It’s almost surreal, but I published my last Hope Notes blog post two Wednesdays ago, just minutes before getting in my car and driving home while tuning in to Gov. Mike Dewine’s first Coronavirus press conference announcing the “extended spring break” for Ohio schools. To say that the last two weeks have been a whirlwind—press releases, news reports, advisories, updates, cancellations, response plans, and email alerts by everyone from utilities to banks to insurance boards of directors all seeking to let us know they’re here to serve us during this crisis—is perhaps the understatement of the decade (yes, I know the decade just started).
It’s dangerous to assume, but with most churches and pastors being relatively tech-savvy it is likely that most of you have navigated the initial “Phase 1” challenge of transitioning your weekly gatherings (and hopefully offerings as well) to an online format. That’s important. But I hope we’d all agree that the greatest “Phase 2” challenge is not how we will care inwardly for ourselves and keep inner ministry going as believers and churches, but how we will prepare in order to leverage this moment of crisis for the outward mission of Christ. (Click HERE to listen to missional thinker and director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, Ed Stetzer, on the COMING crisis!)
I like to play with words. I couldn’t help but notice a couple of Sundays ago when I first addressed the COVID-19 situation before Bridge Church that the word pandemic is the word ‘panic’ with ‘dem’ in the middle. It’s not really the etymology of the word, but I do recall from Greek that ‘dem’ means people (e.g. ‘Dem’ocracy = people power, etc.). So we can look at pan-dem-ic a couple of ways: 1) as “people in the midst of panic”, or 2) as “people interrupting panic.” Both interpretations of pandemic are live options. We can see people in panic around us, and we can also see people interrupting panic by taking calm, courageous action.
I like option 2 the best. That’s where we as Christ-followers need to be; that’s where we’ll have our greatest impact for Jesus—as people interrupting a time of cultural and civilizational panic with a peace that passes all understanding.
TRANSPARENCY ALERT:
This crisis will interrupt the revenue streams that supply Bridge Church and Cleveland Hope. Yes, concern (even worry) have teased at my mind as to how this could impact not only our church’s and our network’s capacity to minister but also how our household income might be affected.
Perhaps those same thoughts have been nagging you too—and maybe not just on the church side of things but also on the secular income side of things as many of you are also employed in non-church jobs.
Most people reading this blog are engaged in roles of Christian leadership and influence. I have three points of advice that I believe will help us be panic interrupters rather than panic participants. I’ll give them to you all at once and then we’ll look at each in sequence:
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.
Step 1 - Communicate
Paul says in Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
“All healthy communication is important, but the absolutely essential and foundational form of communication for every believer and group of believers at all times (not just times of global pandemic) is prayer.”
My six year old son Isaac shared this memory verse in front of our church a few Sundays ago and boy, what a timely word it turned out to be! All healthy communication is important, but the absolutely essential and foundational form of communication for every believer and group of believers at all times (not just times of global pandemic) is prayer. Take it to God. You’ve got worry? Take it to God. You’ve got unemployment? Take it to God. Do you have COVID-19-infected church members or neighbors (if not YOU WILL)? Take them to God and plead earnestly for their healing. Concerns over money? Take them to God! Fight anxiety with the antidote of faithful prayer.
Step 2 - Communicate
Brothers and sisters: whatever your leadership capacity in your church, TALK TO YOUR PEOPLE! They want and need to hear from you. Whether you’re a pastor, children’s coordinator, small group leader, personal discipler of less mature believer(s)…DON’T STOP TALKING TO YOUR PEOPLE (well, I mean you have to sleep and eat and spend time with your families and work and grocery shop, etc. but…). My point here is that we must take every reasonable opportunity and leverage every available medium to bring the comfort and stabilizing effect of God’s word to God’s people. I’m not much of a tweeter, but I’ll be getting back in the swing of Twitter in the coming days. Why? Because it’s an avenue of filth and falsehood that I want to utilize for truth and light for the people God has given me to influence. Our church folks are being innundated with all the same media and messaging that we are—some of which is pure hype and speculation. Do all you can to provide God’s people not with your opinions or theories about CV19 but with helpful, factual information from health and government sources—and yes, the Bible!
“…we must take every reasonable opportunity and leverage every available medium to bring the comfort and stabilizing effect of God’s word to God’s people.”
Also, encourage your folks to communicate with their neighbors and associates. Many of our church members are classified as “essential” workers and are still associating with people each day in the community. Share a verse-a-day with your people and encourage them to do likewise in-person with their co-workers or neighbors while also offering to pray (see Step 1 above) for their needs & concerns. Ask your folks to communicate with you and for their permission to communicate their stories with others for the sake of encouragement. I was chatting with a friend on Facebook yesterday and she told me about a mutual friend who called a credit card company with a routine question. She talked with the rep for 5 minutes about the credit card issue and for another about another hour about Jesus sensing the card rep’s fear about the current crisis. As my friend told me, “People are looking and listening!”
Step 3 - Communicate
Here’s the next step: Communicate with other churches & leaders. Oh, and don’t forget to include your favorite association guy :-) )! Bridge Church rents worship and classroom space at a school. I can’t tell you how encouraging it was to have three nearby pastors reach out to me offering to share their churchs’ space with us knowing we would soon be locked out of our facility with the school closure—they called me!! Don’t let the isolation creep in either from your church family OR from other church leaders in the broader family of God. Now is an optimal time for encouragement and even creative partnerships. Got a creative idea for blessing folks and sharing the love of Jesus in your community? Need some resources? Call me (440) 413-1508. Need some ideas? I may not have THE solution for your church & community, but two heads are better than one; AND I’ve been hearing about a lot of cool ideas from leaders across Cleveland and Ohio that I’d be happy to share with you!
“Now is an optimal time for encouragement and even creative partnerships.”
I’ll try to make personal contact with each of you in the coming few weeks, but feel free to call me. Visit our directory; pick another pastor or two and call ‘em up. Even a voicemail communicates care and helps break the isolation Satan wants to strangle us with. Share a prayer need and/or ask how you can pray for them.
I could try to pull together a bunch of ideas, checklists, and best-practices to implement, but I’m not an expert on your church or the needs in your specific part of greater Cleveland. That’s why my advice is very simple and straightforward: Communicate! We are communal creatures and the health of our communion hinges in no small part on the quality and quantity of our visible and verbal communication. Let’s partner during this pandemic. But let’s pull together and offer the kind of partnership to our people, to our communities, and to each other that helps interrupt panic rather than intensify it. Clear, Christ-focused, consistent and credible communication is the key!
Blessings to you!