If there was ever a time that the adage “the Church is not a building” rings true, it’s now. The arrival of COVID-19 was a tragic and unprecedented event that gave the church a chance to leap into the information age. After the president announced the immediate suspension of all Church gatherings in response to the coronavirus’s spread, many churches scrambled because they focused solely on Sunday worship instead of other aspects in ministry. It was time for Church leaders to step forward and find non-traditional paths of ministry that do not include in-person meetings.

More Christians worshiped, prayed, and shared Scripture online as COVID-19 precautions shut down in-person church gatherings worldwide. Churches took advantage of the technology and met over YouTube, Facebook Live, Zoom, local television station, and other outlets like Church Online, which saw new congregations join. Thousands of churches are now offering digital services, while others are expanding existing offerings. While it is discouraging for churches to be unable to meet together in person, many churches saw a significant increase in online viewership than the average in-person attendance.

COVID created different problems around the world like hunger, poverty and loss of jobs. Some churches identified these problems and used the ministry to meet those needs. Churches became the country’s largest food distributors by collecting donations from different institutions and distributing them to needy families. Even the government and political leaders started using the church as an outlet for their assistance.

In light of the pandemic, today’s church growth depends on a vibrant, small group system like missions, fellowships, bible study, and discipleship underneath the big gatherings. Some churches are having these small groups meet digitally using virtual hangouts. Each church member is a minister of God’s word, and the church leaders should encourage the congregation to participate in one-on-one evangelism. Of the many people who came to Christ during the pandemic, most of them came through one-on-one witnessing by my members. The church also became creative in its communication with members. The church adopted best practices like circulating encouraging videos from church leaders on various media outlets, frequent church emails, reminder texts, and follow up calls.

It’s helpful to remember that Christians before us were dispersed because of persecution, resulting in the spread of the Gospel far and wide. Perhaps our current forced dispersion will awaken the church to new ways to share God’s love. This is the church’s moment to shine and use every means possible to share the Good News and meet needs innovatively.