Looking for a Church During a Pandemic

Looking for a church home is never an easy task. Trying to find a place that is solid in its teaching and a homey fit in its fellowship can be a challenge! I've done it a handful of times in my life and every single time, God has been faithful to take me where He wanted me to be. Each of those churches holds such a special place in my heart and each one went a long way in helping me grow in Christ. And Ryan would tell you the same thing about his own journey in settling in different churches.

But we've never had to find a new church in a pandemic. And that is proving to be most interesting! We had decided prior to coming to WillowBridge that we would spend the first few weeks visiting multiple churches in the area - for a few reasons. First and foremost, we wanted to be pretty familiar with all the local churches so we could have great conversations with our tenants about places they attend or may want to attend. (Tenants attend the churches of their choice.) Secondly, we wanted to spend time getting to know the churches that provide community to our tenants, even if they aren't regular attenders at that particular church.

So while we are not in a hurry to find the place that feels most like home, we have made a few observations about church hunting in a pandemic.

* It's hard for people to recognize people in a mask. Now, before I launch into this one, allow me to say that the staff members of the churches we have visited so far have done an amazing job of figuring out we're new and reaching out to us. But I can tell that the people in the congregation have a harder time figuring out if they know us. (I think that is also partially because churches met virtually for so long that everyone feels kind of new again!) When most of our faces are covered, it makes it even trickier for them to remember if they know us. Add in the fact that most people are generally skittish of talking to others right now, and it makes meeting new people

* It's easier to check out churches online before we visit. We actually started researching churches before we even moved to Grabill. Quarantine meant that most churches began sharing their services online even if they hadn't done it before, so we were able to get a feel for the music and preaching styles of several churches before we came. It helped us learn about the staff members a bit, too! We also learned that more churches are being extra intentional about updating their websites and social media, which makes it easier to learn about them.

* Most services are different in format than they normally would be. We've discovered that some churches aren't currently doing multiple styles of services. Some have eliminated their more traditional services entirely, and others have blended traditional and contemporary styles into a single service because attendance is low. It's not a huge deal, but we know in some places we aren't seeing the full scope of services.

* While most churches are back to in-person meeting (around here, anyway) most have not resumed all their extra kinds of ministry. Small groups, Sunday School, children's ministry...those sorts of events are still on hold - or on Zoom - for now. So making connections beyond Sunday morning is kind of on hold for the time being, it seems.

* I miss bulletins. I told Ryan that this past Sunday. When I was still working at our Kokomo church, bulletins were a big item of discussion. They aren't cheap to make (especially for big churches) and people just throw them away after the service, so that is a huge expense that mostly goes to waste every week. I know some churches put all that info on their website, which is fine (though I do love using my bulletin as a fan). Anyway! I am learning that as a visitor, I rely on the bulletin to learn things about the church that may or may not be on the website or easily accessible. I think that is the thing I have missed most in our visits.

So yes, searching for a church in the middle of the strangest time of our lives looks really different than it would at any other time. And yes, there are some obstacles. But I want to close by saying I have so much respect for churches in this season! Having just come from working at a church, I'm very aware of the hours (and hours and hours) of staff meetings devoted solely to trying to make everything run as smoothly as possible while still keeping everyone safe. It's an impossible task. They can't make everyone happy, no matter what they do, and at times, some may wonder if they're making anyone happy. But I'm grateful for the search and grateful for ALL the hard work the churches put into doing their very best. It doesn't go unnoticed!