19 innovative strategies or platforms church leaders are using to facilitate meetings and ministry. What are you using? Post your responses below.
1. Host daily Facebook live, zoom, etc. devotional or Q/A.
2. Small Groups using online platforms to gather for discussion, prayer, bible study, and games (most common were Zoom, Facebook, and Microsoft Teams).
3. Daily newsletter email, video or Zoom meeting; focused on bible verses, curated articles, or video clips on YouTube of worship or teaching from other sources.
4. “How To” videos (tutorials) for online activities (using Zoom, Facebook live, giving online, accessing streams).
5. Establish specific ministries with volunteers and coordinating leaders focused on delivering meals, supplies, medicine, etc. for those most vulnerable.
6. Coordinated phone calls to every member/attendee; either split up among leadership or assigned to specific volunteers as a new ministry.
7. Use parking lots or drive-in movie theaters to create a “drive-in” experience for services.
8. Draft letters and/or care packages for members’ neighbours for them to hand out; focus on introduction, exchange cell numbers, and offer of help/prayer.
9. Create “COVID-19 Kits” filled with toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and dried goods, etc. (cost ~5$); distributing them in low-income neighbourhoods.
10. Turn the church into a daycare specifically for healthcare and safety workers (done in cooperation with the city in order to comply with “essential” tag).
11. Deliver sanitized iPads to nursing homes quarantined from visitors so they can connect with family and church services.
12. For high church sacrament observance, set up 5-minute slots throughout the week for families to drive up to observe communion. Broadcast an online communion service.
13. Downscale production value; transform your platform into “living room” to emphasize intimacy of worship and preaching.
14. Provide mobile devices along with directions on how to access the streaming services/apps. For churches without the budget to secure enough devices, members with older devices (phones, tablets, computers) they are no longer using can be donated for this purpose if still in working condition.
15. Launch a website aimed at caring for the community (www.covidcare757.com; 757 is area code). Focus on scripture, prayer requests, and offers of assistance.
16. Introduce a 21-day plan of scripture, group devotions, and worship every day at specific times; designed to help congregants establish a new routine in quarantine around church life.
17. Organize the church into groups of 3 households each; focus on caring for each other and checking in. The purpose is to help with oversight by leaders. Ask the “triads” to do ministry together (participate in Sunday service, witness in their neighborhood, pray together, etc.)
18. Drive-through food pantry; partnered with the town to host supplies.
19. Set up “stations of the cross” style prayer in a local park close to the church. At each station, people find scripture that can be read with their bible app. Posted virtual version of the tour for those at risk to participate.
What are you doing to help your community? Please post below.
COVID-19 Church Survey Summary Report
A collaborative effort by The Billy Graham Center’s Send Institute, Exponential, Leadership Network, Catalyst, Discipleship.org, and ARC
Read the full report here.
Bob Jones is the founder of REVwords.com, an author, blogger, and coach with 39 years of pastoral experience. Bob is also an Advance Coach with the ABNWT Resource Centre. You can connect with Bob here.