A new survey by Barna Research found over the course of just a week, most church leaders went from thinking they\u2019d be back to meeting as usual in late or March or April (52%), to projecting the changes would extend to May or longer (68%).<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is this realism that\u2019s setting in,\u201d said David Kinnaman, Barna Group president.<\/p>\n
But while most pastors are realistic, they\u2019re also optimistic, according to Kinnaman. \u201cOne of the cool things about pastors we\u2019ve learned over the years is that they are by job description and by disposition more upbeat, positive, hope-filled people,\u201d he said. \u201cSo they are often pretty capable of putting a good face in a tough situation, and they, like other leaders, are going to face a lot of tough decisions in the coming weeks as the crisis continues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though most had already called off normal activities at church, pastors also implemented swift changes in policies around smaller group meetings over the past several days.<\/p>\n
The percentage who still allow the church building to be used for \u201csmall meetings and gatherings\u201d has dropped by about half (from 18% to 8%), according to Barna\u2019s Church Pulse survey, hearing from 434 Protestant senior pastors and executive pastors in the US. A plurality say the church staff will be working remotely for the foreseeable future (up from 25% to 40%).<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pastors, yes, are worried about how the lack of Sunday services translates into a decrease in giving.<\/p>\n But the biggest concern is congregants: how to care for isolated members from afar and, in worst-case scenarios, how to minister to the sick and dying https:\/\/t.co\/ww4GNzQlYW<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) March 31, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n