COVID-19 PERSPECTIVE: Karl Vaters
Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, Fountain Valley, California
Over the last few months, the church has learned to do ministry without relying on our church buildings. The emphasis—at least at first—was on issues like livestreaming weekend services. And that was okay. But we soon (re)discovered something that we must never forget again. Our most important ministry doesn’t happen in a church building. It’s not even livestreamed from it. The church’s best ministry always happens when we go out from the church building, not when we stay in it.
No More Business-As-Usual
While we look forward to some sense of our normalcy to return to our lives—including meeting in the same room with our church family again—going back to normal can’t mean business-as-usual. We’ve been through too much. We’ve lost too much. And we’ve learned too much.
We left the building because we had to. Then we did what we needed to. In churches of all sizes, pastors and care teams checked up on their people. They brought food and medicine to at-risk friends. They offered prayers of reassurance to frightened people. Many of you counseled church members and their families through illness and death.
And we did it all outside our church buildings.
Stay Out of the Building
Being able to gather in our buildings again is important. But, for the sake of our people, our community and the God we serve, our strongest ministry needs to stay outside our church buildings. That’s where lives are changed. That’s where Christ needs to be seen. That will fuel the fire for gathering again. Because that’s what Jesus called us to.
May it not take another crisis for us to keep doing what we should have been doing all along.
Read more COVID-19 Perspectives from pastors and church leaders.
