Surviving the ‘New Normal’

Recently I heard someone say that the most useless Christmas gift in 2019 was a 2020 calendar planner. For those who scheduled graduations, weddings, overseas trips, and family reunions, it was a year of erased calendar entries. Who could have predicted such an upside-down and disorienting year? Global in its reach, the pandemic left many people frustrated, afraid, isolated, and angry as our governments and medical researchers scrambled to discover and distribute effective vaccines. Unlike previous crises in our history, we did not rush together for comfort and crowd into places of worship for solace. This time we were forced to retreat to our private corners, separated from family, friends and church.

Now we are just beginning to view this pandemic in our rear-view mirror, emerging gingerly and tentatively into the light as if from a bomb shelter after a blitzkrieg raid. So, what is this new post-pandemic world? Is the new normal simply going back to the commonplace of pre-pandemic 2019, merely pushing “play” on the life recorder that has been paused for over a year? I think not.

Life does not move backward. We cannot go “back to normal”; we move forward into a new normal.

So how has this pandemic shaped the Church in America? What have we learned and what are we continuing to learn through this crisis? Here are a few common factors across the landscape of the Christian Church as to how it has struggled, survived, or thrived:

• About one-third of churches experienced a significant financial downturn in 2020. This includes those with large congregations who worked in the industries most devastated by the pandemic, those with few resources and less margin (both staff and dollars) to adjust to online worship, electronic giving, and communication, and those already struggling with disunity, loss of vision, or leadership transition.

• About one-third of churches roughly held their own financially, ending the year without significant cuts in their budget due to reduced ministry and mission expenditures.

• One-third of American churches saw a significant increase in giving, in attendance (including online), and in ministry impact. They tended to be larger, having more congregants enjoying retirement and appreciated assets, were led by capable and entrepreneur-spirited staff and lay leaders, and moved quickly to use the latest technological tools. Through their clear sense of mission and outreach, they could continue to give themselves away instead of just hanging on until the crisis was past. As a result, these churches saw a dramatic increase in giving, and great multiplication of their impact as new visitors used their digital presence to get connected.

Going forward, how will ministry be different? Here are some patterns and trends that are emerging:

• Thriving churches will continue to invest in and utilize technology to connect them to a much wider worshiping congregation; serve as a resource for small groups and discipleship-building studies and training; engage people in online giving; and communicate their vision.

• The ability of pastors to cast a clear and compelling vision and purpose for their congregation will be even more crucial than ever. The Church must be seen as a dramatic force for good in its community, with a local as well as a global sense of mission that is supported both by significant dollars and volunteer hours.

• For churches to thrive, they must remain nimble in their administrative structure, adventurous and creative in their ministry adaptations, and maintain their commitment to the timeless truth of Scripture AND their commitment to being engaged and relevant in the ever-changing culture around them.

• Every church has its own fingerprint that should shape its worship, fellowship, outreach, and discipleship. The more a church can define and celebrate their unique calling and personality, the more likely it will thrive.

by Pastor Allen Walworth