Ted Powers - Director of Midwest Alliance

A Note from Ted

Director, Midwest Alliance

The current pandemic has brought all sorts of challenges AND opportunities to churches and the ministry of the gospel in the Midwest and across the country. But it’s one thing for established churches, and even mission churches that have launched publicly, to respond. It’s another thing altogether when it comes to starting new works. What is church planting going to look like for the rest of this year? Through NEXT year? And maybe the year after that? How will new churches get started in the face of social distancing and its impact on core dynamics like networking and gathering? (click here to continue)

These are questions that I and others in church planting leadership have begun to grapple with. Strategically, it may mean that there is an interesting blend of the old and the new – i.e. developing house churches and small groups in the manner of the early Church but then meeting together in a larger gathering virtually. In addition, there seem to be many creative ways to do networking and outreach through social media. Financially, in the light of the economic challenges we face, we may need to see more bivocational ministry – it may need to become the norm rather than the exception. In terms of the planters themselves, we may need to make adjustments in what blend of gifts and personality are better suited for these new realities. If so, how will all this affect how we assess, train, and coach?

At this point, it’s hard to have definitive answers to these questions. I look forward to continuing to interact with many of you as we pray and consider how to plant churches during a viral pandemic and its potentially long aftermath. If you have any ideas or resources that you are discovering please feel free to pass them along so that we let others know as well! The Midwest Alliance Facebook page and Instagram feed are great ways to cross train and gain encouragement from others. Are you connected? Click on the icons at the bottom if you’re not. 

What I do know, however, is that, as always, God is on His throne, He causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, and that Jesus words will continue to be true: “I will build my church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.”

And if you want to do more thinking on this, I found this to be a stimulating read by science writer Ed Yong in the Atlantic.