COVID and the Church

• Appendix: The Impact of Age, Ethnicity, Gender, and Location

  The pandemic did not impact every leader and congregation equally. Obstacles, pressures, and risks varied as they do in regular life based on a litany of factors. As we've discussed, one of our biggest surprises was that the strength of state restrictions did not appear to significantly impact attendance, budget, giving, or staff size changes at churches across the country. Instead, one of the biggest predictors was how congregations reacted to the implementation of pandemic health measures. The two strongest predictors, as we're going to see, ended up being location and ethnicity, both individual and congregational. Based on the Appendix of the report, in this special bonus episode host Aaron Hill (editor of ChurchSalary) sits down with an all-star lineup of Arbor researchers to unpack how the pandemic disproportionately impacted leaders and congregations in terms of education, gender, individual ethnicity, location, age, and congregational ethnicity. Featuring contributions from Tyler Greenway. Eric Shieh, Ebonie Davis, and Terry Linhart. Hosted by Aaron Hill, editor of ChurchSalary "COVID and the Church" is produced in conjunction with the Arbor Research Group and funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc., through a grant from the Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders (ECFPL) initiative. Executive produced by Aaron Hill, Terry Linhart, and Matt Stevens Director for CT Media is Matt Stevens Audio Engineering, Editor, and Composer is Tyler Bradford Wright Artwork by Ryan Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  50:19

  --------

  50:19
• Ch. 9: Beauty from Ashes

  Without question, the pandemic was one of the most difficult seasons the modern church has ever faced. Even though COVID-19 brought an immeasurable amount of pain, grief, and anxiety to churches and pastors, there was beauty to be found. In the face of all that the church endured, the theme of beauty from ashes remained constant throughout our interviews with pastors and leaders. It was a tangible reminder that for people of faith, there is always hope, no matter the circumstances. Across focus groups, interviews, community case studies, and survey responses, pastors pointed to a number of unexpected blessings that would not have occurred had they not endured the adversity of the pandemic. In addition to cultivating a new unity in many local congregations, the pandemic also revealed the character of many churches, either highlighting a beauty that is easily taken for granted or providing the refining fire that transformed their congregation into a more Christ-like image. For some, the pandemic pause allowed for breathing room and for the Holy Spirit to take control. Based on Chapter 9 of the report, in this episode host Aaron Hill (editor of ChurchSalary) sits down with two researchers from the Arbor Research Group, Ebonie Davis and Jon Swanson, to talk about the theme of Beauty from Ashes. This episode also features an interview with two amazing pastors, Daniel Shmitz and Demetries Edwards, located in Oakland, California, who started a new partnership during the pandemic in order to reach and bring healing to their community. Hosted by Aaron Hill, editor of ChurchSalary "COVID and the Church" is produced in conjunction with the Arbor Research Group and funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc., through a grant from the Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders (ECFPL) initiative. Executive produced by Aaron Hill, Terry Linhart, and Matt Stevens Director for CT Media is Matt Stevens Audio Engineering, Editor, and Composer is Tyler Bradford Wright Artwork by Ryan Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  49:10

  --------

  49:10
• Ch. 8: Leadership in Crisis

  The COVID-19 pandemic presented church leaders with one of the most arduous tests of leadership in over a century. The early days of the pandemic were marked by a historical level of uncertainty, anxiety, and fear. The stakes were literally life and death. Churches lost not just members to the virus, but also pastoral staff. At the same time, the pandemic took away the fundamental practices that define the body of Christ, such as worship, communion, and baptism, as well as the building blocks which form and sustain communities within larger congregations, such as youth and small groups. The pandemic created a monumental challenge for American churches and pastors that, in many cases, precipitated a leadership crisis. While many leaders showed tremendous courage and compassion amidst the initial uncertainty, they tired over time, especially as loneliness and weariness set in. Where leadership weakness was present, the pandemic exposed it, sometimes with devastating consequences. Based on Chapter 8 of the report, in this episode host Aaron Hill (editor of ChurchSalary) sits down with two researchers from the Arbor Research Group, Brent Sickel and Terry Linhart, to talk about the numerous leadership crises that occurred during the pandemic and why. This episode also features interviews with several pastors and lay leaders who were directly affected by or lived through a leadership crisis. Hosted by Aaron Hill, editor of ChurchSalary "COVID and the Church" is produced in conjunction with the Arbor Research Group and funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc., through a grant from the Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders (ECFPL) initiative. Executive produced by Aaron Hill, Terry Linhart, and Matt Stevens Director for CT Media is Matt Stevens Audio Engineering, Editor, and Composer is Tyler Bradford Wright Artwork by Ryan Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  1:04:02

  --------

  1:04:02
• Ch. 7: Friendly Fire in the Culture War

  Pastors frequently cited COVID-19 as a source of political polarizing and ideological conflict in focus groups, interviews, and survey comments. A pastor in Jackson, Mississippi reflected, “We couldn’t please anybody. You had this binary thinking about everything that was happening.”  Before COVID-19, the battle lines between politics, faith, and community in many American churches were already overlapping. During the pandemic, they seemed to disappear entirely.  As you listen to this week’s discussion, please understand that our desire is simply to shine a light on what actually happened—the lived experiences of countless pastors and congregations across America. Our sole aim is to facilitate reconciliation, healing, unity and the proclamation of the Gospel, and our prayer for the American Church is the same as Jesus in John 17:20-21: “I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. ... so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Based on Chapter 7 of the report, in this episode host Aaron Hill (editor of ChurchSalary) sits down with two researchers from the Arbor Research Group, Jesse Brown and Tyler Greenway, to talk about the negative effects of polarization on pastors and congregations. This episode also features interviews with several pastors and lay leaders who were directly affected by political polarization and friendly fire during the pandemic. Hosted by Aaron Hill, editor of ChurchSalary "COVID and the Church" is produced in conjunction with the Arbor Research Group and funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc., through a grant from the Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders (ECFPL) initiative. Executive produced by Aaron Hill, Terry Linhart, and Matt Stevens Director for CT Media is Matt Stevens Audio Engineering, Editor, and Composer is Tyler Bradford Wright Artwork by Ryan Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  1:04:33

  --------

  1:04:33
• Ch. 6: Outside the Walls

  The pandemic held up a mirror to the American church. Congregations that rarely stepped back to evaluate their endless calendars of events were forced to assess whether their ministry models reflected the mandates given by Christ and the example of the early church. For many congregations, what they saw in the mirror was not pretty. One East Coast pastor gave a common assessment. "We're not really as open and involved in the community as we could be, as we should be. I see nice little buildings. I see fancy decorations outside on the lawns, manicured perfectly, and the steeple is still bold and standing. I just think that as a household of God, there's so much more we could do." For many, COVID-19 became a catalyst for change, an opportunity to recalibrate rhythms and fall in better alignment with the church we are called to be in Scripture. Based on Chapter 6 of the report, in this episode host Aaron Hill (editor of ChurchSalary) sits down with two researchers from the Arbor Research Group, Ebonie Davis and Terry Linhart to talk about how the pandemic pushed some churches to venture outside the walls of their church building in new and exciting ways. Featuring an in-depth interview with Dan Nold, a lead pastor of a multisite church whose leveraged the pandemic to launch a monthly "Church Without Walls" Sunday, where instead of gathering for worship at church members venture out and minister to their neighbors. Hosted by Aaron Hill, editor of ChurchSalary "COVID and the Church" is produced in conjunction with the Arbor Research Group and funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc., through a grant from the Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders (ECFPL) initiative. Executive produced by Aaron Hill, Terry Linhart, and Matt Stevens Director for CT Media is Matt Stevens Audio Engineering, Editor, and Composer is Tyler Bradford Wright Artwork by Ryan Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  43:45

  --------

  43:45

Meer Religie en spiritualiteit podcasts

Trending Religie en spiritualiteit -podcasts

Over COVID and the Church

COVID and the Church: Podcasts in familie