The COVID-19 sparked concerns about an approaching economic crisis and possible recession. Moreover, social distancing, quarantining, and travel constraints have led to a reduced workforce across all business sectors and prompted countless lost jobs (Nicola et al., 2020). Educational institutions have shut down, and the demand for goods and manufactured products has declined. On the contrary, the necessity for medical equipment has drastically increased. Furthermore, the food sector is overlooking enhanced interest due to the stockpiling of consumption goods. Apart from the economic sectors, such essential aspects of human life as church and family units had also suffered to a great extend. However, it is vital to learn more about how these two institutions have been dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic results.
Pandemic Effects on Churches
The church, throughout its history, has gone through many times of crisis. Christians have experienced everything from the sack of Rome in the 4th century AD to the black plague (Williams et al., 2016). For its members, it can be easy to get lost in the chaos of the moment and forget the teachings of the Bible. Jesus reminded his listeners with the rhetorical question, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27). During the Covid-19 crisis, some churches have been forced to switch to an online ministry (Afolaranmi, 2020). Furthermore, a number of churches have begun training church members to assist in the transition to online ministry. Additionally, some churches have created texting and mailing groups to keep some element of community communication active even while under lockdown.
In the United States, churches can adopt several strategies to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak. The switch to online services is the lowest risk strategy as it ensures that there is no church-sponsored contact between individuals. This comes at the detriment of the community, as regular, face-to-face contact is an essential aspect for many churchgoers. A higher-risk strategy involves using social distancing during services. Individuals are forced to sit separately, and the number of people in the building is limited. Sometimes additional services are held to compensate. This strategy involves higher risks, as there can be potential contact and transmission between individuals. The pandemic has increased the workload of many churches regardless of approach, as setting up online services or enforcing social distancing requires additional human resources.
Pandemic Effects on Families
Various stressors can cause cognitive, emotional, and physical fatigue and negatively affect the family relationship. Thus, if stress levels rise noticeably, some parents may engage in harsh parenting, enhancing child maltreatment chances. Today, across the world, families are collectively undergoing a unique and novel spectrum of stressors that threaten their well-being, safety, and financial state because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Even though COVID-19 is not the only global health threat to endanger people, psychologists suggest that it might have long-term adverse consequences on contemporary children and families (Brown et al., 2020). The constant financial stress accompanied by the continuous worrying for the family’s safety causes heavy anxiety to parents around the United States. However, several factors, including perceived control over stressful experiences or supportive household settings, may serve as barriers and minimize distress.
However, despite different negative consequences caused by stress, there are numerous ways Covid-19 has united families around the globe. During the lockdown period, family members spent most of the time together, which was perceived differently as some parents enjoyed spending additional time with their children. Moreover, the increased pressure from the world’s intense situation enabled families to appreciate each other even more. As the Scripture states, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). Thus, families, including extended members, could find support and strength in their connection, allowing them to move forward and not give up.
Adjustments to Life during Pandemic
Both churches and families have had to adjust to “the new normal” as they see fit. At first, the pandemic forced many churches to assess how best to protect their community. Similarly, families were forced to plan out their approach to “the new normal.” Both churches and families have learned how to better communicate at a distance through video-chatting applications or live streams. This has led to increased church creativity, with new podcasts and sermon cycles being created and posted. Additionally, both churches and families appreciate those moments when they can be together, as it is often taken for granted pre-Covid 19. Times of crisis often create new forms of solidarity between those who go through them together, strengthening any community in the long run.
References
Afolaranmi, A. O. (2020). Effects of Covid-19-pandemic lockdown of churches in Nigeria on pastoral ministry: Matters arising. EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR), 164–171. Web.
Brown, S. M., Doom, J. R., Lechuga-Peña, S., Watamura, S. E., & Koppels, T. (2020). Stress and parenting during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Child Abuse & Neglect, 1-14. Web.
Nicola, M., Alsafi, Z., Sohrabi, C., Kerwan, A., Al-Jabir, A., Iosifidis, C., Agha, M., & Agha, R. (2020). The socio-economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID- 19): A review. International Journal of Surgery, 78, 185–193. Web.
Williams, N., Reeves, A., Parkinson, B., Miller, C., & Israel, G. L. (2016). World History: Cultures, States, and Societies to 1500. University Press of North Georgia.