The Building May Be Closed, But The Church Must Not Be Silent!

The world we are living in today has drastically changed since the end of 2019 when the world was made aware of the Sars 2 COVID-19 virus. It is believed this to have originated in Wuhan, China and spread like wildfire to the rest of the world. It is a viral infection and spreads just like the flu and common cold. What makes this one so contagious is that it is a novel coronavirus and new to humans. Novel viruses are often traced back to animals.

During this season the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stressed the need for people to wash their hands often and to not touch your face. We are also to limit our time around people who are not from our households including family members. It has spurred a new term called "socially distancing."

But what does this all mean for the global church family? What about your local churches? Most churches have taken the COVID-19 threat seriously and have closed their buildings to reduce the risk of the disease being amongst the flock and everyone becoming infected. Other churches have been in defiance and chosen to carry on as usual.

Yet the Bible tells us to not only have faith but utilise wisdom. A church in America was found to be at the centre of an outbreak which claimed many lives. People are socialising and throwing house parties because they do not wish to be told what to do. However, let us use wisdom during this time and utilise the technology we have and use it for good. Use it to spread the Word of God.

Many churches already stream their services live. If your church does not do so already please be that person to reach out and teach them how. There is a plethora of apps and services that can be used. Some of the most popular ones are Zoom, which many use for Bible Studies, Facebook Live and Youtube Live for sermon delivery and many more.

So now many Pastors and Ministers are streaming the Word of God live from their homes. The hashtag #ChurchOnline is proving popular on twitter. Christians have even taken the #FlippedTheSwitch challenge and changed it to #JesusFlippedTheSwitch to share their testimonies These hashtags trend on twitter often.

So you see the church does not have to be silent. The Word is there and the opportunity to reach your church community and beyond is available now. Even when the pandemic eases the use of tech should not cease.

Please check on the elderly and vulnerable. Help them get connected to technology so they can stay connected.

Don't forget to use this time to read the Bible and pray pray pray.