In this time of uncertainty, we all are struggling with how to move forward with ministry. Most are coming up with creative ways to live out the call to love the world and share the Good News of Jesus Christ. You are all to be commended in your adaptation to providing online worship experiences, devotions, Bible studies and meetings in a relatively short period of time.
Your innovation and resilience is remarkable. And it’s paying off. Congregations across our synod, across the ELCA, and denominations of every sort everywhere are reporting more views and attendance for online encounters than in-person participation in faith communities ever reaped. Perhaps
o
ne of the most impactful things to happen to the Christian faith since the printing press is the internet.
Thirty years ago, we didn’t have instant access to more religious texts than we could possibly read in a lifetime. We weren’t able to connect with like-minded, or more importantly, not-so-like-minded people from across the world. We weren’t exposed to a variety of worship services all in the same day – or better yet, on our own time, when it was convenient in our busy schedules to watch them from the comforts of home. We were instead limited to our immediate communities and only the beliefs and attitudes that happened to be expressed locally. But the door is wide open now. I believe the internet has been a real gift to the church, especially when it comes to social media. While we can do an awful lot of damage online, social media also gives us just as much potential to do good. Especially in regard to those who are not necessarily members of any of our congregations but who are simply looking for a word of hope and comfort.
The COVID-19 virus has led us to think about the internet as a tool for the church to use as a new way for evangelism – a way to reach out with the love of God in Christ Jesus – a way to form new community and a place of belonging – a safe place where questions of faith can be asked and wrestled with. While many are wondering what the church will look like post-virus and are ready to adopt new online ways of gathering, many are also pining for the return of what the church was like before we were ordered to stay at home. It’s safe to say that there will be a little of each scenario incorporated into what is to come. As most of us have heard it said before, it’s never easy to go back. One friend of mine has also said, “Jesus doesn’t call us to “wait it out”. We are called to be in meaningful relationship with God, with one another and with the world around us NOW!”
Everyone’s world has changed radically with the onset of the global crisis. And it will likely change even more in the weeks and months ahead. But let me ask you a question: how often do you need hope, encouragement and connection? In a world that may seem like it’s falling apart, the mission of God feels more
relevant
today than it felt just a few months ago. The
methods
might change weekly – but we know that the mission is the same. This has been a creative time where congregational leaders are being called to focus on what is possible, not so much on what we’ve lost or what we used to do. In these early days of this crisis I’ve seen church leaders:
Launch a daily podcast and devotions to connect with their church
- Start YouTube channels
- Get active on Instagram
- Take email and phone calling way more seriously
- Do live worship services and meetings on Zoom
- Leverage Facebook Live, Watch Parties and Groups
And I’m sure there are many more examples of your arduous work at keeping folks connected. All of this is commendable – it really is. But I’m wondering about taking next steps, especially in light of the notion that many who are not currently a part of a faith community are joining in and viewing your efforts. The ELCA Young Adult Ministry Team is also wondering this. In fact, they have begun a new online community for young people called ABIDE. This is what their Facebook site says, “In this time of uncertainty, we are inviting young adults ages 18-35 to gather online with small groups to build community and talk about what it means to abide in this moment. We believe that physical distancing is vital for the good of our neighbor, but our call is still to community - to support one another, pray with one another, rejoice and lament with one another.” They are currently organizing folks into small groups with one small-group leader who convenes groups online. This ministry started less than a month ago and there are already over 550 young adults engaged in small groups.
Many churches used social media prior to the virus, but primarily as a bulletin board. Social media was rarely used to reach out with intentional evangelism. It was to announce events and activities. But now, during this time, innovation has created the inspiration to use social media resources as a dialogue. The potential of online ministry is to engage others and let them know they are being heard. It’s less about sharing when the next potluck is, and more about asking questions and engaging others. Online ministry is about getting push back. That’s a sign of health. When people want to engage what was said, it means they heard it first. Maybe it’s tough to imagine how relationships can be fostered online, but there are generations who use the internet like breathing. It’s a natural part of their life. They would totally be able to meet community and God online. Persons in online groups who might never see other in the flesh can still communicate and thus make a community. There’s a culture to the internet, and we should treat it like missionary work - I’m talking evangelism under its current definition: Find how God is already present and show the people.
We live in a fractured world, where we’ve isolated ourselves from differing points of view. It’s way too easy to disengage and move on, but many times it’s just people who see things a little different than us that can really engage us. Seeing those differing voices come together, and find ground they can both stand on, is God in practice. It can’t happen in a church. And it can happen online too. I think we’re being offered a time to help others learn about their faith, to spread it authentically, to make themselves available for the good of others in a Christ-like way.
Let’s keep thinking about this new potential for online community as a way to reach people, new people, with the Gospel of Christ Jesus. If you’re interested in further conversation about creating such a new community, send me an email:
amy.odgren@nemnsynod.org
.
