When we first hear of the new coronavirus, it seemed like a joke.
By March 2020, we were hit with a lockdown that changed the dynamics of how everything works. We could no longer meet for physical services and had to move online. Even now when things seem to be slowly returning to normal, a lot of things have changed.
How does the church adjust to these changes that have been forced upon us? In this post, we take a look at five important lessons for the post-pandemic church.
Lessons for the Post-Pandemic Church
The pandemic doesn’t signify the end of the world, it only heralds the beginning of a new era.
How do church leaders make the transition to this new era so that their churches can still thrive? Let’s look at some important lessons for the post-pandemic church.
The Church Goes Beyond The Physical Building
By now, you should know that the church is not a physical building. We have always preached this truth but never had it been truer than during the pandemic. Churches had to live stream their services and people had to watch from home. While it was pretty easy for some to adjust because they had the means, some churches had to close down.
Now that things are getting back to normal, some folks would still not attend physical services. They will rather stream services online because of the convenience they enjoy doing so. This presents church leaders with a new challenge. You need to run physical services while still funding service live streams.
As a church leader, you must invest in different methods to get your church services online. From social media platforms to church apps like ChurchPad. Also, you must ensure that you have the equipment to make your live stream worth watching.
Study Your Finances
As we get to terms with the effects of the pandemic, it is time to study your finances all over. Find out how much is coming and how much you are spending. Don’t just look at your income and expenses, check out what you spend on and your income sources.
Doing this helps you know what parts of your budget you need to cut. It also helps you know what programs to focus on and what to do differently. Studying your finances reveals your church’s financial patterns and what you can do to turn things around.
Regularly Engage Your Congregants
Reaching out to your church members is very important, especially because of the woes of the pandemic. People need companionship now more than ever. Send them messages of hope via SMS, share newsletters, and make use of social media channels.
The benefit of doing this is that it doesn’t just reach church members, you can reach out to the general public. Social media makes it easy to engage your congregants and other individuals. There are so many ideas that you can employ. A church management software will be highly profitable in this regard.
Remember that your church is not restricted to the building. Post snippets of your messages online. Provide links to your sermon live streams and other resources so that people can download them. The more you engage your audience, the more loved they feel. This love transforms them into loyal members of your congregation which is key to church growth.
Extend Generosity Beyond The Church
The church is accustomed to certain methods of generosity. The pandemic has taught us that we shouldn’t just be generous to those that attend our churches. We must extend a hand of fellowship and generosity to people outside the four walls of our buildings.
The truth is that people have needs and because of the social distancing restrictions, they may never visit the church. It is the responsibility of the post-pandemic church to reach such needy individuals. Asides from blessing the lives of these individuals, it is a huge opportunity to evangelize the gospel and facilitate church growth.
Know Your Givers
Different individuals experienced the financial brunt of the pandemic in different ways. For some, they lost their jobs and businesses while others made a lot of money working from home. Knowing your givers means understanding the current financial state of these individuals.
Some of them might not have the capacity to give as much as they used to and you must understand that. However, this shouldn’t stop you from preaching messages about giving or inviting people to partner with you on projects. Transparency and sensitivity are very important here. Knowing your givers helps you to know the best ways to approach them to continue to support the cause.
Conclusion
We have just discussed five important lessons for the post-pandemic church. Do you think that we left anything out? If yes, drop your suggestions in the comments section. Don’t forget to check ChruchPad for features to facilitate church growth and improve church administration.