In early 2020, the coronavirus outbreak was a blow to many different organizations, including churches.
As churches in China have been closed since late January, they have used many types of online software to send daily devotional content to congregations. However, the pandemic has posed a new challenge for the church and even exposed many weaknesses and painful issues.
Three pastors from different areas in China shared their insights on the church during the pandemic.
Pastor Chen: The function of a church is only limited in a church building.
The pandemic exposed the church as being quite small and too weak — regardless of what is happening currently with believers and in society.
This was not evident when the church was open during normal times and believers were active in church services. Nonetheless, the church failed to provide leadership for believers.
No matter what believers needed or how the church continued to care for its congregation online and provide online worship services, the church hasn’t been able to show what it should really be.
During the pandemic, believers were like sheep without a shepherd, running around to different churches to listen to sermons.
In fact, Pastor Chen shared that the existence, authority, and function of a church did not come from a church building.
A building is not a place to which believers have a commitment; it is not a faith family, but simply a place for gathering.
Socially the church did not play a leading role in this pandemic, despite donating materials and money. Many churches were more concerned with their own benefits and did very little unless they were pushed.
As to how to cope with those painful issues, Pastor Chen claimed that the church should recognize these problems. As long as it was aware of them, the problems could be solved.
It would not be hard to let the church do what it’s meant to do, such as enhance the quality of pastors and provide better care for congregations. But some churches regarded themselves as bodies that are capable of everything and never make mistakes. That was the key problem.
If there were no external forces present to challenge the church to reform, it would be very tough for the church to be transformed. If the church isn’t able to be transformed and make changes, it will fall behind what is happening within society.
Brother Lv: Commitment, tithes, and pastoring were the greatest sore spots.
Due to the pandemic, many believers did not feel so committed to the church as before.
With the rise of “online church” options, some believers had less commitment to their own churches, especially if the churches were not doing well.
As tithes and offerings were relatively lower in the last months, many churches faced a financial crisis.
Not able to meet in person, believers might have changed to other churches and stopped giving tithes to their own churches.
The pastoral ministry of weak churches stopped giving care during the lockdown. Even though they may have started an online ministry, the result was poor because the staff were unfamiliar with technology, and the congregation was not a good fit for online streaming services and the members were not highly involved.
Many churches did not emphasize small groups—those churches have shut down since the outbreak. Their members used to gather on-site and they did not receive good quality pastoring online.
As to what measures the church could take to recover, he spoke of two things.
The first thing was whether pastors would recognize the existence of those problems in the church and make changes.
The second point was that church leaders should deliberately train the young generation.
Some leaders seized all the power in their hands, but individuals were limited in what they could do. Leaders should decentralize their authority to include young people and groups leaders.
Then pastors should work diligently as some of them became lazy and stopped working because they could no longer meet in a normal manner.
These pastors should work harder despite the difficult situation, giving more care to believers.
Pastor Lei: It’s important to use the technology of this new era in pastoral ministry.
He realized that there was much that the church did not understand about online ministry.
Believers could not meet in person and some persons left the church. The church should make better use of technology.
It was necessary to work in developing an online ministry. For example, his church launched training programs online—they turned out to be effective and some courses were offered again.
- Translated by Karen Luo
后疫情时代 教会面临哪些“痛点”亟需应对？
2020年伊始，新冠肺炎疫情爆发得迅猛且令人措手不及，给各行各业带来了不同程度的影响，也包括教会。
因不能实地聚会，导致一些教会开始使用网络来做牧养、团契，利用网络软件进行讲道、学习等日常灵修活动。
但这场疫情的爆发也使得教会面临着前所未有的挑战，甚至暴露出许多的软弱与痛点。
如今疫情逐渐减缓，个人的生活也开始陆续恢复正常，然而它给教会带来的影响不会随着疫情的好转而消逝，反而需要引起我们的警醒和思考。
在后疫情时代，教会应该面对逐渐暴露出的多个痛点？
基督时报邀请到三位不同地区的牧者、传道人，请他们来简单谈一谈对疫情期间教会的一些思考。
陈传道：暴露出教会功能常常只局限在“教堂”
这次疫情期间格外显出教会的无力感，它实在是太过软弱——无论是面对时事、信徒还是社会，都特别渺小。
以前教会正常聚会时显不出来，因为到点信徒就自主地去教会聚会，但在疫情下就显出来教会对信徒是没有丝毫引导能力的。
无论信徒本身需要的是什么，还是疫情期间不能去教会聚会后、教会对信徒继续牧养的能力，都显不出来它本应有的能力。
疫情期间信徒如同没有牧人的羊一样，随意乱跑，到这个群里去听一听，到那个群里去听一听。
事实上，教会很多的存在、权力和功能性，并不是倚靠信仰而来，乃是依靠教堂那座房子而来，一旦失去房子，信徒不能再倚靠房子时，就会显得信徒和教会没有太大关系了。
所以对信徒来说，有时候教会并不是他们委身的地方，也不是信仰里面的家，而是一个方便聚会的场所。
单从这个角度来看的话，教会没有存在的太大意义，所以就显得教会很软弱无力。
对社会而言也是，虽然教会或信徒捐献了不少东西，但在这场疫情中并没有扮演什么很重要的角色，没有发挥它的作用，很多教会考虑的是如何保障自身利益，如果没有人催逼的话，可能也做不了什么……
至于之后教会要如何应对这些痛点，我认为所有应对前提是教会能够意识到这方面的问题，只要能意识到，就不难解决，方法还是有很多的。
只要教会想让它发挥其应有的价值，都不难。
例如提高传道人的质量、提升对信徒的关怀、让教会整体在信仰上的建设更加深刻等等。
但教会自认为它是掌握真理的团体，一些教会认为它是不会有错的，这才是问题的关键所在。
如果没有其它情况来介入使教会突然发生变革，教会的存在只能被时代拖着，强硬性的、用一代一代的人来改变它。
但这样的改变是依然落后于整个社会体系的。
吕弟兄：归属感、奉献和牧养都成为最大痛点
疫情暴露出的教会痛点约有以下几点：
1，归属感：疫情导致很多弟兄姐妹对教会的归属感没有那么强了。
因为很多网络聚会兴起，如果自己教会做得不是很好，信徒对自己教会的委身和归属会变弱。
2，奉献：疫情期间也会使奉献相对减少，很多教会（不知道多少）会面临财务的危机。
信徒不能实地聚会，加上网络上大家会互窜教会，也会导致奉献不能及时，或不会直接奉献给自己原来的教会。
3，牧养系统：比较弱的教会，整个牧养系统在疫情的冲击下全部失效。
即便是做网络牧养，但因为对设备的不熟悉、弟兄姐妹的不适应、一些信徒的参与度不高、以前也没有重视过这一块等等各种因素，会使得网络牧养的效果也不好。
很多教会对小组牧养其实没有看见，平时对小组牧养也不当回事——之前很多没有引入小组牧养形式的教会，疫情发生后就会受不了，因为此前基本都是实地聚会，所以网络上的参与感就不是很好，可能需要小组的牧养关怀，但一时半会也并不能做到完善。
疫情过后教会如何应对和恢复，我认为可以思考以下两点：
第一是牧师传道人能不能与时俱进，能不能认识到教会存在的这些问题，做出改变。
第二是教会领袖需要放权，要刻意地去培养一些人。
以前是把权力都抓在自己手上，但一个人能做的很有限，需要把权力分散下去，培养一些年轻人、小组长之类的起来。
然后就是牧者要更勤勉一点，有些传道人或牧者在疫情下反而变得懒散了，因为没办法聚会，所以有点半放弃的状态。
越是这种环境里牧者越应该多努力，给与弟兄姐妹更多的关怀。
雷牧师：新时代的科技如何使用在牧养上，很重要
疫情后才发现，教会在网络这一块有很多误解，因为这次疫情大家都在家里面不能外出，所以有种教会一下就被打散的感觉。
信徒不能彼此相见，只能通过网络进行牧养，很多教会就很着急，想着要赶紧做网络这一块，但又不知道该怎么做。
也会出现信徒流失的情况，但如果教会之前就有开辟网络这一块的话，应该信徒的流失不会特别严重。
当然，新时代的科技这一块，教会需要更多地去反思，如何搭配科技去做好牧养。
也还是要持续地去进行网络牧养。
例如我们教会在这次疫情期间，有在网上开始一些培训——以前是在教会实地，现在全部搬到网上，效果还比较不错，有一些课程是可以看回放的，也非常方便。
疫情期间信徒不能见面，教会凝聚力比较会受到影响，但这个也可以补救，例如小组变成网络，或者两三个人私下探访等等。
只是要有心里准备，即便是做到这些，可能教会的整体凝聚力还是会受一些影响，因为教会实地的聚会还是非常重要的，网络要做，但也取代不了实地聚会。
笔者手记：
三位牧者的分享，让我们看到后疫情时代，教会面临着几个亟需应对的痛点：
1.教会功能的反思：什么是教会？
2.信徒的归属感：是教会许多更多关怀，还是信徒需要更多委身？
3.教会的财政：奉献和金钱减少时，如何利用有限的资源展开事工？
4.艰难下的牧养：如何在不能见面的时候加强牧养的关系？
5.科技：教会如何使用科技更灵活的服事？
这些痛点更清晰，才能更好面对。
而如何面对这些痛点，也是要在真实的服事实践中寻找答案的。
时代不同，但上帝的恩典不变。
相信上帝会带领后疫情时代的教会。
In early 2020, the coronavirus outbreak was a blow to many different organizations, including churches.
As churches in China have been closed since late January, they have used many types of online software to send daily devotional content to congregations. However, the pandemic has posed a new challenge for the church and even exposed many weaknesses and painful issues.
Three pastors from different areas in China shared their insights on the church during the pandemic.
Pastor Chen: The function of a church is only limited in a church building.
The pandemic exposed the church as being quite small and too weak — regardless of what is happening currently with believers and in society.
This was not evident when the church was open during normal times and believers were active in church services. Nonetheless, the church failed to provide leadership for believers.
No matter what believers needed or how the church continued to care for its congregation online and provide online worship services, the church hasn’t been able to show what it should really be.
During the pandemic, believers were like sheep without a shepherd, running around to different churches to listen to sermons.
In fact, Pastor Chen shared that the existence, authority, and function of a church did not come from a church building.
A building is not a place to which believers have a commitment; it is not a faith family, but simply a place for gathering.
Socially the church did not play a leading role in this pandemic, despite donating materials and money. Many churches were more concerned with their own benefits and did very little unless they were pushed.
As to how to cope with those painful issues, Pastor Chen claimed that the church should recognize these problems. As long as it was aware of them, the problems could be solved.
It would not be hard to let the church do what it’s meant to do, such as enhance the quality of pastors and provide better care for congregations. But some churches regarded themselves as bodies that are capable of everything and never make mistakes. That was the key problem.
If there were no external forces present to challenge the church to reform, it would be very tough for the church to be transformed. If the church isn’t able to be transformed and make changes, it will fall behind what is happening within society.
Brother Lv: Commitment, tithes, and pastoring were the greatest sore spots.
Due to the pandemic, many believers did not feel so committed to the church as before.
With the rise of “online church” options, some believers had less commitment to their own churches, especially if the churches were not doing well.
As tithes and offerings were relatively lower in the last months, many churches faced a financial crisis.
Not able to meet in person, believers might have changed to other churches and stopped giving tithes to their own churches.
The pastoral ministry of weak churches stopped giving care during the lockdown. Even though they may have started an online ministry, the result was poor because the staff were unfamiliar with technology, and the congregation was not a good fit for online streaming services and the members were not highly involved.
Many churches did not emphasize small groups—those churches have shut down since the outbreak. Their members used to gather on-site and they did not receive good quality pastoring online.
As to what measures the church could take to recover, he spoke of two things.
The first thing was whether pastors would recognize the existence of those problems in the church and make changes.
The second point was that church leaders should deliberately train the young generation.
Some leaders seized all the power in their hands, but individuals were limited in what they could do. Leaders should decentralize their authority to include young people and groups leaders.
Then pastors should work diligently as some of them became lazy and stopped working because they could no longer meet in a normal manner.
These pastors should work harder despite the difficult situation, giving more care to believers.
Pastor Lei: It’s important to use the technology of this new era in pastoral ministry.
He realized that there was much that the church did not understand about online ministry.
Believers could not meet in person and some persons left the church. The church should make better use of technology.
It was necessary to work in developing an online ministry. For example, his church launched training programs online—they turned out to be effective and some courses were offered again.
- Translated by Karen Luo
Painful Issues for Chinese Churches in Post-pandemic Era
