Stop, pray, think, learn, plan, then possibly open the church buildings again

Thinking aloud after the announcement that church buildings will soon be allowed to open for services.

All church buildings can only fit a limited number of people safely when they open for services, even at 1m social distancing, and actually the rules are still 2m if that can be achieved and only down to 1m if there's no other option. 

Services won't look like they used to - probably no singing, much more distanced chairs, communion? Praying together in groups? Etc

There will be people who want to get back in the building asap because the building is extremely important to them.

There will be people who won't be going inside church buildings out of choice or safety and will want online provision still.

There will be those who enjoyed online and won't want to go into church buildings.

I think it will be important to offer both physically present services and online services.

As someone who often struggles to get into churches I don't want to "watch" a service inside a church, especially if there's no connection as part of that from people outside the building - that feels very excluding. 

It has been such a great experience to all worship together online with people offering their gifts in different ways; we somehow need to capture that ongoing. 

Perhaps that will mean that people at home video in to be part of the service in the building - readings, prayers, preaching etc

Or perhaps it will mean that an online service is a new congregation in its own right.

These are huge issues which every church needs to think and pray through.  I just hope that churches don't rush back into buildings and lose the opportunity for praying and thinking and learning and developing.