If you would have told me a year ago that we would have faced something like we are going through right now, I probably would have laughed at you. Not that I am a sceptic or anything, but the world seemed a much different place just 12 months ago.
So much has changed in our world from how we interact with one another, to how we go out in public. From the world shutting its doors, to panic buying of paper products, and quarantine we live in much different world. It goes to reason that ministry has taken on many challenges as well.
Our staff meetings went from everyone bringing their items to the table each week of what their ministry had planned for the coming month, to how we were going to best reach our congregation during this time. Service structure changed (weekly at times), communication changed, staff interaction changed, and all of this at an alarming rate. It goes without saying that frustration reared its ugly head on occasion, and it was hard to find a balance on what to do at different times. But as I look back, I see how it all came together and how we have made it so far.
External Focused Became Internal Focused
One of the things we noticed, on staff, was that we had to keep our people connected somehow. Most of our people were on or familiar with Facebook. Since we had a fairly strong presence on this media platform, we turned to it to make announcements and generally communicate with our people. We discussed how to gain feedback and special needs from our people, so we split our congregation among our staff and started calling individual families right away. It was evident that actually talking with someone was the best way to communicate and let our people know we care about them.
We had to be creative! We knew that our people were struggling. With so much of our world shutting down and families at home together more than they had ever been, they were searching for solutions on how to stay connected and entertained all at the same time. A couple of things we did was a picture scavenger hunt around town where families could get out and take a picture of what they were searching for. We also hosted online trivia nights where families could gather together and answer questions by typing the answer on their phones. This was one of our more popular connection games we utilized.
Sunday Service Became Priority
At the beginning we stayed as “normal” as we could on stage so that even if people were watching at home, they would still have the sense of being there with us. It wasn’t until our state mandate became so restrictive that we had to reduce the number of people on our stage, and honestly our stage layout all together. We tried to be creative. From week to week we changed some element so that it became more personal. Honestly, it went from welcoming
folks who were in the congregation before the pandemic, to now welcoming folks who were joining us online probably still in their pajamas. The seats in the auditorium were empty and it was difficult at times to connect. Obviously when people are in the seats you can connect on a personal level, but not having them there was strange.
Staff meetings became fun! (sarcastic tone) Everyone had an opinion! I mean everyone! I am a processor, meaning I have to take an idea and process it for a bit before I can put it in to practice if it is worthwhile. With everyone weighing in on service elements it was clear to me that my process time was going from weeks to days, and sometimes even hours. Quite honestly this didn’t settle well with me. It was super frustrating, but I knew I had to be a team player. We all agreed though that what we were doing on Sundays was priority and we needed to put our excellence there.
Don’t Waste This Time
One of the key phrases we kept saying and reminding our people of was, “don’t waste this time.” What we meant was use this time to share what Jesus has done in our lives with someone who doesn’t know him. Whether that be with a neighbor or with our own family, make sure this time counts!
Our Life Groups and Discipleship groups took this strategy head on by continuing to meet virtually and also, on occasion, in person. Zoom became everyone’s new obsession to the point we all, as some of you may still be, Zoomed out!
One thing I noticed was how everyone was eager to join in just to see each other. We had better attendance during this time than we had ever encountered before. Our prayer time became sweeter. We shared our needs with one another and kept up with one another on a weekly, and sometimes daily, basis.
It was hard to keep the Worship Ministry focused. When this all started, we were in the planning stages of a couple of different events that were coming, and just like that, we had to stop. Some of the hardest moments were the overwhelming sense of loss by not being together and hearing one another sing. We tried different strategies to keep people engaged. I would post a video every Friday with a short devotion and some information for our group to stay engaged from week to week. One thing we started and have continued is a mid-week Zoom prayer time. While the numbers would say that this hasn’t been overly successful, it still is a sweet time to get with a few and pray for the needs of many.
Experience Is the Best Teacher
I believe if we all had known this was coming, we would have made preparations for some of the challenges we have faced. The old saying, “you don’t know until you try,” still rings true today. I believe we all could write our own stories of what this past year has brought out in us. I don’t believe we are out of the woods yet, but I feel we all have put into our toolboxes those
things that just may sustain us in the days and weeks ahead. Ministry looks different to me today than it did just 12 months ago. The routines of week to week planning and having some sense of normalcy have all but gone out the window. Even as I write this our church has experienced its second COVID-19 shut down. So, what do I do now? I have to keep planning and preparing for what’s coming next. I have to keep our worship ministry engaged. Above all, I have to continue to build relationships with those around me. Our world is experiencing change like never before, and it is of the highest importance to share what God has done for us with those around us. We all have a story to tell of God’s goodness. Make it a priority today to share your story with someone.
Bryan Hughes serves as Worship Pastor at Peace Church in Wilson, NC.