and feel a bit frustrated when they don't respond to the gospel, although they like me praying for them, but we can't force it. The seeds are being sown. Mark 6 v 26-29 is very encouraging.

 

[ThisIsLoveUK]

Thanks very much, @rebornfree. Yes, adding John 3:16 at the end will be good. I watched a brilliant lecture on digital evangelism last week in which we were told always to put a "call to action" at the end of videos, so I'll include John 3:16 and some kind of call to action at the end of Scene 2, which, by God's grace, I'll begin next week!

 

[David Hunter]

We meet in person, but follow the social distancing guidelines and people wear masks. Most people watch our Livestream Broadcast. Small groups can meet in person or online, whatever the group is comfortable with. For evangelizing, I still pass out tracts, etc.

 

[rebornfree]

Thanks very much, @rebornfree. Yes, adding John 3:16 at the end will be good. I watched a brilliant lecture on digital evangelism last week in which we were told always to put a "call to action" at the end of videos, so I'll include John 3:16 and some kind of call to action at the end of Scene 2, which, by God's grace, I'll begin next week!

You're very welcome ThisIsLoveUK. I hope you find the right "call to action" to end the video.

 

[ThisIsLoveUK]

I hope everyone's bearing up in this continuing trial. Thank goodness His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
I'm still looking for ways to share my Gospel videos to many more people (all tips gratefully received!), and have just found some evangelism tips/resources that you may find interesting/useful:

ARTICLE: "Being Salt and Light in Isolation" 17 March 2020
Being Salt and Light in Isolation - News - 10ofThose.com

LINKS: "Useful resources | Evangelism in lockdown" 27 March 2020
https://www.ceministries.org/Articles/57110/Blog/Evangelism_in_lockdown_how_to.aspx

ANIMATION: "What is Christianity? | New Animation" 12 February 2021
https://www.ceministries.org/Articles/602305
/Blog/What_is_Christianity_New_Animation.aspx

Hope some of these are helpful. Ok - on with my search!

 

[Inhocsigno]

We meet in person, but follow the social distancing guidelines and people wear masks. Most people watch our Livestream Broadcast. Small groups can meet in person or online, whatever the group is comfortable with. For evangelizing, I still pass out tracts, etc.

This is also how we've been doing it for most part, though with increasing shift online for logistics anyway with ministers spread internationally. We'd been making moves to try more in-person meetings recently, but put that on hold when members in a couple of our groups got dangerously sick with COVID despite getting the vaccine, apparently some of the new strains are resistant or the immunity just falls off after a few weeks, no one's really sure yet. One of our Web broadcast and simulcast gurus with experience in assisting the digital church services helped get us set up with livestreams, and both Zoom and Tiktok wound up being a great help to disseminate tracts and record little vignettes to coordinate our efforts. It can be helpful to have little small-group orientation sessions first, starting with simple things like broadcasting sermons and Bible study, so that members can get a better feel for how to interact productively in the larger online meetings.

 

[ThisIsLoveUK]

This is also how we've been doing it for most part, though with increasing shift online for logistics anyway with ministers spread internationally. We'd been making moves to try more in-person meetings recently, but put that on hold when members in a couple of our groups got dangerously sick with COVID despite getting the vaccine, apparently some of the new strains are resistant or the immunity just falls off after a few weeks, no one's really sure yet. One of our Web broadcast and simulcast gurus with experience in assisting the digital church services helped get us set up with livestreams, and both Zoom and Tiktok wound up being a great help to disseminate tracts and record little vignettes to coordinate our efforts. It can be helpful to have little small-group orientation sessions first, starting with simple things like broadcasting sermons and Bible study, so that members can get a better feel for how to interact productively in the larger online meetings.

This is great @Inhocsigno. Thanks!

 

[ThisIsLoveUK]

And here are some more digital evangelism resources. Including info on digital mission trips and online mission stations - amazing!

 

[mike_inc]

Hello,

I'm wondering what your christian friends, or your church does to reach people during the covid situation? Especially where any organized meeting is prohibited. I'm curious to see if anyone found ways to connect or had great ideas.

At the Church Of Christ, we continue to propagate our faith in places where gatherings are still prohibited or limited. We do so by means of worship services and bible studies on Webex! It's been quite effective, with new faces showing up daily to hear the Good News, and get any questions they have answered straight from the Bible. If ever you are interested in joining a bible study or just curious, let me know