How far can you see into the future? During Covid, I’ve been saying that long-term planning is about three weeks. Either there is a spike or a new regulation or a hint of a vaccine. With each curve ball comes an unpredictable future.

I would never have dreamed that we would still be in this predicament after I cancelled in-person worship on March 15.

I would never have anticipated that Christ Online would become such a huge outreach beyond our Charlotte community.

I would never have predicted that our most recent New Member Class now includes people who don’t even live in North Carolina.

I would never have envisioned the vibrant, interactive, authentic worship experience online that we now have.

But where do we go from here?

Churches that think that ministry means getting people to come to a building will be left behind. Churches that think this silly online worship will be shutdown after a vaccine are naïve. Churches that count membership or worship attendance as their only metric of growth will be disappointed. Churches that limit themselves geographically will have minimal impact.

What will worship look like? What about Small Groups and Sunday School Classes? How will we do Fellowship? How will we measure success and impact?

I wish I had a crystal ball to tell you when this pandemic will be over and what the church will look like in a post-Covid world, but I don’t. I have something better than a crystal ball. I have the Holy Spirit working through prayer, study, conversation and the good people of Christ Lutheran.

I want to invite you to be a part of something big, something that will shape the look, feel, worship and future of Christ Lutheran for a long time. For six weeks beginning on January 6, Pastor Drew and I will lead a Wednesday evening class from 6:00-7:30 called, The Post-Covid Church: What Will it Look Like? We will study scripture during times of turmoil to see how God reconnects His scattered people. We will read some of the best dreamers and futurists of our time to understand how the larger Church is reacting and responding in anew way. We will strategize on what impact these dreams might have on Christ Lutheran. And together, we will let the Spirit guide us on expanding the reach of Christ Lutheran in a Post-Covid World!

How? Let’s figure this out together. Join us either in person starting January 6 (6:00-7:30) in the Fellowship Hall or online via Zoom. The link will be published on Christ Online's Virtual Schedule <christelca.org online=""></christelca.org> as the date gets closer.

This is a God who promises to make all things new. And I’m excited to be a part of it. . .with you!

Peace, Pastor Scott

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