How Do We Move Forward?

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers... Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common... So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2)

When returning to "normal" isn't really normal, how does the church move forward? The answer may be the oldest model of all.

A New Reality and the Constant of Change

Hello, Cross Connection church family. For the last nine weeks you've been joining us on Sunday mornings from the comfort of your living room. Some of you have been at the dining room table, and I know some of you have been watching on your tablet or phone from bed. Don't worry—I'm not judging.

I don't think any of us could have imagined this reality just three months ago. Life as we know it has changed, and things are going to be different from this point forward. One of the things you can absolutely count on in life is change, even when we don't like it.

My choice as a pastor and preacher would always be to gather together on Sunday mornings as a church family. I look forward to seeing you and preaching every single week. This has been a challenge for me and the rest of our team in a lot of ways, but I think we've also learned a lot. I'm truly thankful for the team that makes this a reality every week. Our team adjusted to the new realities of church at home with very few problems, and as the primary leader at Cross Connection Church, that's amazing and encouraging to me.

When Will We Get Back to Church?

A lot of people are wondering aloud—both here and at churches all over the county, state, and nation—when are we going to get back to church? A number of churches have already said they'll begin meeting on May 17th or May 31st. I understand the desire and drive to get back. In chaotic times, we look for some return to normal to ease our racing minds and hearts.

But as I've thought, prayed, and interacted with dozens of church leaders, including our own, I've become less concerned about when we'll gather at our facility and more concerned about what that would look like if we launched back under CDC guidelines on May 17th, May 31st, or even June 6th.

What a Restricted Gathering Would Actually Look Like

Let me describe it. First, we'd have to reposition the chairs in the sanctuary to form groups of two, three, four, five, even six, with each grouping six feet apart. With that configuration we could handle about eighty-five people per service. We're entirely willing to do this—but those aren't the only guidelines.

Because we'd need to space people out, you would probably have to reserve a spot online each week for a specific service. Then you'd have to line up beforehand, six feet apart, and we'd have to interview each of you individually as you were let in: Have you felt sick recently? Have you been around anyone who's been sick? If the answer is yes, we'd have to send you home.

Once everyone is seated six feet apart, the CDC encourages all people to wear masks, and they advise against corporate singing—a considerable part of our regular services—because of the potential increased risk of exposure. Finally, at the end of the service, we'd dismiss each row individually. We wouldn't have children's ministry, and we likely couldn't provide our typical hospitality. No doughnuts and coffee.

So here's the question: if the choice is between that and drinking your own coffee at home on your couch, joining us online, I think a lot of people will choose to stay safe, stay happy, and watch online. It's not that I don't want to get back to church—every pastor I know is praying for the day we can do regular services again. But the services other pastors are planning for May 31st are far from regular.

The Early Church Model: From House to House

So what are we going to do? As soon as we receive word that restrictions on gatherings of ten or twenty are being lifted, we're going to encourage you to do what the early church did for centuries—gather together for church from house to house.

For much of the first 300 years of Christian history, the church gathered this way. As soon as restrictions begin to ease, we're going to encourage our connect group hosts to open their homes to their connect groups on Sunday mornings to watch the service together. Cross Connection Church from house to house, just like Acts 2 says.

We're still going to deliver our weekly services online, and we're working to provide other opportunities for fellowship, discipleship, and living as the body of Christ in a whole new way that none of us expected. I'm looking forward to what God might do, because He has allowed this whole situation and is using it in a great way.

Two Often-Overlooked Points in Acts 2

I want you to note two important points often overlooked in that passage. First, as the early church gathered, they were "praising God and having favor with all the people." One quick way for the church to be seen as a problem in this crisis is to reject the concerns of those in our community—disregarding their calls for caution and gathering in large groups. That is certainly not the way to garner favor within our communities.

Second, Acts 2 ends with these encouraging words: "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." This is a wonderfully evangelistic time for the church. As we encourage meeting from house to house—even if you're not a connect group host and don't belong to a connect group—you'll have a great opportunity to invite a neighbor or two to watch online with you. Because so many people are tired of isolation, they're probably going to say yes.

There are literally thousands of people being saved and added to the church right now through church online. God is doing a great work, and we're praying it only increases in the coming weeks and months.

We Are Already the Church

So when will Cross Connection be gathering together as church on Sundays? We already are—you're watching right now. This is church in 2020. All the great messages about "20/20 vision" at the beginning of this year did not see this coming, but here we are. And the coronavirus is not prevailing against the church. Jesus is still building it, just as He has for 2,000 years, and He's going to keep doing it until He returns.

God bless you all. We are praying for you continually. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, and I hope you are blessed during this time. Please remember to send us your prayer requests and interact with us online through our website at lifeinconnection.com.