Articles for tag: Pandemic

June 14, 2020

Alan Scott

Open for Business . . . No Laughing Matter?

By Alan Scott In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis in April, I met a good friend at a restaurant because we could. We needed to. But nobody else was there. I felt fear and dread still creeping through the streets as I trekked toward our favorite eatery. A masked host seated us at properly distanced chairs outside on a patio. Apparently, innumerable state restrictions allowed restaurants to open, but with all the fun taken out. It was weird. But sitting outside in the warm sun and laughing wasn’t weird. I thought of Paul’s great theological words, “Rejoice in the

June 3, 2020

Christian Standard

Northeast Organizes 200-plus ‘Campuses’ as Restrictions Ease

By Chris Moon Louisville’s Northeast Christian Church seized the opportunity. With Kentucky loosening pandemic restrictions slightly, the church quickly organized more than 200 “watch parties”—some would call them 200 new “campuses”—to tune into the church’s worship services this past Sunday. Church members gathered groups of no more than 10 people in homes to worship, pray, and listen to the Sunday sermon. And it certainly was a fitting occasion, since Sunday was Pentecost. “We were just trying to help people look at weekend services a little differently given the state we were in,” said David McKinley, director of marketing and communications

May 27, 2020

Christian Standard

COVID-19 Causing Children’s Minister to ‘Rethink Everything’

By Chris Moon In her 20 years in children’s ministry at Fairview Christian Church in Carthage, Mo., Angie Fewin has never seen anything like COVID-19 and the effects it has had on the local church. “We’ve had to rethink everything,” she said. Just as senior pastors and church elders across the country have been working out how to reestablish in-person worship services as government stay-at-home orders are lifting, so children’s ministers are trying to figure out how to return their ministries to some semblance of normal—or at least to a new normal. And there’s no time to lose. Summer—the highlight

April 29, 2020

Christian Standard

Ministers Sharing Knowledge Amid COVID-19 Outbreak (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon The Intentional Churches website is a good source of helpful information on various strategies and initiatives churches are employing during the COVID-19 crisis. Video discussions featuring ministers from across the country are being posted about every week at the IC website. Here’s a sampling of thoughts from the April 17 conference: “We’re taking our . . . folks who worked in the lobby as greeters . . . and inviting them to be online greeters. . . . Not giving them a lot of moderating responsibilities, but really just looking to reengage them

April 28, 2020

Christian Standard

COVID-19: Guidelines for Closing and Reopening the Church

Editor’s Note: This article was written for and will appear in our July issue, which will deal with politics and the church. We’ve decided the article will most benefit our readers now, however. We hope it helps you wisely plan as you make significant decisions over the next several weeks and months. _ _ _ By Rusty Russell Should we have canceled church during the COVID-19 pandemic? What if churches reopen, the virus rebounds, and we are asked to cancel again? What if there’s a less serious pandemic in the future? Will we be asked to cancel the next time

April 22, 2020

Christian Standard

Church Giving Seems to Stabilize after Rough Start to COVID-19 Closures

We spoke with ministers of churches large and small in several states about how their church finances have been impacted by COVID-19 and the resulting stay-at-home orders. The sampling size is small—five ministers—but most report improved giving after a rough first couple of weeks. _ _ _ By Chris Moon When asked about church finances during the COVID-19 pandemic, pastor Vince Antonucci had a quick answer. “It’s scary,” he said. The lead pastor of Verve Church in Las Vegas—which averaged 285 people in attendance before the shutdown—is in a city that’s been particularly hard hit because of the outbreak. The

April 21, 2020

Christian Standard

“We’re Going to Come Out of This Stronger”

By Jim Nieman A small, country church in South Dakota is doing its best to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the minister is convinced, “We’re going to come out of this stronger.” Preston Christian Church in Bruce, S.D., has adopted the same strategy as many other churches across the country by incorporating a drive-in service in their parking lot on Sunday mornings. A difference is that Preston Christian has been worshipping with their sister church, Brookings (S.D.) Christian Church, which is located about 20 miles away, the last three Sundays. PCC minister Tim Smith and BCC minister

April 20, 2020

Stuart Powell

Gatherings

By Stuart Powell When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:14-16). Jesus’ apostles gathered in the large upper room of a house in Jerusalem (vv. 11, 12) to celebrate the Passover meal, the seder, together. They were there because of the one leading the meal, their rabbi from Galilee. As each course of food was eaten, those

April 8, 2020

Christian Standard

Christian College Presidents Describe Challenges, Possible Long-Term Ramifications of COVID-19

By Chris Moon In his 24 years at Ozark Christian College—10 as a professor and 14 now as president—Matt Proctor has never experienced a spring semester like this one. “We’re all learning,” he said. The university in Joplin, Mo., just finished its first week of being an online-only school amid the campus closures that have affected colleges across the nation during the coronavirus pandemic. Proctor said things haven’t been easy, but they haven’t been overwhelming, either. “I am blessed with an amazing team,” he said. “I have been able to see our team at Ozark just rally together and do

April 2, 2020

Christian Standard

Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19: “Our Ministry, Especially, Has Been Smitten”

With coronavirus, or COVID-19, continuing to infect and kill people in the United States and around the world, we thought it an appropriate time to reflect on the 1918-19 influenza pandemic that caused at least 50 million deaths worldwide, with about 675,000 occurring in the United States. Last week we shared a Christian Standard editorial from Nov. 2, 1918 (click here to read it). This week we opt for a somber editorial from January 4, 1919. (By the way, in our last column we reported there had been 475,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide resulting in more than 21,000 deaths. As

April 1, 2020

Christian Standard

‘We Don’t Have to Be Paralyzed in Fear’ (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Fox59 News in Indianapolis interviewed John Dickerson, lead pastor with Connection Pointe Christian Church, Brownsburg, Ind., about “ways to keep faith during the [coronavirus] pandemic.” “What you focus on becomes much bigger,” Dickerson said, using the above photo as an example. (Rest assured, the Eiffel Tower really is bigger than the man’s hand). “The reality is if we focus just on the virus and our fears and our anxiety and the economy,” Dickerson said, “if we focus only on those negative things—we do have to be aware of them—but if we fully focus

March 30, 2020

Christian Standard

Christian Universities Switch to Online Instruction

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused our Christian colleges and universities to switch from in-person learning to various forms of Internet instruction or “distance delivery.” Here is a listing of the colleges with very brief explanations of what each has done and links for more information: Alberta Bible College (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)—Campus is closed until further notice. Classes are running on their normal schedule, but now remotely, via Zoom. More information Boise Bible College (Boise, Idaho)—Boise Bible College has scaled back to critical services only. All students were to move out of residential housing by Saturday, March 28. Classes will

March 28, 2020

Christian Standard

Churches Make Easter Plans in Age of Social Distancing

By Chris Moon As worship life continues to change because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Restoration Movement churches now are faced with putting together one of the most significant worship services of the year—Easter Sunday, April 12. Some churches are letting the online-only worship experience drive their creativity. Others are carefully modifying their long-held Easter traditions to accommodate this time of social distancing (a relatively new but suddenly pervasive term for encouraging people to deliberately increase the space between one another to avoid spreading the virus). Journey Christian Church in Greeley, Colo., is planning a 30-minute Easter video production that

March 27, 2020

Christian Standard

Staff Member at Milligan Tests Positive for COVID-19

An unidentified female staff member at Milligan College in Tennessee has tested positive for COVID-19, the school learned Thursday. The individual, who works in Milligan’s business office, was last on campus March 20. She is “doing well,” Milligan reported earlier today. This is the first confirmed case of COVID-19 directly related to the Milligan community, the school said. As of Thursday, there were 957 cases of COVID-19, or coronavirus, in Tennessee. Milligan has not had on-campus courses since March 6, when spring break started. After spring break was extended by one week, as many staff as possible began working remotely

March 26, 2020

Christian Standard

Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19: "An Epidemic, Sweeping and Terrible"

Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has quickly spread around the world and across the United States. As of early this morning, there were 475,000 confirmed cases worldwide resulting in more than 21,000 deaths. Hospitals are overwhelmed and hundreds of millions of people have been advised to stay in their homes. Many are comparing today’s health crisis with the 1918 influenza outbreak—commonly called the “Spanish flu” at the time—which was the most severe pandemic in recent history, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At its website, the CDC writes of that flu pandemic: “Although there is not universal consensus regarding

March 25, 2020

Christian Standard

Churches Gain Attention for Adapting to COVID-19 Challenges

Numerous Christian churches were featured in newspaper stories the past few days for how they are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. Most of the news stories noted that the churches are not meeting in-person but are coping by sharing their worship services via the Internet. Here are some of the churches that were featured: Odon (Ind.) Christian Church (featured in the Times-Herald)—”With the restrictions, we are going to be doing our services online only,” noted pastor Micah Stephen. “Easter time we usually get much larger numbers into the church. We are kind of putting things on hold and trying to

March 24, 2020

Christian Standard

E91 Helping Members Live by Faith, Connect with God

East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis is closed until further notice, but it is continuing to serve in both expected and unexpected ways. “At times like these, we have a choice,” associate minister David Faust told theindychannel.com. “Do we live by fear, or do we live by faith? We’re choosing to live by faith.” In addition to livestreaming a Sunday morning worship service, church volunteers offered prayers for individuals in cars during a drive-through Communion kit distribution at the church’s main entrance on Saturday morning. The church has also helped produce the first of several planned devotional videos geared

March 21, 2020

Christian Standard

TSF Helping Ministers, Churches During Uncertain Times

By Jim Nieman The Solomon Foundation has begun hosting weekly Zoom meetings to help connect, encourage, and resource ministers across the country during these uncertain times. Doug Crozier, CEO of the church extension fund that works with Christian churches and churches of Christ, said TSF is seeking to be proactive during the COVID-19 outbreak and related financial unease by reminding ministry leaders that God remains in control. To that end, TSF connected with almost 120 ministers and/or ministry team callers during the first weekly Zoom meeting it hosted this past Tuesday morning. Among the speakers were former Christian college president

March 20, 2020

Christian Standard

A Megachurch Pastor's Letter to His Congregation

Editor’s Note: Jeff Vines, lead pastor of ONE&ALL Church in San Dimas, Calif., shared these thoughts concerning the COVID-19 outbreak with his church. With his permission, we have decided to share it with our readers. _ _ _ By Jeff Vines I love my church, although ONE&ALL church does not belong to me. I love the people who attend, the staff who diligently make this engine run, and the executive team and elders who give so much of themselves to the cause of Christ. During this coronavirus pandemic, our leaders and servants have stepped up to lead and serve. I’m

March 18, 2020

Christian Standard

Christian Universities Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic (UPDATED)

(This article was updated on Wednesday morning, March 18.) Johnson University is suspending face-to-face classroom instruction for one month. Hope International University has tacked on an additional week of spring break. Great Lakes Christian College will be teaching all classes remotely from March 16 through April 3. And Milligan College is extending its current spring break until March 20 and transitioning to online classes through April 5. These are just a few of the actions Christian universities have announced in response to the COVID-19 (or coronavirus) pandemic. Several of these announcements have been issued just today. Below are short excerpts

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