'We are going to survive': 5 ways the Church is innovating amid COVID-19

By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Friday, January 01, 2021

Plymouth Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation of 35 in a town of 10,000 in northern Indiana, has touched thousands in Pakistan through supplying materials and training in Henry Blackaby's classic Bible study, 'Experiencing God.' — Plymouth Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation of 35 in a town of 10,000 in northern Indiana, has touched thousands in Pakistan through supplying materials and training in Henry Blackaby's classic Bible study, "Experiencing God." | Plymouth Baptist Church

Focusing on small groups

With large groups unable to meet, many churches focused their attention on small groups, whether in-person or digital.

Pastor Rick Warren, head of the 22,000-member, California-based Saddleback Church, revealed that over 3,000 new small groups have been started during the pandemic and added to the church’s existing network of 6,010 small groups.

“Small groups are not a ministry of the church, small groups are not a program of the church, small groups are not an outreach of the church, small groups are not an event of the church, small groups are the church,” he said.

Researcher Warren Bird, president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, told CP that as the COVID-19 pandemic fades away, the churches that “do small groups well” will most likely be “stronger” than those that do not.

"In light of the pandemic, so much of church health today depends on a vibrant, small group system underneath the big gatherings, whether they're in person or online," he said.

“Much like in the pandemic, the churches that are most threatened are those with preexisting health conditions,” Bird explained. “The churches that are going to have the hardest time re-surfacing will be ones that depended solely on the Sunday morning gathering. They will have a hard time re-gathering, rebuilding momentum, and reestablishing their mission as a church.”

Howard told CP that as a church planter, he “can’t stress enough” the importance of small groups — especially amid the pandemic.

“They’re a key way to fight isolation,” he said. “Small groups have been very important during this time. Churches really need to prioritize this. Essentially, what else do you have as a church?”