As I was reflecting on this time in the life of the church I was reminded of the song by John Waller While I’m Waiting. Churches are doing a lot of waiting right now. We are waiting to see when we can meet in person again, waiting to see what will happen with summer camps we were supposed to attend, waiting to see if we can have our planned VBS, summer programs & fellowships, waiting to see if we will be able to resume church as it was before. But we should not be waiting to share God’s love with our community, waiting to disciple our members, or waiting to lead people into an everlasting relationship with the Father.
So if we shouldn’t be waiting how do we do the task God has called us to?
In the last few posts we discussed ways to serve your community, senior adults, parents, children, and youth. Look over these ideas and spend time in prayer asking God to show you the needs of those around your churches. Both those in your church community and those of your church members and visitors.
It would be easy for the church to say we can’t meet so that means no Bible Studies or new member/new Christian classes. I challenge you to look at this panademic not as a hindrance but as an opportunity given by God to find new ways to teach others. Today’s technology has given us amazing ways to connect with others even when we cannot physically be together. You have probably heard about and attended services or Bible studies on Zoom, Facebook Live, or another virtual meeting platform. There are also online Bible Study resources like Rightnow Media that can be used to have virtual Bible studies. But let’s not neglect the need for personal one on one connections. All people but espcecially new Christians need a personal connection with someone that is willing to invest and speak truth into their life. This can be done on the phone, letters, virtually and even in some cases you may feel comfortable doing this in person. Most people have more time right now because they may have been laid off, have reduced hours, kids dont have sports, or club events to attend. God has slowed us all down, given us more time at home and more with each other. The church needs to take this time to grow closer to Him and help others learn and grow in their relationship with the Savoir.
Right now it would be easy for churches to say it’s impossible to do
evangelism, hard to tell people about Christ, and hard to invite visitors to your services. But I want to challenge you and say now is the perfect time to do these things. People are searching for meaning, for comfort, for connections, and for hope. This is where the church needs to step in and present truth, love, and that hope that is needed. It’s wonderful to see so many churches doing online worship services whether live or recorded. But if we aren’t also using this time to engage those who join us, we are missing the great opportunity online worship presents. How do you do this? Start by making sure your services on Facebook or website are set to public so that anyone can watch them. Then encourage your members to share the links on their social media to invite others to join. Be sure to have someone serve as a connection person to engage with people who watch your live services.
No matter how you choose to go about the work of the church, just don’t wait. God is moving now and we need to be vessels that He can use.
Serving together,
Katie Harris
