Reading the news headlines these days is not for the faint of heart. As we know, news outlets thrive and profit from bad news – especially the pandemic. News ratings during the coronavirus outbreak have rarely been higher. But for the good news, that means people are left feeling there’s not much of it in the world. Here’s some good news tidbits to help you feel optimistic today.
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- Two weeks ago, 15 percent of church leaders thought their churches would close as a consequence of the pandemic. Today, that number is down to 3 percent. There is indeed much more hope.
- Giving for 78 percent of churches is either the same in the pandemic as before or is only slightly down.
- Church members, for the most part, are enthusiastically adopting digital giving.
- Church leaders are creatively discovering ways to reach and minister to people who are viewing their streaming services.
- Because churches can’t meet in person, most congregations are not having business meetings, avoiding conflicts they’ve had in the past.
- Church members are adopting video conferencing technology with enthusiasm. It will become a key delivery mechanism for churches post COVID-19.
- The primary beneficiary of video conferencing churches in churches is small groups. Churches are reporting that some small groups are consistently having 100 percent or more attendance. One church reported that their small group attendance includes more guests than any point in their known history.
- Pastors are reporting their desire to become better preachers. They are seeing the areas where they can improve as they watch the video stream of their services.
- Churches are becoming much more intentional about finding ways to minister to their community. One pastor said the pandemic has been used by God to make him fall more deeply in love with the community his church serves.
- Church leaders are having financial and stewardship conversations they avoided before the pandemic. They are asking tough but good questions about what really matters.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice