The Impact of COVID
THE IMPACT OF COVID ON CHURCH AND COMMUNITY
12
It might be easy for us to feel overwhelmed by the giants COVID-19 has revealed. But if we reflect for a moment, we will also see great opportunities revealed – opportunities for God’s people to live out Christ’s love, compassion and hope in communities. The myriad health, social, emotional, spiritual, and economic giants that have emerged from this global crisis have forced the church to ask critical questions, such as “Why is this happening?” and “Where is God in this situation?” These quickly evolve into “How been trained. Participants are, in should we respond?” and “What turn, training their congregations is God calling us to do and be?” In and communities and mobilising wrestling with these questions, we practical, local responses. These have seen unexpected doors open include home visits and care for the for the church. vulnerable, community awareness In the early stages of the and education, mental health pandemic, a group of SIM’s support, and pastors addressing Ministry Point People was COVID myths and fears in their concerned about the potential preaching and teaching. for COVID case numbers to “I’ve been really equipped and overwhelm hospitals and health resourced to go out there and minister facilities, especially in areas with in this time. This has provided the limited capacity. So, the question opportunity for us arose: How to reach out to the could we equip The church should be lost and others in a and mobilise encouraged to look different way.” the local church Training participant, for ways to overcome. to provide Zimbabwe complementary Just as Goliath had care in “My wife and I have vulnerabilities, so too communities? both learned a lot from does each giant. An answer this programme. We was SIM’s have learned that it is COVID Equip initiative, a an opportunity to gain our neighbour video-based church training for Jesus. … After this programme I programme designed to prepare am counselling them to be safe and the local church for a gospeldoing my ministry more powerfully.” based community response to the Training participant, South Asia physical, emotional, and spiritual (After the training) “The church impacts of COVID-19. created awareness in its members Since its launch in July 2020, on containment measures; they teams in Kenya, Zimbabwe, also partnered with the local and South Asia have led the authorities to sensitise the public on implementation of COVID Equip. COVID-19. With a number of their These teams report that more than 400 pastors and church leaders have members being infected, [the parish]
offered spiritual care and members appreciated the presence of the church in their difficult moments.” Training participant, Kenya Lockdowns and social distancing measures have forced churches to ask, “What do worship and ministry look like when physical interaction is not permitted? How do we keep people connected with God, with us and with each other?” Use of online platforms has been key and, more than just providing ways to connect, this has opened doors into places where there had not been an opportunity to minister. For example, the move to online training enabled Trauma Healing to access new and places in the Middle East and beyond. As we continue to stare down the giants that COVID has revealed and wrestle with the questions this pandemic elicits, the church should be encouraged to look for ways to overcome. Just as Goliath had vulnerabilities, so too does each giant. Just as the Spirit empowered David to direct his stone at Goliath’s weak spot, the church can look to the Spirit to reveal the opportunities to topple the giants before us! For more information on SIM’s COVID Equip initiative, contact international.covidequip@sim.org.
WWW.SIM.ORG
