Featured Who Else Has Their Church Practicing Social Distancing?

The church building is closed but the church is still working out God’s mission.
I enjoyed a live video feed of a discussion between our church pastors on Wednesday evening.
I think more people watched that than attend church on Sunday!

Rob

 

Same here

 

SBC organ Baptist Press is reporting that "many congregations are not prepared to shift their services online":

Livestreaming services hasn't been an option for many churches


Mark Dever, an influential Southern Baptist pastor in Washington, DC, objects to the whole concept. He and his 'elders' decided to cancel all services for the duration, and will not resort to livestreaming. He says he's applying the concept of abstention from marital relations that Paul spoke of:

9Marks ❧ COVID-19 has made it extremely unlikely that churches will be able to gather for the next few months...Mark and Jonathan talk about that sad reality, and the longing it ought to create in us as Christians

Jonathan Leeman: "What you're recommending is, and this may seem like a strange connection, a strange text: First Corinthians Seven...husbands and wives not...intimate together...for a season..."

Mark Dever: "Yeah, this is equivalent to that. You're not going to livestream your marriage."

 

We are cancelled rest of March, but services live on Facebook and podcast, music team and Pastor speaking to empty seats!

 

Sounds about right...



Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

When my daughter’s husband was sent overseas in the military they were able to connect online.
Surely not the best but it kept them together.
He was able to see his new infant daughter grow a bit every day.

Meeting online may not be the best, but it’s something. Perhaps they just have lazy pastors?

Rob

 

Maybe I am just an old grouch, but I can survive several weeks without attending the local church. I have my Bible.
I was out for six weeks when I had surgery. No one in leadership called, visited, or e-mailed to check on me. (a lot of members did.) I did just fine then, should do fine now.

 

Ten Benefits of Online Worship

1. No commute
2. Get the closest parking spot
3. Finally able to eat in the auditorium
4. Able to refill your coffee during the service
5. The pastor comes to your house
6. You get to wear whatever you want
7. You can sing as loud as you want, or not at all
8. Room to let those with worship hand fly without ruining the view
9. Always show up on time
10. You get to worship together with your church family in a season of social distancing

 

Reminiscent of antediluvian Noah, Ezekiel's Valley of Dry Bones, preaching to "the choir," every pastor's nightmare, and a general feeling from some pulpits.
Preach on, brother!

 

Head of the Calvinist 'Founders faction' of Southern Baptists concurs with 9Mark Dever's nuclear option (cancel services and forego livestreaming as well):

Tom Ascol on Twitter yesterday

He was asked: Will your church still hold in-person services this weekend?

Ascol:

"No. We are not meeting this Lord’s Day."

"FYI, our church typically livestreams....[but] We chose not to livestream this week"

"You can no more go to church online than you can eat dinner at a restaurant online"

 

Some pastors are resorting to the drive-in theater concept of the much-maligned Robert Schuller: preaching via a low-power radio signal to congregants gathered in cars in the church parking lot:

Baptist Press • Texas church switches to 'drive-in movie style' service

"First Montgomery Baptist Church...[is] switching the regular March 22 Sunday service plans to an outdoor 'drive-in movie style' approach. The church, which draws about 300 people each week, is inviting members to pull their cars onto the church's property for their 10:45 a.m. service and listen to the sermon on their radio with the help of an FM transmitter. The idea is similar to the service held March 15 by David Fork Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky., reported by WKYT."


Remember those giant sliding glass doors Schuller had?

 

But many restaurants offer takeout and/or delivery.
We enjoyed listening to our pastor on Facebook, even singing along with his solo presentations of hymns. (Fortunately, he's a good singer.)

 

Yup. My church already did livestreaming in the first place, but now it's soley livestreaming until further notice.