Pandemic - The Church’s Finest Hour?
photo shot at Aro Ha
Remember the movie Apollo 13? That movie was scary! But imagine what it was like for those three brave souls who were experiencing it in 3D. It still makes my skin crawl, thinking about what it must have been like to experience this crisis first hand, sitting in that small, constrained and damaged spacecraft, desperately searching for solutions to a life threatening problem, waiting for help from NASA’s best minds.
Time was running out as life sustaining oxygen was escaping and low battery power meant that it was going to be a cold ride home. The odds of a successful return to earth on this aborted moon flight were shrinking by the minute for this three-member flight crew.
A senior leader commented, “This could be the worst disaster NASA has ever seen.” At that moment, Gene Kranz, veteran flight director said, “With all due respect, Sir, I believe this will be our finest hour.”
Will this be the worst disaster your church has ever faced? Or will it be your finest hour?
This is not the time to live in denial, waiting for things to return to normal. It could be a year before churches can gather publicly again.
Here are some suggestions for churches:
1. Act, Don’t React.
God has solutions for all of our problems. He is not surprised or stressed out over the coronavirus. This is the time to lead people into a season of prayer, while listening to the Holy Spirit for direction on how to love and care for those who are struggling.
2. Embrace the Digital
Digital is not going away, so leverage it to help people connect more effectively. This should become a primary tool for communicating with people. Streaming services is just the beginning. Right now, people are more available digitally than ever as they quarantine at home. Use this time to connect with those who are struggling financially, the un-employed, the new engaged homeschoolers, remote workers, health care workers… The list is endless. Learn to use Facebook, FaceTime, Twitter, Skype, Zoom and Google Hangouts as tools to connect, and they will still be great tools after we get a vaccine.
Digital should be a platform to connect with leaders and staff in a primary was into the future.
3. Organize Ministry Teams Online.
Now is the time to empower and enable people to do ministry. Equip people to minister effectively to the network of relationships that they already enjoy. Organize them into ministry teams where they can inspire and help each other moving forward. Get them connected by organizing leadership meetings now, using Zoom or another tool. I’ve put [30 videos online](https://legacy-coaches.teachable.com) for free that can be used to discuss what it means to lead healthy small groups. Enroll and you will have access to all the supporting documents as well.
People are seeing the need to connect as the quarantine has led them to experience the closest thing to solitary confinement ever. Social distancing is creating a hunger for connecting once the quarantine is lifted. It has never been good for man to be alone…
4. Focus on Equipping Leaders Online
Provide tools and resources to practice the disciplines of the faith, the acts of righteousness that Jesus modeled, while living out a God given mission. It is time that we function like Jesus, engaging leaders in a personal, spiritual journey, rather than leading them to sit and listen to a teacher.
5. Focus on Neighborhoods
Lead people to pray for those in their own neighborhoods. Equip them to prayer walk the neighborhood. Prayer evangelism is where we talk to God about our neighbors before we talk to our neighbors about God. Praying God-sized prayers for our neighbors who are out of work, struggling with finances, stressed by all the family members who are now spending days in close quarters, when God answers prayers, it is so easy to talk about the God who answered.
6. Make More and Better Disciples
The goal is not more online attendance for our streaming services. The goal is to make more and better disciples of Jesus. This is the time to kill those ministries that are not making disciples and prepare to launch new ministries with new leaders when the quarantine is lifted.
OK, what would you add?
