Churches are A-Zooming!

What might we be willing to change now, and as we, hopefully, move towards the relaxation of ‘lockdown’?

Where as previously ministers, pastors, call them what you will, were possibly seen up in their pulpits on a Sunday and preaching the good word. These days they are televangelists!

Heidi Campbell makes some excellent comments about this move from the ‘building focussed approach’ to the digital media format for churches.

She speaks of 6 key features which may need to be actively considered as we reflect upon ‘coming out of lockdown’ and back to normality…(do we need to re-define normality now?)

We need to be relational not focusing upon sharing information. The possibly stereotypical one-to-many didactic approach may work in schools but even there things have changed. As a secondary school teacher I quickly realise that pupils sitting in serried rows could only relate with you and neighbouring pupils. However, when they sat in tables of four or six, they had many more people to talk with, share their understanding. And it worked!

It’s not one way, but two-way, or even far more complex than that!

We are not merely digital con-sumers but also pro-sumers : producers and co-constructors.

Hope-Storytelling in the Age of Corona: How Pastors Foster the Community of Faith
Ilona Nord and Swantje Luthe, p. 68.

Hence we need to offer care and encouragement as we strive to be a community.

People are valued, and know that they are appreciated for their views, if we allow them to participate. And that’s more than reading the Bible or saying a written prayer. What could we invite people to do, to participate in the service?

What are we prepared to ‘let go’ and ‘enable others’?

This participatory focus means that people are connected, not only to the ‘church’ but to everyone. This is a movement not a organisational body: likely to change as people journey through life, live in different places etc. It’s radical, making those that lead services vulnerable to everything…can we? …will we?

A key feature which is that there could be safe ‘intimate’ conversation. This could be problematic, especially with safeguarding but certainly one which could be achieved. Could it?

The online provision could offer ‘Fellowship’ with those of a shared faith. We may wish to consider what this shared faith might include, for many ‘viewers’ of our output can now be by those who have never been to ‘church’ for some time. How might we continue that fellowship, that building of community, outside of what is ‘normally’ deemed as church?

Might we have a very inclusive ‘church’ then?

What might we be willing to change now, and as we, hopefully, move towards the relaxation of ‘lockdown’?