03/19/2020
How can we help?
We understand the needs of our member churches and what a heavy burden your campus is under right now. Here are some things we would like to share with you.
We want to encourage ministry facilities to emulate the safety protocols given to businesses by health and safety officials, these tough days. Take a moment to read this post. Prayerfully, it will encourage and inspire you a little.
Everyone is facing this crisis together. The actions taken by our national and state leaders are unfamiliar and foreign to us. We have not experienced anything like this in our lifetimes. It is uncomfortable, to say the least, and some find it terrifying. Our job is to help minimize the negative effect by reminding everyone who is really in control and who they should look to, Jesus. People need to feel the leadership only the church can give in their lives now. We need faith, not fear. At MinistryResource, our job, as an organization, is to provide the tools, equipment, and resources you (churches) need to do the work for people that only your ministry can reach. We make ourselves available to you, and we offer these suggestions.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. We encourage you to be transparent about what your ministry is going through. Members and visitors can empathize with the church facing a crisis as long as you communicate with them properly. Harvard Business Review put out reports that speak directly to this message concerning the business world, but it is very applicable here … “When customers are separated from the work that’s being done behind the scenes to serve them, they appreciate the service less and then they value the service less.” As Christians, we believe we should keep private all the work we do in His service, but not in this situation. Give details about the steps you’re taking to continue ministry operations and give insight into the steps you’re taking to help the community.
Remote Network: This refers to a communication protocol for businesses but can be used in any industry, including ministries. Hopefully, your ministry has active and current teams or groups (small groups, tribes, etc.) that allow for more personal and intimate communication. If this is true for your organization, then there has never been a better time to utilize that network. If you don’t, it is easy to quickly organize a similar outline.
Establish your team or group leaders as Contact Points. Using your small groups or tribes as contact points can allow a remote policy that covers your ministry well. Most ministries have established strong protocols on how to communicate leader to leader (via email, social messaging system, or video call, etc.), but in our current situation, you may find your protocols on communication to the congregation lacking, and what deliverables each team leader is responsible for completing may be muddy.
With plenty of people already working remotely, there are a lot of existing communication paths that your ministry can utilize, allowing team leaders and team members to stay in touch and keep the church operations working even if they aren’t in the same place.
Taking advantage of these existing networks is paramount to the health and sustentation of your ministry. We all understand the possible devastation a shut-down could bring to any organization, but for the church, this is an amazing opportunity to minister. Panic, just another word for fear, will keep us from faith, but your communication can provide messages of encouragement and hope that will inspire. I am certain that the more you minister, the more your ministry will be blessed.
Tasking your small group or team leaders with soldier-like responsibilities to accurately share information from the leadership can greatly increase the effectiveness of your message. By doing this, the congregants will hear what you want to share and understand that their church is supporting them.
We encourage leadership staff to not get caught up in meetings for just the leaders right now. Planning is important, but it is easy to fall in the trap of over-planning, which will only keep you from your call. Be a comfort to those people who trust you most.
Remember, the majority of your congregation has never experienced isolation to this degree, at least not in America. Streaming a service and a message to those in isolation is a great thing, but streaming is NOT the only answer. It is an important part of outreach, but there are more needs that we should be addressing.
We wouldn’t dare to offer an exact outline of what your organization should do about communication during this unusual day, but we would love to offer perspectives to help stir your already creative juices. We also pray that the Holy Spirit will give you the understanding you need to be all things to all people as we go through this ordeal.
Create interaction that goes past the monitor or television.
Communion: There are few experiences in a church that are very personal and intimate. Taking Holy Communion is one. By remembering the sacrifice made for me, I am also reminded that I am not in charge, but I know Who is. What a privilege! Unfortunately, isolation prohibits this shared intimacy with your at-home congregation … or does it?
The majority of our member churches have switched from cups and bread and bread pieces to the prepacked juice and wafer sets. They are easy to distribute and simple to use. We offer this suggestion: have your team or group leaders pick up enough of these sets from your facility to supply their group members. If you want to do communion each week, have them distribute to each family the necessary amount based on that criteria, which will cover the next three weeks. If you prefer every other week, then two sets. They can take these combo sets to their team members’ homes, giving the now famous elbow bump, or get permission to put them in the mail box or another predetermined receptacle. Now, on Sunday, you have true interaction with your people. They will feel more a part of the service.
If you have ideas that are helping your congregation feel more a part during this isolation, please share them with us, and we will share it with the other 40,000 ministries we touch (giving you credit if you are okay with that). You never know the impact (blessing) of your idea on another congregation.
Be safe and blessed during this time.
Darrell Myers, VP MinistryResource
