Christ in Crisis Fellowship Ministries


by Gary Krehiel, Ministries Coordinator


As I’m writing this, the world is much different than it was a few months ago. Te coronavirus pandemic has changed virtually everything about daily life. Cities have closed down much


of their economies, and social gatherings have been limited to just a few people, if they are allowed at all. Streets are less busy and most business interactions are online. Te implications for churches has been significant, but it has been an opportunity for churches to use technology to stay connected with their members and communities. It’s being done in a variety of ways, but it has made churches think creatively and intentionally. I believe God will use these creative solutions and methods to help the Church be more agile in its approach to the needs around us in the future. It’s possible that by the time you are reading this, things


have returned to some sense of normalcy, though that is likely a new kind of normal. As we have watched public policy shiſt and change in dealing with the crisis, people are having their confidence tested daily. We know that the cultural shiſt in this generation has been seismic. We are firmly in the post-modern age and in a post-Christian culture. Tis is the most significant life-altering crisis in that time. While Christianity has been displaced, this crisis has demonstrated the inadequacy of its replacement to deal with some things that faith in Christ offers and are vitally needed. Here are four things the gospel offers in counter to the culture.


Power Te coronavirus pandemic has made it clear that Science,


the god of the post-Christian culture, is far more limited than portrayed and is not transcendent of ethical questions. Te appeal to Science is the appeal to the authority of this culture, yet this crisis has demonstrated its inadequacy and limitations.


Scripture teaches that God has given humans intelligence


and reason to rule over this earth and to care for it. Tat in- cludes the ability to study and understand the world as God cre- ated and reveals it. Tat is science. Science is not evil nor should it be neglected by believers. As Ed Stetzer wrote in Christianity Today, “Leveraging scientific study and achievement for the betterment of people is an entirely Christian thing to do.”1


But


science places trust in the power of humanity and the orderli- ness of the natural world. Te Christian worldview recognizes that the Creator is greater than his creation. Believers can demonstrate full trust in the Creator, in the seen and the un- seen. Science does not need to be wholly discredited or used as a political tool. Rather, for the believer to affirm the wonder that God created a world that could be studied and known by his creation — yet our history and destiny are in his hands.


Community Te importance of community has also been evident in


dealing with a pandemic. Perhaps the greatest loss in the pandem- ic is the freedom to connect and relate. Te isolation has been difficult, underscoring the importance of relationships. Commu- nity organizations are important, but the church is truly count- er-cultural. For example, the church values the physical gathering together in a time when there are more individual pursuits com- peting for everyone’s time. But even in a time when the physical presence is restricted, the counter-cultural mission of the church is critical. Te body of Christ as a living organism breathes life into relationships. Tese aren’t just other people, they are family. Te Church is a place of transformation and mission. Lives are being transformed together, and the mission of the Church in making disciples should be evidence of the power of the gospel.


Grace Watching the politics and criticism of the crisis has also laid


bare the hidden reality of the post-Christian culture. While it purports to be an inclusive, embracing culture, it is a graceless faith. It is in reality a faith system based on a rigid adherence to an agenda built on destroying institutions. And there is no redemption. Tose who act in disagreement with the rules of this system find themselves rejected and dismissed — or worse. Tose beliefs, faiths, and corporations that are perceived to have promoted oppression are denounced and reviled.


So how can the Church (one of those historic institutions)


have a voice in the midst of this hostility? By offering what the culture cannot: grace, a second-chance, new beginnings. Te


continued on page 16


1 Stetzer, E. (n.d.). 3 Reasons for Christians to Engage in Science. Retrieved from htps://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2015/may/3- reasons-for-christians-to-engage-in-science.html on 4/10/2020.


10 Fellowship Focus, May/June 2020 FellowshipForward.org


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