Here are 5 simple ways I've seen an opportunity and capitalized on it during this time.
1. People are connecting in small group settings. Our church leadership had recently decided that we needed a robust small group ministry that would include all of our members. Our goal was to have 75% participation by the end of 2022. With Covid-19, we are now developing and implementing a full-on small group initiative for care and connection. We see this season to connect our church like never before. People are seeing the benefits and blessings of coming together to share in fellowship with one another.
2. Our community is caring for real and felt needs. We are experiencing many real needs in and out of our fellowship. Spiritual sickness is real. Many have developed poor habits. They aren't spiritually being fed or having their families fed. We are taking every advantage to meet people where they are and create ways for them to nourish their souls. Many will slip through the cracks if not careful. We must make sure that you are attentive not only to who is showing up but those who are not.
3. Lay leaders are leading. I believe this could be one of the greatest benefits of Covid-19. I see a tremendous opportunity for lay leaders young and old to step up in their leadership. We are now seeing more deacon care and connection than any time in the recent past. Decisions are being made with clarity and decisiveness. We have seen that urgency has prioritized ministry and decisions that were once challenging are no longer. Watching our deacons caring for their groups has been encouraging. People need to be reassured that they are cared for.
4. We are changing what needed to be changed. It has been interesting to see how people navigate change. Some people are paralyzed by it, while others thrive when it happens. One thing that I have learned through Covid-19 is that we were headed in the right direction..... just at the wrong pace. Most change can happen quickly, but the thing that slows it down is the mental, emotional state of those experiencing the change. Our church has embraced the changes and we are creating new ministry initiatives daily.
5. Focus on reaching out. We have initiated ways for our people to reach out to others. We have created a prayer network that ladies sign up for on an hourly basis. We are sharing sermons and devotional through watch parties, going on prayer walks, and creating care packages. This is just a few of the things we are implementing.
The key is that people engage with other people.
