5 Ways a Church Can Grow During a Pandemic
Pastor Dallas wrote about the church’s history during the 1918 pandemic that might surprise you. Here’s an excerpt:
What if social distancing might reunite us spiritually? It wouldn’t be the first time. I pastor the First Baptist Church in Jackson, Michigan, a 181 year-old downtown church, which I’ll abbreviate as FBC JXN. One benefit of an established church is its history. With our doors closing to on-site worship services, I decided to go down to the church basement and peruse our archives. I was surprised by what I found. […]
On November 2, 1918, Michigan reported that it had received notice of 789 new cases of the flu. Despite the continued threat of the flu in the state, gatherings would be re-opened in Jackson on Nov. 6, 1918, by the order of Mayor William “Cap” Sparks, who had been told by Governor Albert Sleeper to use his own discretion for the decision. Five days later, World War I ended. It was a time of great change, but even with the doors to public gatherings reopened, the world would still fight to survive the flu epidemic.
In the midst of such change, somehow FBC JXN grew spiritually and in numbers. In the period of 1917-1920, the church increased its membership by 135 members and its overall giving by 58%.
How did they grow in the face of such trying times? Let’s take a look.
Read the entire story at https://dallasflippin.com/5-ways-a-church-can-grow-during-a-pandemic/
