Covid and the church

When I was editing my book Is Your Church Ready for Ministry in the Coming Decade? Covid seemed to be slowing down and things appeared to be returning to a new normal. The number of new cases had dropped way down, many were getting the vaccine, mask mandates were being dropped in most places. Churches reported that people were starting to return to worship services. I didn't address Covid in the book because I mistakenly thought it would not be one of the major challenges churches would need to face. Obviously, I was premature in that assessment. The numbers are back up, a new variant strain is causing havoc, hospitals in many cities are reporting shortages of beds and Covid is back in the news.

I'm sure many churches will begin to reassess their ministries for the coming months to see what impact Covid will have on those ministries. We must be wise in the decisions we make, and we should not expect a one-size fits all response to the choices we make. It will be important to factor in at least two considerations: the well-being of our current congregations and the ministry needs of our communities. An important task of church leaders is to decide how much weight to give to each consideration.

 One of the chapters in my book addresses how the church ministers to the mental health needs of its congregants and communities. Another chapter addresses the suicide problem in our nation. As we saw in the previous response to Covid where so many people were isolated from one another, the mental health of many were negatively impacted by that isolation. I suppose it is also possible that the isolation resulted in some people taking their lives. If we go into another lockdown, it will be important to remember the mental health needs that some will have.

Even if we do not have a lockdown, those impacted by Covid may struggled emotionally and mentally. I know one mother who has been largely isolated from her family for over two weeks, and she has shared with me how emotionally difficult that has been. Texting and calling people has given her some release, but it has been a very challenging time for her. Many of our churches will have people similarly impacted, and we must be aware of them and continue to minister to them.

Addressing the mental health issues affecting so many people makes up just one chapter in this eBook. Other chapters speak to other ministry needs that are growing greater as we continue into the 21st century. I've written the book to give church leaders insights to how prevalent these problems are and some possible ways to respond to them. I hope you'll check out the book and consider adding it to your library.