Healing the hearts of those around us

Much has been written in recent weeks about how the shutdown will impact the economy of our nation and its impact on churches. In most areas of the country, churches have not been able to physically meet for worship for the past few weeks. Many have broadcast their worship and sermons through social media sites while others, many smaller churches, have shut down until this is over. It's been a trying time for churches of all sizes as they have scrambled to get the technology and expertise needed to put their services on social media. Those who were unable or unwilling to make this change is hoping that things will get back to "normal" soon.

If by normal they mean doing the things they've been doing I'm afraid they are in for a shock. What they had been doing wasn't working then, and it will work even less post-pandemic. Brighter people than me are looking at how these recent events will change the church, but I think most of us feel that things will indeed change.

I'm not talking about adding more technology, although that might happen for many churches. What I'm talking about goes deeper than finding ways to get people attend church services, either in person or over social media. I'm talking about how the church will go about bringing healing to broken hearts and lives.

We've been unable to hold public worship services for a few weeks, and some churches have gone nuts. A few have disobeyed the recommendations and held services any way. There are now lawsuits against some governors and mayors for banning public worship services while they allowed customers to go into big box stores, liquor stores and abortion centers. I think some of these public officials did overstep their authority, and I'm glad to see them held accountable. The freedom to worship is a part of our constitution and cannot be ignored just because someone makes a decision to do so. We do need to be very careful that this pandemic does not cause us to lose more of our freedoms like 9/11 did.

Having said that, I am reminded that in many places churches have been banned from meeting for decades.  Most people agree that in such areas the church is growing. They are not growing because their leaders have mastered the "10 Principles of a Growing Church." They are growing because they are touching the hearts and lives of the people around them.

I think one of the things that will happen to the future church is that we are going to move from a Church Growth Model with all its formulas to promote larger churches to a healing model where the church is reaching out to a hurting and confused world. We often talk about servant leadership, but the emphasis has often been on leadership. I think the emphasis is going to shift to servant. I sit here in my study and look at two bookshelves filled with books on church leadership and management, and I have a feeling that these books are now obsolete as we move into a new world of church ministry.

This will be a world of healing, not strategies. It will be a world in which we offer hope to people, not 10 things they can do to improve their lives. It will be a world where the church extends grace to people, not condemnation. Instead of the church planning how to get more people in the building, we will be planning on how to equip people for when they leave the building. I see the church as a place where missionaries are raised up, not to go into other countries but to go into their own communities to bring healing to hurting people. The first century church had nothing to offer people but Jesus, and they found He was enough. Today's church will find out the same thing.

If your church is sitting back waiting for things to return to "normal," you may find you will be waiting for a long time. I have the sense that God is about to do a new thing, and He will do it with those churches that share His vision for healing those whose lives have been broken. After all, these are the ones for whom His Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life.