How Do We Move Forward?

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 doing it from the dining room table, and I know that some of you have been watching on your tablet or your phone from bed. Don't worry, I'm not judging. I don't think that any of us could have ever 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 that you can absolutely count on in life is change, even if sometimes we don't like the changes. Obviously, 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 of people that make this a reality every single week. Our team adjusted to the new realities of church at home with very few problems along the way. As the primary leader at Cross Connection Church, it really is amazing and encouraging to me.

Of course, a lot of people are wondering aloud, both at Cross Connection Church and at churches all over the county, state, and nation, when we are going to get back to church. A number of churches have already said that they're going to begin meeting on May 17th or May 31st. I understand the desire and drive to get back to church. When we are in chaotic times, we look for some sort of return to normal to ease our racing minds and hearts.

However, as I've thought through this, prayed, and interacted with dozens of church leaders, including our own, I've become less concerned about when we're going to gather at our church facility and more concerned about what that would look like. If we launched back with CDC guidelines on May 17th, May 31st, or even June 6th, let me describe for you what a gathering at church would look like.

First, we would have to reposition our chairs in the sanctuary to facilitate groups of two, three, four, five, and even six. Each grouping of chairs would have to be six feet apart, and with this configuration, we could handle about eighty-five people in our sanctuary for each service. We are entirely willing to do this, but those aren't the only guidelines that we would need to consider.

We would also need to space people out for services. We would probably have to have you reserve a spot online each week for a specific service. Then, we would have to have you line up before the service, six feet apart. We would need to interview each of you as you were individually let into the church, asking if you have felt sick recently or if you have been around anyone who has been sick. If the answers to those questions are yes, then we would have to send you home.

Once we have seated everyone six feet apart, the CDC is encouraging that all people wear masks. They are advising against corporate singing, which is a considerable part of our regular services, due to the potential increased risk for exposure. Finally, at the end of our service, we would have to dismiss each row individually. We wouldn't have children's ministry, and it's likely that we wouldn't be able to 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 while joining us for church online, I think that a lot of people are going to choose to stay safe and stay happy by watching online. It's not that I don't want to get back to church; every pastor I know is praying for the day that we can have regular services again. However, the services that other pastors are planning for May 31st are far from regular.

So, what are we going to do? As soon as we receive word that restrictions on gatherings of 10 or 20 are being lifted, we are going to encourage our church to do what the early church did for centuries: gather together for church from house to house.

Let me remind you of a passage in Acts chapter 2. It says, "And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer. 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 people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

This was the life for Christians in many ways for the first 300 years of Christian history; the church gathered from house to house.

As soon as restrictions begin to ease, we are 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 will gather from house to house, just like Acts 2 says. We will still deliver our weekly services online, and we are working to provide other opportunities for fellowship, discipleship, and living as the body of Christ in a whole new way that none of us really expected. However, I am looking forward to what God might do, as He has allowed this whole situation and is using it in a great way.

I want you to note two really important points that are often overlooked in that passage in Acts chapter 2. First, as the early church gathered in this way, they were praising God and having favor with all people. I think one quick way for the church to be seen as a problem in this current crisis is to reject the concerns of those in our community by disregarding their calls for caution and gathering together in large groups. This is certainly not the way to garner favor within our communities.

Second, Acts 2 ends with these awesome and 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 begin to encourage meeting from house to house, even if you are not a Connect Group host and do not belong to a Connect Group, you will have a great opportunity to invite a neighbor or two to join you in watching online. Because so many people are kind of tired of isolation, they are probably going to say yes.

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

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

So God bless you all. We are praying for you continually. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, and I hope that 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.