After being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, many registered churches in various places have implemented the official “double suspension” measures, which refers to suspending both the opening of places of worship and collective religious activities. So once again in-person gatherings are suspended, meaning that believers cannot go to churches to participate in religious activities such as worship and praise, listening to sermons, and giving tithes and offerings.
Some rural pastors, elders, and other leaders of several township churches shared a general understanding of their situation.
The churches that have suspended on-site gatherings can be roughly classified into five situations. The first of these situations is where many churches have turned to online services and ministries, including preaching, worship and praise, daily devotions, announcements, and offerings. The second is where churches do not host any virtual religious activities at all. In reality, pastors do not preach, or lead the congregation in daily devotionals, but they only "one-on-one" forward sermons by seminary pastors, teachers or other churches’ pastors. In the third category of churches, there are forms of "group activities", which means a few people organize small-scale Bible studies, devotions, prayers, and listening to sermons. In the fourth type of circumstance, churches organize visitation programs, through which contacts with believers are deepened. In the fifth case, unfortunately, the pastors of some churches become simply "couch potatoes" and are too frightened to do anything at all.
A common problem in many of the churches under closure is that their offerings have decreased. In some churches, full-time pastors have not been paid for several months, but their services have not suspended.
Once the Administrative Measures for Internet Religious Information Services have been strictly enforced, Christians may not gather on the internet without a valid license. The past anti-pandemic experiences show us that even if a church reopens, that would last for a while. It is unknown when it will be shut down again as an outbreak would reoccur from time to time under the dynamic zero-COVID policy.
Next, I would like to focus on group activities and visitation ministry, as important on-the-ground supplemental channels for churches in lockdown.
Activities in small groups
The "group activities" may also be "family gatherings" or "relatives and friends gatherings". In these group activities, there are a few participants, just a small number of believers who are relatives, neighborhood residents, or just family members. The venues are usually around the residence, such as the front and rear courtyards or their homes. The form of gathering is relatively simple, not so "formal". But the gathering is full of family love and friendship. As simple as a family group gathering, it essentially consists of Bible reading, prayer, worship and praise, preaching, sharing, and offering (through QR code payment). Sometimes they gather for dinners, during which all participants joyfully communicate with each other, praying before and after each meal.
Some churches have dozens of such "groups", which many believers have joined. The groups are roughly organised by area. For example, it is split into eastern, western, northern and southern areas. The pastoral staff and leading believers of some churches will go to visit these groups according to work and area allocation, mainly for sharing, fellowship, worship and praise together. Believers will also make donations to the church either in cash or by QR code payment. These pastoral co-workers and believers who go to the "groups" are very hard-working, as they have to meet several "groups" across these villages within one day.
Visitation programs
During the "double suspension" period, given that face-to-face services are not possible, the small-scale visitation ministry is being carried out in various places.
Besides members in the churches’ nursing homes, the main target groups of the visitation programs are those who are old, weak, sick, disabled, in difficulties, believers whose family members have returned to their heavenly homes, as well as those who are feeling confused in high-pressure environments,.
The main visitation team is a small number of pastoral workers led by the senior pastor of the church or local CC&TSPMs, following the requirements of epidemic prevention. Some visitors bring money, some bring gifts, and others bring both to the target believers.
The visit frequency is either regular or irregular. Some visiting teams do the ministry on Sundays or holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, National Day, and the Spring Festival.
During each visit, the visitors mainly engage in comforting believers, communicating, sharing testimonies with them,and learning about their situation. Apart from cleaning the venues, they also help elder members or those with limited mobility wash their bodies, hair and feet, cut nails and hair, as well as serve in canteens.
Setting off at about five o'clock in the morning, some visitors can only finish their visits until eight or nine o'clock in the evening.
Some rural churches have been unable to meet in person for a long time, causing a decline in the church’s contributions. Some full-time pastors have not been paid for several months, as those churches do not have much money left. Even not being paid, some pastoral staff have to take out money from their family savings to buy gifts for visitors. They pay out of their own pockets for engaging in the visitation ministry and the epidemic prevention efforts as responding to the call from the society.
Under the lockdown policy based on the epidemic conditions, it is necessary, beneficial, and feasible for churches to nurture the groups o and visit believers. However, what should we do when there is another lockdown again and even online ministry is not allowed?
(The author of this article is a special contributor for the Gospel Times)
- Translated by Shuya Wang
受疫情的影响，各地很多的教堂已再次停止了线下的实地聚会，信徒也不能到教堂参加敬拜、赞美、听道和奉献等信仰活动。
最近，我通过网络和几位乡镇教会的牧师、长老等负责人进行了沟通，对于他们教会的情况有了一个大致的了解。
暂停实地聚会的教会大致分为五种情况：一是众多教会转为线上聚会、牧养，包括证道、赞美、灵修、堂务报告、奉献等；二是本堂在网络没有任何信仰活动，传道人不讲道，不带领会众灵修，只是“一对一”的转发神学院牧师、教师或其他教会传道人的讲章；三是“小组活动”，就是几个人小范围的查经、灵修、祷告、听道等；四是组织探访，通过探访加深与信徒的沟通；五是有的个别教会的传道人干脆就“躺平”，吓得什么也不敢做。
许多“双暂停”教会存在的普遍一个问题就是：奉献款减少，有的教会专职传道人已经几个月没有工资了，但是他们的服事没有暂停。
而一旦《互联网宗教信息服务管理办法》严格执行，如果没有《许可证》恐怕网络也不能聚会了。三年多来的抗疫经验告诉我们：即使教会恢复聚会了，也是暂时的，说不定什么时候也会再次暂停，因为疫情是反复的。
这里我想重点说说小组活动和探访，因为这是对目前双暂停的教会一种重要的实地补充渠道。
一、“小组活动”
之所以给小组活动加上引号，叫做“家族聚会”、“亲友聚会”或许准确一点儿，即家族成员、亲友们的聚会。
这些小组活动的特点是：人员少，就是几个信徒；有亲属或乡里乡亲的关系，有的就是家里人；就是在居住地的周围，比如前后院、左邻右舍；聚会形式比较简单，不是那么“正规”，但充满亲情、友情；尽管是家族小组聚会，但读经、祷告、赞美、听道、分享、奉献（给教会的奉献二维码）基本都有；聚餐，也是家族或亲属、邻舍的聚餐，大家在一起互相交通、交流，餐前祷告、饭后祷告，很是喜乐。
有的教会这样的“小组”有数十个，使许多的信徒都在里面。其组织架构大体上是教会——片区——小组。比如划为东西南北片等。有的教会的教牧同工和骨干信徒会按照分工、分片去这些小组，主要是分享、交通，一起敬拜赞美等，信徒也会或现金、或扫码为教会做奉献。这些去“小组”的教牧同工和信徒很是辛苦，要在一天内走村串户几个“小组”。
二、探访联络
“双暂停”期间，不能实地聚会，但是小规模的探访联络，各地许多教会都在进行。
探访联络的主要对象是：教会的养老院肢体，老弱病残的肢体，困难的肢体，遇到环境、有困惑的肢体，有归天家的肢体，有其他特殊情况的肢体等。
探访的形式主要是：由教会或两会的牧长带领人数不多的教牧同工按照防疫要求前去探访联络。有的送去慰问金，有的送去慰问品，有的既有慰问金也有慰问品。
探访的时间段是：有的是定期去探访，有的是不定期的探访；有的是在节假日探访，比如圣诞节、复活节、国庆节，春节等，还有的是在主日探访。
探访的主要内容是：慰问、交通、分享、见证、了解情况、帮助打扫卫生、为行动不便或老年的肢体洗擦身体、洗头、洗脚、剪指甲、理发，在食堂帮厨等。
他们有的五点多钟开始出发，一直到晚上八、九点钟才结束探访。
更为可贵的是，有的农村教会由于长时间的不能实地聚会，有的教会专职传道人几个月都没有发工资了，教会账面所存的资金也不多，为了购买慰问品，有的传道人在没有工资的情况下，要从家里的积蓄拿出钱来，自掏腰包去慰问、探访，还要响应号召为社会抗疫做奉献。
“双暂停”期间教会在遵守防疫要求的情况下，对于小组牧养和肢体的探访联络是必要的、是有益的、是可行的。我们应该想到：假如再次“双暂停”、网络牧养不允许了，怎么办？ （==此句当summary）
（本文作者为福音时报特约撰稿人）
“双暂停”后的小组活动和探访的重要性与思考
After being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, many registered churches in various places have implemented the official “double suspension” measures, which refers to suspending both the opening of places of worship and collective religious activities. So once again in-person gatherings are suspended, meaning that believers cannot go to churches to participate in religious activities such as worship and praise, listening to sermons, and giving tithes and offerings.
Some rural pastors, elders, and other leaders of several township churches shared a general understanding of their situation.
The churches that have suspended on-site gatherings can be roughly classified into five situations. The first of these situations is where many churches have turned to online services and ministries, including preaching, worship and praise, daily devotions, announcements, and offerings. The second is where churches do not host any virtual religious activities at all. In reality, pastors do not preach, or lead the congregation in daily devotionals, but they only "one-on-one" forward sermons by seminary pastors, teachers or other churches’ pastors. In the third category of churches, there are forms of "group activities", which means a few people organize small-scale Bible studies, devotions, prayers, and listening to sermons. In the fourth type of circumstance, churches organize visitation programs, through which contacts with believers are deepened. In the fifth case, unfortunately, the pastors of some churches become simply "couch potatoes" and are too frightened to do anything at all.
A common problem in many of the churches under closure is that their offerings have decreased. In some churches, full-time pastors have not been paid for several months, but their services have not suspended.
Once the Administrative Measures for Internet Religious Information Services have been strictly enforced, Christians may not gather on the internet without a valid license. The past anti-pandemic experiences show us that even if a church reopens, that would last for a while. It is unknown when it will be shut down again as an outbreak would reoccur from time to time under the dynamic zero-COVID policy.
Next, I would like to focus on group activities and visitation ministry, as important on-the-ground supplemental channels for churches in lockdown.
Activities in small groups
The "group activities" may also be "family gatherings" or "relatives and friends gatherings". In these group activities, there are a few participants, just a small number of believers who are relatives, neighborhood residents, or just family members. The venues are usually around the residence, such as the front and rear courtyards or their homes. The form of gathering is relatively simple, not so "formal". But the gathering is full of family love and friendship. As simple as a family group gathering, it essentially consists of Bible reading, prayer, worship and praise, preaching, sharing, and offering (through QR code payment). Sometimes they gather for dinners, during which all participants joyfully communicate with each other, praying before and after each meal.
Some churches have dozens of such "groups", which many believers have joined. The groups are roughly organised by area. For example, it is split into eastern, western, northern and southern areas. The pastoral staff and leading believers of some churches will go to visit these groups according to work and area allocation, mainly for sharing, fellowship, worship and praise together. Believers will also make donations to the church either in cash or by QR code payment. These pastoral co-workers and believers who go to the "groups" are very hard-working, as they have to meet several "groups" across these villages within one day.
Visitation programs
During the "double suspension" period, given that face-to-face services are not possible, the small-scale visitation ministry is being carried out in various places.
Besides members in the churches’ nursing homes, the main target groups of the visitation programs are those who are old, weak, sick, disabled, in difficulties, believers whose family members have returned to their heavenly homes, as well as those who are feeling confused in high-pressure environments,.
The main visitation team is a small number of pastoral workers led by the senior pastor of the church or local CC&TSPMs, following the requirements of epidemic prevention. Some visitors bring money, some bring gifts, and others bring both to the target believers.
The visit frequency is either regular or irregular. Some visiting teams do the ministry on Sundays or holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, National Day, and the Spring Festival.
During each visit, the visitors mainly engage in comforting believers, communicating, sharing testimonies with them,and learning about their situation. Apart from cleaning the venues, they also help elder members or those with limited mobility wash their bodies, hair and feet, cut nails and hair, as well as serve in canteens.
Setting off at about five o'clock in the morning, some visitors can only finish their visits until eight or nine o'clock in the evening.
Some rural churches have been unable to meet in person for a long time, causing a decline in the church’s contributions. Some full-time pastors have not been paid for several months, as those churches do not have much money left. Even not being paid, some pastoral staff have to take out money from their family savings to buy gifts for visitors. They pay out of their own pockets for engaging in the visitation ministry and the epidemic prevention efforts as responding to the call from the society.
Under the lockdown policy based on the epidemic conditions, it is necessary, beneficial, and feasible for churches to nurture the groups o and visit believers. However, what should we do when there is another lockdown again and even online ministry is not allowed?
(The author of this article is a special contributor for the Gospel Times)
- Translated by Shuya Wang
A Glimpse into Small Group Activities, Visitation Ministry Since Church Closure
