In our world today being August 2020, every church leader, college minister, pastor, volunteer, and church member knows that this is a time unlike any other. As we gear up for a new school year once again this is uncharted territory pioneering where none of us has been before and future generations to come will read about. If you’re like me, you have more questions than answers and the sheer amount of questions can be overwhelming and debilitating. Here are four areas I am personally laser focusing in on as we prayerfully and proactively prepare to navigate new norms:
ON MISSION.
The whole purpose of our existence is missional. Individually as souls and corporately as the church, we are here on earth for such a time as this with a very specific mission! When you pair the great commandment of loving the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving our neighbor as yourself with the great commission to therefore go and make disciples of all nations – baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That is our mission as the church!
It’s our reason and our purpose—keeping the main thing the main thing. Even when all ground around us feels like sinking sand, it is upon Christ the solid rock we stand. In case anyone needs to be reminded from time to time like I do, Jesus said He would build His church and nothing (not even a pandemic) could stop it.
Our goal should be to have that focused of an unswerving mission, joined together with methods that are flexible to accomplish the mission based on our setting, our context, and our city.
Thoughts to think about:
· Were we on mission in the past? (There’s no better time to be honest than now!)
· Are we truly on mission now? (Make any adjustments for course correction.)
· What do we need to do to be on mission? (Thinking ahead into the short-and long-term future.)
ON CAMPUS/IN PERSON.
My wife and I have a primary setting of pastoring college students through a campus ministry. The whole reason we found passion about ministry in the first place was to meet students on their turf, in their territory, at their table on the college campus in the middle of the university moment where dorm dreams are born.
Our campus announced Fall semester 2020 to be online only. We honestly and realistically know that for a campus that has only online courses, students are about to be zoomed out pretty quick. Our processing this challenge actually forces us to think creatively.
While “on campus” might not be realistic in our context for the next semester or so, “in person” might not be out of the question.
We can open up our home and backyard and students can do the same for small groups. We can also partner with local businesses that have side rooms or public meeting spaces for gatherings that observe mask mandates and meet social distancing requirements (following the requirements set by local and national government, of course).
If we’ve learned anything during this time, it’s that humankind was designed for community. None of us was meant to do life on our own. Each of us, whether introverted or extroverted has relational needs.
Your setting might have already re-opened a while ago, you might be re-opening soon, or, like us, it might be a while before things look like they did in 2019. The population size of your city and setting have a lot to do with this.
Things leaders need to think through:
· What happens if there’s an outbreak near me?
· What options do people have to engage with our community when they experience symptoms of COVID-19 or other sickness they don’t want to spread?
· Are we able to repurpose content on purpose to offer hybrid models? Which leads us to the next area:
ONLINE.
For those who are immunocompromised, quarantining themselves, or just don’t feel safe meeting on campus or in person – especially in the digital world we live in – online is no longer simply a marketing tool, it’s also a tool for ministering. On mission thinking helps us consider the needs of those we serve and have opportunities where our gatherings are live-streamed.
There can be also be online small groups for prayer, bible study, and encouragement. As much as people might dread it or pretend zoom is a four-letter word, virtually everyone has participated in some form of meetings over the internet during COVID-19 whether it was for a telehealth appointment, church gathering, work meeting, or family get together.
Most churches have at minimum begun live-streaming their weekend services on Facebook, YouTube, and their website during COVID-19 season. In fact, Facebook reports that their biggest user of livestream services has become churches. My encouragement would be to also think beyond Sunday’s!
One day at a time online & on mission thoughts:
· Day by day has become the way of life for all of us.
· Personal emails, calls, texts from a Pastor are simple, small touchpoints that make a significant impact on the recipient.
· With fewer opportunities face to face interaction, how can you and your team leverage online methods & social media to engage with your community to facilitate life on life ministry?
ON DEMAND.
Life in 2020 looks different for everyone! Different from what we planned for, different from what we hoped for, different from what we dreamed of, different from what we asked for, and different from what we imagined. During these times, many people are realizing their need for God and hunger for spiritual things!
Will we meet them where they are at? Where are they? They are on the go. This is why podcasts have taken off so popularly. That is the beauty of apps and services like: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu is they is on demand. People can watch it whenever, wherever.
Churches and leaders have the opportunity to stay engaged with people throughout the week and not just once per week. Sure, putting your weekly messages on social media, on podcasts, and on YouTube are a great place to start. I would challenge you not to stop there, though.
Three shifts every leader can begin to make today:
1. Passive observation to active participation.
2. Consumer into contributor.
3. Entertaining to engaging.
Who knew 2020 would look like this anyway? None of us. As you navigate new norms, whatever they may entail, when you filter decisions through online, on campus, and on demand options; you will be able to steer whatever community you lead through on mission ministry!
I want to hear from you! What else has helped you remain on mission as a leader?