Church Attendance

“It’s good to have a more accurate membership roll. But it’s best to pursue these non-attenders toward a specific end: removal if they’re attending another gospel-preaching church, restoration if they’re happy to return, and excommunication if they’re either unwilling to attend church anywhere or unable to be found.” - 9 Marks

“In the post-lockdown world, healthy churches are likely to be almost reconnecting at ‘full strength,’ again depending on size and circumstances. Our small group is able to hold services (somewhat reduced in frequency) in conformity to distancing recommendations.

“North Point came to the decision because of its size and the difficulty that poses for contact tracing, Stanley said. If a church member is diagnosed with coronavirus after attending a service, North Point would be responsible for contact tracing, or identifying anyone who could’ve been exposed to that sick person.” - CNN

“In a more in-depth examination of those groups released Wednesday, researchers found significant generational divides, noting that half of practicing Christian millennials had not attended church in the past four weeks.

“A church in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, will be closed for 14 days after a reported 28 people connected with the church tested positive for COVID-19. The Greenbrier church outbreak is the fifth COVID-19 outbreak at a church in West Virginia, and Governor Jim Justice is emphasizing the importance of carefully following safety precautions.” - Church Leaders

“Evangelical Christian Baptist Church “leaders said they followed safety guidelines and disinfected the entire building before the service. They also provided hand sanitizer to attendees and required that people stay 1.5 meters (five feet) apart, per regulations.” - CL

“Group 1 contains those who don’t feel vulnerable, haven’t lost anyone they love, don’t know anyone who has suffered from Covid-19, and don’t live in a region strongly impacted. Group 1 feels oppressed by government overreach. Group 2 contains those who are vulnerable, who have lost a close relationship, who know someone who has suffered from Covid-19, and who live near regions that have been seriously impacted.

“The reasons someone might not want to attend church gatherings vary greatly and our pastoral response will be directed to such reasons.

“… this study suggests that religious service attendance was associated with lower risk of deaths from despair among both men and women, accounting for a wide range of potential confounders (including other aspects of social integration)” - CPost

Pastor Nic Burleson “says his church is also putting all food service on hold.