Combating loneliness, isolation and exclusion – together
Combating loneliness, isolation and exclusion – together
Combating loneliness, isolation and exclusion – together
The Post-Quarantine Church: Six Urgent Challenges and Opportunities That Will Determine the Future of Your Congregation
By Thom S. Rainer, Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Momentum, 2020.
Book Review by
Joanne Cortes – associate pastor at Beltsville Seventh-day Adventist Church, Beltsville, Maryland, United States.
COVID-19 has impacted practically every church around the world. In this book, The Post-Quarantine Church, Thom Rainer looks at what our church may look like after the pandemic. He offers six urgent challenges and opportunities that may help a church to determine the kind of future it will have.
The first challenge Rainer suggests is that the church should gather differently and better, find innovative ways to use the church facility, and be ready to think of creative ways to reach people currently not being reached (11).
The second challenge involves seizing the opportunity to reach the digital world by designing the most effective social media plan for the church right now. Beware of jeopardizing the church by being digitally busy while having no effectiveness. It is better to simplify the content being shared (25).
The third challenge is to reconnect with the neighborhood. Be a church in and for the community by having a clear purpose and mission and by being a positive influence on those in the vicinity (39).
The fourth challenge is to pray. Take prayer to a powerful, new level by praying regularly and asking members, as well as the community, to join in this challenge. Prayer can happen in an empty church building, via technology, basically anywhere (55).
The fifth challenge reminds churches that after the quarantine, they can practically begin with a “new slate” and serve their communities in ways never done before. This would be a good time to partner with new organizations and groups (69).
The sixth challenge involves encouraging churches to consider making lasting changes that will make a difference. Think strategically and reevaluate ministry objectives, committee budgets, job descriptions, and other aspects of the organization to position the church for success after the quarantine (85).
The final chapter in this book states that challenges faced by the church can also be opportunities. The author lists nine key changes for the post-quarantine church that also reinforce the six challenges provided earlier:
Rainer concludes by articulating that “the post-quarantine era may prove to be one of the most challenging seasons for churches and their leaders. The opportunity to lead change is likely greater than at any other point in our lifetimes” (110). The pandemic has changed the world and the way we are used to doing church, yet there is a great opportunity in that we are practically given a blank slate—an opportunity to rethink, re-create, and revamp church.
I recommend this easy-to-read book to those who may be unsure about whether the church is being truly effective in the mission during these uncertain times, those who need help in rethinking what church should look like after quarantine, those whose church may be struggling because of COVID-19, and those who are ready to begin to think outside of what is normal. As we enter this new “normal,” we cannot forget that Jesus promises that no matter what we go through, even if it be a pandemic, He is with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:19, 20).
The past twelve months have forced us as a Church, a community, and possibly even you as a prospective ministry or mission student, to wrestle with questions about the form and function of what God calls us to be. From my perspective, these questions are placed in five key areas: our commission, community and congregation, and the roles of clergy and church.
Perhaps you identify with some of these questions! Perhaps you seek to discern the voice of God calling you for a life in ministry. Perhaps you search for the heart of God, pulling you towards Himself! Perhaps you wonder if He is the One calling you to join Him in shaping a future with Him. You are not alone in your thinking and questioning. The future is wide open at this point and your hunger for answers may be an indication of His call for your life!
Have you found yourself asking any of the following questions:
Commission (“Why are we here?”):
Community and the Congregation (“Who is my brother?”):
Clergy (“What shall I say?” / “Who will go and serve?”):
Church in the present day (“How will we do church?”):
Over 52 Sabbaths of experimentation, soul-searching, much joy but also frustration, and many of us are left with more questions than answers. There has never been a time of greater uncertainty in the recent past that challenges all the above aspects at the same time and with equal intensity. The old is broken and rebuilding it may not be what we are called to do. Through His Spirit, God is revealing Himself in a powerful way, redirecting us towards Himself and reasserting His role in leading a people. Now, more than ever God is seeking a group of leaders to follow His calling into a new tomorrow with Him.
If you are serious about engaging with some of these questions while studying Theology at Newbold College of Higher Education, you will be intentional on at least three levels: spiritual (prayer and reflection), experiential (participation in a local and national church, as well as the local community) and intellectual (reading and learning). Ministerial training at the College will equip you with the essential knowledge to help redefine and reshape the commission, community and congregation, the roles of clergy and church, as well as discerning the voice of God as you lead.
If you feel God pulling you towards Himself in wrestling with these questions and if you’re seeking the opportunity to join God in the work He is doing in the church and the community, then you’ve come to the right place.
Welcome to Newbold.
Church is . . .
A retirement reflection – or is it a doodle?
Having served South England Conference members east, west and in-between, Pastor Jonathan Barrett has recently retired from pastoral ministry. I have always appreciated Jonathan’s careful use of words, thoughtful and intentional – the hallmark of an excellent preacher! Reflecting on church life, he put those thoughts on paper and did an A-Z of words in church life, called ‘Church Is . . .’ Any he’s left out? Read more
Rhythms of Grace
‘He stopped taking my calls . . .’
From the father’s perspective, the son asks the impossible. For The Firm to work like a smooth-running engine, this is how things are. ‘But,’ the son persists, ‘I need to do this for my family.’ Faced with two conflicting needs – royal convention and his son’s need – the father seized up with indecision. Wearied by unresolved conflict, when informed, ‘There’s a call for you Sir,’ it is one he does not wish to take. Read more
Enhancing health
Ovarian cancer
by Sharon Platt-McDonald
The seven National Health Service periods of health focus for March include:
In this issue we focus on ovarian cancer, as well as some of the activities you can engage in to raise awareness and funds to combat it this month. Read more
The cross –
and the printed page!
Last Sabbath we were eager to step out into the brilliant sunshine without being bundled up in the usual winter woollies. It was a perfect spring day; there was so much loveliness awaiting us as we walked up the hill towards Great Gonerby. Spring flowers seemed to have appeared overnight . . . celandines, dandelions, daisies, crocuses and daffodils had joined the numerous swathes of snowdrops that have been delighting us for several weeks. We heard the raucous calls of the rooks as they fluttered about in the tops of the elm trees, no doubt chatting to the mothers-to-be in the nests. We also heard the sweeter songs of the songbirds, who, it seemed, were singing for the sheer joy of being alive. Read more
Cold outside but warm inside
Welcome to Messenger Extra
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the February edition of Messenger Extra.
‘I want the judges to know who I’m singing to’
Photo: BBC Songs of Praise.
Huddersfield Fartown member Tara Goddard reached the final of the first ever BBC Songs of Praise Gospel Singer of the Year competition, broadcast last Sunday evening (7 February) from Gorton Monastery in Manchester. Singing for the semi-final the hymn ‘Pass Me Not’ by Fanny Crosby, and for the final ‘His Eye Is On the Sparrow’, by Civilla D. Martin, for Tara this was not a performance, but a ministry. ‘I want to show the judges that I’m not just a singer, but I know who I’m singing to . . . for God.’
Hosted by Mark De-Lisser, with acclaimed musicians Alexandra Burke, Heather Small, and David Grant serving as judges, Grant emphatically affirmed Tara’s purpose.
‘If you crack a note, if a note’s flat, if a note’s sharp, that’s not what this is about. This is about what you give, about the passion, the dynamic, the commitment, and it’s about the integrity of the performance. You had all of that – and you have got to let go of your concerns that perhaps it’s not flawless – because what you give is enough.’
Heather Small commented that through Tara’s singing she could see ‘the joy, the commitment and the love for God’. Likewise, Alexandra Burke clearly saw Tara’s belief in God and added, ‘As you show a great use of vocal range, this is the time to let go.’
Tara’s husband Pedro, who knows more than anyone the purpose of Tara’s ministry, agreed with the judges: ‘I know that she has a blessing she can give to other people.’
To see Tara singing in the final, go to:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000s5mc/songs-of-praise-gospel-singer-of-the-year-final
Rhythms of Grace – man, gorillas and God
Following the story of Malcolm X in the January edition of Messenger – of how he experienced a moment of grace when he came into contact with a faith community we love and know well – David Wright shares another Rhythms of Grace story.
On the grey and gloomy afternoon of 30 December 1985, forty people stood quietly beside an open grave, singing the words of a hymn written by an ex-slave trader. They were there to honour the life of the zoologist Dian Fossey, who had dedicated her life to preserving the lives of mountain gorillas, and who had been killed two days earlier. The hymn was ‘Amazing Grace’, by John Newton; the location was the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda, Central Africa; and the person conducting the funeral service was Elton Wallace, an Adventist minister from the nearby mission station at Gisenyi, and a friend of Dian Fossey.
In his biography, Woman in the Mists, author Farley Mowat describes Pastor Wallace delivering the following short but powerful eulogy: ‘Last week [that is, Christmas] the world did honour to a long-ago event that changed its history – the coming of the Lord to earth. We see at our feet here a parable of that magnificent condescension – Dian Fossey, born to a home of comfort and privilege that she left by her own choice to live among a race faced with extinction. . . . She will lie now among those with whom she lived, and among whom she died. And if you think that the distance Christ had to come to take the likeness of man is not so great as that from man to gorilla, then you don’t know men . . . or gorillas . . . or God.’
‘COVID-19 and the wilding of the Church’ – what sort of leaders do we need?
Dr Steve Aisthorpe
‘Re-imagining’ was a key word in Newbold’s first Diversity Lecture of 2021 on Tuesday 9 February. After environmental disasters, God works in nature, giving it an infinite capacity to bounce back. Similarly, God can work through leaders who model and encourage a re-imagining of the church in the wake of the pandemic.
The speaker at the lecture was Dr Steve Aisthorpe – Mission Development Worker for the Church of Scotland – a specialist in leadership, a committed environmentalist, and an experienced mountaineer! His lecture was an extended exploration of the metaphor of ‘wilding’ as it might apply in these days when the pandemic has affected the Church like an earthquake or another natural shock.
At the heart of Dr Aisthorpe’s vision is a Jesus-centred church where all relationships are coloured by adventurous discipleship. It’s a different picture perhaps from the highly organised, top-down institutions many think of as ‘the church’.
During the 40-minute Q&A session which followed the lecture, questions flooded in from church leaders and followers. ‘Where to start?’ ‘How to relate to congregations split between traditional and progressive members?’ ‘How to reconcile vision-casting and the uncertainty of listening?’ ‘How to cope with unimaginative and non-listening leaders?’ ‘Is there a future for church buildings and cathedrals and the institutional church?’ ‘Is there a danger of doctrinal impurity and schism?’ There wasn’t time to answer all of them, but clearly Dr Aisthorpe had stirred up a lot of re-imagining – especially in the mind of one questioner, who asked, ‘Is the Holy Spirit maybe more like a wild goose than a dove?’ The full recording of the lecture can be seen at:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=177589237490477&ref=watch_permalink
Helen Pearson
Diversity Centre Coordinator
The Sunday Times Op-Ed and the Adventist caricature
Rod Liddle once served as the Editor of the Today programme, broadcast each morning on BBC Radio 4. Working for the BBC required having the gift of impartiality. However, since writing an Op-Ed column for The Sunday Times he’s felt less restrained. In his 7 February column he is highly critical of the Church of England and its leadership – particularly of its role during this pandemic – and quick to note their huge decline in worshippers over the past five years.
In contrast, he notes the rise of ‘other churches’ and worries that the C of E will follow their lead in order to gain more followers. Well known for his hyperbole, to take him too seriously is a mistake, but it was his caricature of others and who they include that caused me to do a double take:
‘Other churches, meanwhile, are thriving – largely the you-will-burn-in-hell, writhe-on-the-floor gibbering chapters: the Pentecostalists, the new churches, the Baptists, the Seventh-day Adventists.’
‘That’s who we are – really?’ I couldn’t but give a wry smile to that; and, to join the hyperbole, I almost choked on my cornflakes! And perhaps we shouldn’t take too seriously an opinionated but un-informed columnist who loosely stereotypes others to make a point (some call it lazy journalism). On the other hand, for the sake of the Gospel, the serious mis-caricature is not so much about the Adventists, but about the God we serve. We know it is not a ‘you-will-burn-in-hell’ message – quite the opposite – but if Liddle’s perception, however untrue, is shared by our friends and neighbours, we’ve got some serious work to do to change that perception.
We could make a start with a letter to the editor: letters@sunday-times.co.uk.
Messenger subscription
The February edition
We have been very encouraged by the positive responses of those who received by direct mail the January edition of Messenger, and we’re busy processing all of the updated addresses, requests for electronic versions, and requests for copies for other members.
Our aim is to send one printed copy of the Messenger to the household of every member who wishes to receive it. We realise that the first mailing did not reach all such households, and we would be grateful for your assistance in getting our information up to date. If you know of any members who want a printed copy of the Messenger, but haven’t so far received one, please let us know.
Also, please note that if you want to keep receiving the Messenger by post you will need to let us know, either by returning the card that is included with the magazine, or by sending a brief email to:
This is a major new initiative to give help and support to all of our members in these strange and challenging times. We really appreciate your feedback and your assistance as we work with the church clerks to make it a success.
Peter Oppong-Mensah and Pastor John Surridge
Distribution Coordinators
Messenger Extra is the online newsletter, published digitally two weeks prior to members receiving the full print or digital edition of the magazine. To comment about anything you read here or in Messenger, please send your message to: editor@stanboroughpress.org.uk.
Best wishes,
David Neal
Editor