Gospel Ministry in a Global Pandemic

 
It would have been nice to have left 2020 behind and marched triumphantly in 2021 with a return to pre-Covid normalcy. But that dream is still a fantasy. In South Africa, churches are still limited in attendance to small gatherings and social distancing measures are locked in place. This is challenging. We love to be together as God's people in worship. The joy of corporately seeking God and enjoying Him and each other is something special that is sorely missed as we struggle to keep infection rates at bay.
But there is no lost time for followers of Jesus. COVID-19 did not escape his notice and he is active, calling his people to follow after him in new and exciting ways. And although how we gather has changed drastically, there are options before us that are exciting and new, stretching boundaries and opening up new opportunities that are perfectly crafted for vibrant, gospel infused ministry that takes advantage of the context before us.

So what does this look like?

1. Go deep, not wide.
It is harder to gather big groups, but small groups are where the action is anyway. Spend more time with a few people. Set up groups of 3 or 4 for prayer, accountability, mentoring, and discipleship. 'Iron sharpens iron' and the next year or two is the perfect time to strengthen these relationships. My wife, Leslie, and I oversee two communities of life groups that are still meeting and pushing each other toward Jesus. By focusing our efforts on these life group and community leaders, we have the privilege of 'doing life' with over one hundred young people in life groups that won't be able to attend church regularly but still want to be discipled and will be active disciplers. And these deep relationships might be the best thing to rise from the ashes of COVID-19.
 
2. Go short, not long.   
Many of our meetings are still on a digital platform, which is an amazing blessing but also a significant challenge. I spend many days on back to back Zoom calls and the last thing I want is another call in the evening. Keep the digital gatherings short and focused. Use them for discipleship moments that are fun and extraordinary. We find that podcasts are a helpful way to open up new opportunities to push some of these boundaries. Find a podcast on a topic that opens up discussions around current events and how to navigate our surroundings as followers of Jesus. 'This Cultural Moment' is a podcast by Mark Sayers and John Mark Comer that lends itself perfectly for this. You can pick 4 podcasts around a theme, select a passage of scripture for each backdrop and discuss how the passage and podcast intersect. Everyone comes having already listened to the session and the discussion is usually fun and challenging as you consider Scripture in light of  some of the current events and trends highlighted in the podcast. How did the early church find its way in times of uncertainty? It is certainly important to find out. And at one hour max, you can finish with a time of prayer feeling like you could go on for longer . . . but won't. And after you finish the fourth session, you can decide when to begin the next series. 
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3. Find rhythms, not ruts
I have found that living through the uncertainties and challenges of COVID-19 and its aftermath is stressful, to say the least. But learning how to navigate from a framework with focused goals is still better than just trying to get back to the 'way it used to be.' We tend to operate according to habits--routines that make it possible to move through the day without spending a lot of energy thinking about them. Now those moorings have changed and any new routines we set up will likely need to be re-examined along the way as contexts remain fluid. Lifestyle rhythms can incorporate goals that can be modified in an ever-changing environment. If the goal is relational growth, consider new tools to help you keep moving forward. Maybe a Whatsapp video call from your phone will work instead of sitting at your laptop on Zoom? Or instead of a coffee meeting sitting in a restaurant, maybe a takeaway walking through a park or along a scenic stretch of your city will work nicely? Your rhythm--spending the relational time together--can be established while the way it happens can be fluid to meet the context. And this is just one of many opportunities to make adjustments to rhythms without falling into the ruts of habits. Things are changing rapidly, so these rhythms serve as guidelines that can help to structure your activities in line with the goals you are looking to achieve.

Maybe these ideas will help you think about 2021 with a little more excitement and expectation? I hope so...

What are the some of the ways you are navigating life and the challenges before you?