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We are 29 weeks into our COVID journey and there are some data points that are solidifying. Notice the following:•Church Attendance Pre-COVID – 52% lower; 32% equal; 17%increasing•Giving Pre-COVID – 27% dn.; 56% same; 17% increased•Projected Overall Post-COVID – 51% decrease; 27% same; 17% growth
What can be stated about these data points? While growth is occurring it is not as a rapid as pre-COVID days. Many churches have plateaued sooner and more suddenly; Struggling churches are experiencing a more rapid decline likened unto a death spiral.
It is now being projected that 1-6 churches are expected to close their doors in the next 18 months.
Consider also that 65% of churches are open now with pre-cautions in place. This data point does not mean these churches are meeting weekly. In fact 54% of churches are offering weekly service on campus. 13% of churches have concluded they will wait until 2021 to fully re-open. That said there seems to be a move to fully re-open during the Christmas season. This number will most likely change. It is also interesting to note that now generally speaking churches have lost trust in their elected officials’ ability to remain as the NorthStar on how a church should operate and when.
The Mental Health issues cannot be overlooked or overstated as a key concern during this COVID shutdown. The health of you and a leader and the health of your staff pastors will determine the health of you church. There is a lot a stake to simply ignore this issue.
There are encouraging signs on the horizon for the church. There is a growing need for “Spiritual Transcendency” coupled with a need for smaller group settings. The “micro-church” is an idea come of age. The micro-church concept is more about the house-church or smaller congregation church size. Smaller yet functioning as a church.
Currently there are three basic groups of people engaging with church. The traffic light motif is used to describe them.
The Traffic Light motif gives us a way to describe what will become innovation for churches. “Fluidity” will most likely become the popular way of describing how churches function and connect with people who call your church home! In other words there will be people attending live services, or attending watch parties with discussions on how to apply the sermon that day, or stay at home and watch the service online. People will flow in and out of these versions of participating in church post-COVID.
The key is in developing a multiplication mindset – “We are glad you joined our church and we cannot wait to see you leave and start a new work with other people!” It is a celebration of multiplying. The mantra is; Growing churches of the future will engage a multiplication capacity instead of a seating capacity!
Instead of cursing the darkness of what has been lost – speak to the light of what we get to do!
Churches that have already embraced the Multiplication Capacity thinking are experiencing what I would call a modern day revival!
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Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!
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