Doomsday preppers.  If you are like me, you remember the reality shows documenting how they stockpiled supplies, to ensure they wouldn’t be caught off guard, and unprepared in the event of a worldwide disaster like Y2K.

Little by little, day-by-day, they work to become increasingly prepared, so that they aren’t scrambling in the midst of a crisis. But, rather, could draw upon their stores, acquired over time.

In many ways faithfully shepherding a church, as a pastor and elder board, is like spiritual doomsday prepping.  Systematic, deep, expository preaching on the part of a church is like stockpiling doctrinal reserves, which church members can draw upon in the midst of a calamity such as COVID-19.

Sadly, I believe many attendees of prosperity gospel and weak, seeker-sensitive, topical-sermon churches now find themselves running to an unstocked storm cellar, in dire need of spiritual nourishment for themselves, and to be able to provide an answer for the hope that they have, to their unsaved family and friends (1 Peter 3:15).

Preaching the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), teaching sound doctrine and refuting error (Titus 1:9), and laboring continually to teach and admonish towards full maturity in Christ (Col. 1:28-29) will ensure that our church members are not left with heads spinning and spiritual shelves empty, when they encounter a crisis such as this.

So, as we continue to witness scenes of empty grocery shelves and panicked customers, let it remind us of the need to pray for, amongst other things, the evangelical church around the globe, desperately in need of leadership equipped and impassioned to prepare their congregations for routine, daily challenges, as well as historical crises.

And please continue to pray EA’s ongoing efforts to produce such church leaders, as well as our current crisis ministry to equip and encourage Christ’s Church.