Responding to a disruptive pandemic

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and 

wept when we remembered Zion 

Psalm 137:1

To better understand and respond to the disruption to society that the Coronavirus has created we can turn to the Bible and study the Babylonian Captivity.

It was the end of worship as they knew it. The Temple was destroyed and the Jews were exiled to Babylon. No more sacrifices at the Temple; the Priests and Levites were left without jobs. It was no longer business as usual but God's people adapted.

Synagogues were organized for prayer and teaching of the Scriptures. The Scriptures became the authoritative and central to worship. They were transcribed using the Hebrew alphabet we know today and men were taught to read it. Scribes and scholars (teacher of the Law) emerged as leaders. When a remnant returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple, the majority remained scattered around the world.

God used these events to shape the world into Jesus which was born. Jews who were able to read the Scriptures were scattered throughout the known world and gathered in synagogues. In Luke 4:16 we read, “He [Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read.”

Paul would go from synagogue to synagogue preaching the gospel. In Acts 17:11 we learn, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

This terrible disruption in the nation of Israel prepared a people who were living in darkness to see a great light. Is the disruption we are experiencing now preparing us for a great movement of God. Is this the beginning or a warning to prepare.

The church has made use of new technologies as they have arrived including printing, radio, telephone, TV, cable, computers and the internet. Technology is moving faster than ever but churches are adapting unevenly. This month churches are using a variety of methods to hold worship services. While the quick action is remarkable, it is possible that the answer goes beyond moving our worship online.

One of the Seven Trends for Churches in 2020 reported by church consultant and author, Thom Rainer, is that worship service size preference is shrinking, Gone are the days of large worship venues. The preferred number is 300 and existing large venues may experience financial strain in the next few decades.

Also, it seems that many people prefer to worship at a time other than Sunday at 11 o'clock. People want options. In the near future, large churches will offer multiple services in smaller sanctuaries.

Baptist Temple has been ahead of the curve with these trends, offering seven worship opportunities on Sunday for groups ranging in size from 150 to 15. During the week an elementary/middle school and an early learning center use our facilities along with numerous service organizations. We have become a vital hub to our community by ministering to both spiritual and physical needs and, by sharing our facilities, we have multiplied ministry while dividing costs.

The world has changed and we need to be prayerfully preparing our next steps. Even if things were to return to they way we were before, we cannot ignore what God has revealed.

God, Change, and Baptist Temple

Guest blog by Kay Richardson

In 1993 I went on a youth mission trip as an adult sponsor to Washington DC. The church we stayed at and ministered to was very different than the Baptist Temple Church at that time. They had different groups worshiping at different times, they fed the community, they had a clothes closet, the homeless slept around the building. Little did I know that experience would prepare me for what Baptist Temple’s mission is today.

In the past few years, members of BTC have experienced a lot of change. Five different churches rent space and worship on our campus. Some of our activities and times of worship include those churches on our campus. VBS is now a campus-wide/community event. Our gym is rented nightly by different sports organizations. In recent days, a funeral planning service has set up an office area and added their signs to our building. We now have solar panels all across our roof.

Through these different churches and organizations, God has blessed us financially along with the tithes and gifts from our own members. And because of that, we can continue to minister to our members and to the community!

 

The BTC of 2018 is very different from the BTC of years gone by. We can either lament what was, or we can rejoice in what is and is to come! I believe God wants us to embrace the times of change. Look around—God is at work in many different ways!

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Don't fear change

Neighborhoods change faster than the churches within their borders can adapt. Empty pews and a lighter offering plate lead to the congregation's demand that “something” be done. At the same time, churches, like all organizations, resist change. So, a tug of war begins between the fear too little change (reflected in the loss of members) and too much change (something of value is lost.) Conflict is unavoidable when a church faces change.

The awareness that things are not the way they were or could be brings pain. This pain must be processed if the church is to become healthier through positive, lasting change. Encourage dialog and position disagreements as different approaches to common goals. Listen to the fear and complaining. Do not try to win people over with a positive vision of a preferred vision.

Listening does not mean agreement. People will need understanding as they cope with their feelings of loss and fear of the unknown. Emotional language will dominate conversations during this time.

Although leaders may have already processed their feelings, it's important not to run ahead of the church. Wait for church members to catch up. Otherwise, a toxic atmosphere will be created that will have a negative impact on the church's witness.

A period of celebrating the past and understanding the church's initial vision can be followed by a time of quiet reflection. This can bring healing.

Discovering the neighborhood's needs and assets can be an exercise in doing “something” that is productive without making any changes. This time of analysis can be a wilderness experience of empty space where something new and wonderful emerges. We encounter God in the wilderness. 

To every thing there is a season, 

and a time to every purpose under the heaven

Ecclesiastes 3:1

How important is your name?

The Bible teaches, “A good name is more desirable than great riches. (Proverbs 22:1)”

Parents will carefully choose a child's name. It is usually the first important decision they make about their child. Businesses will hire the best marketing firm they can afford to name a new product line; one that will make their product fly off the shelf. New church starts are as concerned about finding the right name as prospective parents and big corporations. They try to find a name that says something about their church and will attract people to it.

Often a number of churches will select similar or identical names. This indicates either a movement of the Holy Spirit or a human tendency to follow popular fads. The fact that some churches with hip names survive and others fail, is a sign that there is more to a church than a name.

It is popular today remove a church's denominational label from it's name. Some view their denominational identity as a liability but, rather than withdrawing, they remain in the denomination and pull a religious bait and switch.

Despite the popularity of some very large non-denominational churches, the fact is that most people who attend church regularly do so at a church with a denominational label. Moreover, many large, successful churches use their denomination in their names. Again, there is more to a church than a name.

Whether it is a person, a product, a company or a church, a good name is a product of positive actions. It is maintained by protecting its reputation. One well-known church name is Willow Creek Community Church. According to Senior Pastor, Bill Hybels, its name was selected hastily at a lawyer's office while completing some initial legal documents. They named the church after the Willow Creek Theater where they were meeting.

Name changes are often needed in a church or business whose reputation has been stained by scandal. Otherwise a change must be carefully weighed against the costs. First there is the obvious cost of replacing the signage, stationary and business cards. Don't forget forms, brochures, banners, etc.

Second, there is the political cost of convincing the church membership that a name change is a good idea. Some members will have emotional ties to the name and others just cannot handle any change. Will it be worth the residual ill will?

Finally, there is the marketing cost. Unless you are making a clean break with the past, how are you going to let your friends know that you're still the same church but with a different name? It takes time and money to create name recognition. It is naive to think that people will flock to your church just because you have a “cool” name.

The best type of marketing, whether church or business, is word of mouth. That can be free for a church whose members believe in their church's mission, feel the presence of God in worship and grow spiritually through church activities. It is better to spend your physical and spiritual energies (and finances) on things that will build your churches reputation than on a name change.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; 

bind them around your neck, 

write them on the tablet of your heart. 

Then you will win favor and a good name 

in the sight of God and man.

 Proverbs 3:3-4 (NIV)

Three keys to successful change

It is common knowledge that churches are averse to change but, then again, who isn't. The marketplace, education, military and government are all slow to embrace change. On the other hand, change (or adaptation) is essential to both organizational and individual survival. Some organizations are clearly better than others at managing change. In fact, I once wrote about how Baptists' ability to change enabled the denomination to grow and thrive for over 400 years.

It is sudden change that is usually viewed negatively. A slamming on of breaks, a quick acceleration, or a sharp turn sends people and objects forcefully in the opposite direction. Who likes that?

Churches that manage change successfully do so in small steps. In his book, Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries, Peter Sims demonstrates how small changes allow organizations to adapt quickly and experience growth. They allow you to accumulate small wins while minimizing losses. Small wins add up without destroying the structures that are necessary for a church's survival. Small changes allow for course corrections as you navigate through troubled waters.

Churches that manage change successfully plan ahead. We must be like the men of Issachar who understood the times and knew what to do (1 Chronicles 12:32). Seek to understand what is driving the need for change. Determine what the influencers in your church are thinking. Once the details are worked out, let the influencers tell the story. Communicate the upcoming change through multiple media, pointing out the benefits to the church and its members. Afterward, tell stories of how the change had a positive impact on the church. Meanwhile, plan the next move.

Churches that manage change successfully understand that not everyone will be on board. There will be a small group who will immediately love the idea. They will be followed by the early adopters who were recruited by the first group. As momentum builds, a good idea will spread and the majority will embrace the change. There will always be a small number of laggards. Some will never accept the change and might leave but most of them will stay.

How do you adapt to the changes in your life?