No one can be certain when the Covid crisis will end but we know it will end. Isolation will be lifted. Onsite gatherings will be permissible. Resumption may be phased in but it will happen. Pastors and Boards need to be thinking now about returning stronger. The Lord of the Church wants to direct your steps to maximize this opportunity, leverage the potential momentum, and make a lasting impact in your community. 

STEP ONE – Mission and Vision

Is your vision compelling? Is your mission clear? Now is the time to re-visit, and, if necessary, redraft your church’s mission and vision.

STEP TWO - Outbound

Most people can hardly wait to get back to church to be with friends. You don’t want your first Sundays back to feel like family reunions at the exclusion of guests. Put guests at the front of the line in your thinking, your planning, and your communication. 

STEP THREE - Connecting

When people come back to your church building, they need to know you’ve done all you can to keep the facility clean and germ-free. Part of your communication should include what you’ve done to disinfect the lobby, the auditorium, the kids rooms, etc.

Have hand sanitizer accessible throughout the facility when the church reopens. Have masks available for those who might want one. Think through other areas of concern people might have and do all you can to maintain the cleanliness of your facility and health of your people.

Now is the time to recruit volunteers to serve on that first weekend back. No church should be less than fully rostered. Even though you may not know exactly which weekend you plan to reopen the church, it’s not too early to ask people to commit to serve.

STEP FOUR – Disciple-making

Before the crisis, we settled for discipleship equating with knowledge. Jesus called disciples to reproduction. Re-draft all staff and volunteer job descriptions to prioritize disciple-making outcomes.

STEP FIVE - Simplify

Review what you have been forced to do without. Office space? Facility space? Unproductive ministries? Over-staffing? Bring what endures into alignment around your vision and mission.

STEP SIX - Online

You’ve had people view your services who would never have set foot in your church building. The likelihood is most of those who connected first online will remain online. That is their norm. Sustain what you provided online. And make it even more effective. Provide online services, small groups, Alpha, prayer meetings, and devotionals for the other 167 hours. And where will you find time? Step seven.

STEP SEVEN - Staffing

Consider virtual staffing. Productive work in isolation showed the value of a virtual office. Personnel do not need to be in your facility or your city to contribute. Partner with other like-minded churches and share costs on specialized staff – like video creatives, social media experts, small group innovators, and website managers. The possibilities are wide open for urban and rural churches.

STEP EIGHT - Finances

God provided in unexpected ways. The crisis was a catalyst for increased giving by some. Leaders shifted their thinking about online giving, how to ask for money, knowing who your givers are, and tweaking budgets. Don’t return to what was normal.  

Great days are ahead for your church. While it still seems hard to imagine when we’ll be able to meet again, in reality the day is soon approaching. When you give careful consideration to these steps, you’ve stewarded well the resources and opportunity God is giving his Church.

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