BCNE News
The latest news from our network of New England churches. Looking for our New England Perspectives Articles? Click here.
Wineskins and new wine in a post-COVID-19 culture
COVID-19 has changed everything. As technology has changed at light speed over the past few decades, the Church in our country has been blessed to be insulated from seismic changes. Of course, before COVID-19, we added some online platforms and adjusted in mission as technology improved and the Church realized we’d moved from the center of culture to the periphery. (In truth, we were always more peripheral than we wanted to admit, but over the past couple of decades we’ve reframed our missional approach in light of our decreasing authority and influence.)
Not business as usual: Ministering to kids during quarantine
The COVID-19 crisis has done many things to our kids ministries. It has made us rethink, redirect and refocus the ways that we connect with kids and their families. In a recent online meeting with more than a dozen children’s ministry leaders in New England, the hands-down thing they miss most are the hugs and interaction they had with their kids on a weekly basis.
How to handle funerals while social distancing
I have performed two funerals since quarantine began. The first funeral was a graveside service with five people present due to social-distancing restrictions. The second funeral was conducted over Zoom. I first lamented the Zoom service because it is such a foreign concept. However, in retrospect, the Zoom funeral was wonderful ministry, and I am going to recommend it to families who need to plan funerals during quarantine.
Leading youth during #stayhome
I know this is a lot to take in.
What we are going through right now is unlike anything we have experienced in the U.S. The challenge will grow in the days ahead.
I know some of you are only a year or so out of high school yourselves. Others are tackling schooling children at home, and some are also caring for parents. I hear you, and I am praying for you.
Remember the widow: The importance of giving when it hurts
Times are tough. Not only are we mostly trapped in our homes, not only are grocery store shelves shockingly bare, but many of us have lost jobs or are working reduced hours. Money is tight. And it seems like we sometimes have different expenses – even greater expenses.
Ministry criticism: A value-added experience
As a ministry leader, you’re probably no stranger to criticism. If you’ve ever tried a new ministry program, attempted to navigate significant change or just simply responded to a need, you’ve likely encountered someone who found fault in your methods and communicated their frustration loudly and clearly! Their critical words might have caused you minor irritation, or perhaps they wounded you quite severely.
God’s Spirit is being poured out
Three months later, we are in the throes of a global epidemic such as our generation has never experienced. Yet God’s Spirit has indeed been poured out upon people. While church buildings may have closed down, the Church is more alive than ever. Small flocks are stepping into the technological age and are seeing remarkable things. One pastor who shepherds a flock of 25 saw one of their services posted on YouTube receive over 350 views. He was amazed!
Am I ready? A meditation for my friends who already follow Christ
We are having a “come to Jesus moment.” While this phrase is often used in jest when someone is in trouble and about to experience reality, all Christ-followers are having a come to Jesus moment now.
Discipleship training wheels
I taught my boys how to ride bikes recently, and I was pretty pumped about it. I was beaming. Natalie was bragging on them. (I was slightly jealous I didn’t hear more bragging on me.)
Easter was made for a time like this
Just when we think the low-grade stress of trying to hide from an invisible enemy is getting unbearable, we hear of another cancellation of an event we had looked forward to for months. We know it is the right thing to do, and we might even feel guilty for wishing it wasn’t so, but we mourn our old lives nonetheless. As a parent, I am joining moms and dads all across the world who have to explain to their kids why their favorite spring activities are canceled. But as a pastor, I am joining pastors all across the world explaining to their congregations that Easter is not canceled.
Virtual resurrection witnesses
To put it simply, every day should be a day that our actions and speech announce the resurrection. That being said, with the current COVID-19 pandemic affecting the world in a way that has produced massive shutdowns, limiting human physical interaction, the question becomes, How do we do we bear witness to Jesus’ resurrection now?
Parenting during a pandemic
When I was pregnant with our first child, I read various parenting books, like many other first-time parents. However, there was no parenting book for “How to Parent Your Children During a Pandemic.” These are uncharted waters. As schools across America shut down due to the COVID-19 virus, many parents found themselves unexpectedly left to homeschool their children while simultaneously working from home. I am a stay-at-home mom, so I’m used to being home with my kids on a regular basis, but being quarantined at home with nowhere to go is hard for me! Here are some ideas that will hopefully help as you are at home with your kids.
Incubator for the soul
We've had to adapt to a new normal almost overnight, learning to operate at a distance for the well-being of the community. Goodness knows periods of isolation can cause significant stress, but I'd like to submit an alternate perspective: what if this time shut inside could be one of the single greatest instances of potential for kingdom empowerment we've seen in this generation?
Cultivating a team spirit in crisis
There is no doubt that during a crisis, teams – even church leadership teams – can fall apart. However, God requires His church to come together to see a change in the community, to accomplish something more significant together that we cannot accomplish alone. Here are some critical elements that are essential for teams to win together during a crisis. Try incorporating them in your church!
Three steps to responding well in a crisis
Like most people, I have lived through my share of crises, both personal and on a broader scale. And if I’m being honest, I haven’t always handled them well. (Practice doesn’t make perfect in this case.) Thankfully, if we are willing to be intentional, there are a few steps we can take to handle crises more like Christ.
Kids these days: How culture affects Gen Z’s mindset
“Kids these days!”
It’s an expression many of us have either said or thought. They seem so different from the way we were at their age. And usually, it’s not in a good way. (Although if we’re honest, we probably need to question the reliability of our memory of our teenage lives.)
Open your eyes
I wear trifocals. I joke that this means I cannot see in any direction! But there is seeing and there is “seeing.”
Pestilence: A timely sermon I never expected to preach
In a lifetime of ministry, I never imagined I would ever preach a sermon about pestilence. But I’ve changed my mind. People everywhere have riveted their attention to the Coronavirus epidemic and I don’t know what subject could be more relevant right now. I have a hunch that other preachers agree. So here is a short sermon I never expected to preach.
Get your church online this weekend
We’ve been getting a handful of questions about how to get your church services online in the quickest, cheapest way possible. So I wanted to send out this quick guide to help any church with any budget get online.
Celebrating victories as a ministry wife
Victories come in all shapes and sizes. A victory to one pastor’s or planter’s wife may be a quiet afternoon with no appointments or ball games or piano practice. Another might find a victory in a text from the lady down the street that she has been praying for and trying to build a relationship with. A different person may feel it a victory just to get out the door and have the kiddos to school on time.