Wise Christian leadership in the different seasons of COVID-19
The seasons are changing as we live in isolation during COVID-19. Members of my extended family have joyfully reported flowers are blooming in Berlin and being enjoyed by people on their daily walks and rides. The European winter has finally finished; Spring has arrived. While in Sydney, the nights are cooler, the leaves are changing colour, and we get a break from humidity for the next six months.
As the seasons turn, human hobbies, wardrobes and schedules change. Wise living requires humans to adapt quickly as seasons change.
There are going to be different seasons for youth and children’s ministries throughout the COVID-19 shutdown of church gatherings. Each season will be shaped by Government rules, societal expectations and people’s energy levels.
Many things are beyond our control. There is currently no end date to social isolation, a lack of certainty on church finances and no reliable research on the impact of social isolation on young people and families. We are all learning to trust our sovereign and good Lord, for he truly is our strength and shield (Psalm 28:7).
During these uncertain times there will be different seasons; a winter, spring and summer. Each season will present Christian leaders with wonderful opportunities for effective ministry and new challenges we must face together. Wise Christian leadership requires God’s leaders to adapt quickly as seasons change.
Wise Christian leadership in all seasons
There are critical activities God’s leaders are called to do in every season of life shaped by the time in salvation history we live in. Christians live in the final act of salvation history between the ascension and return of Christ. This drove Paul to charge Timothy to preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction (2 Timothy 4:2).
The same charge is true for modern Christian leaders, in social isolation or gathering as normal. In every season, Christian leaders are to teach God’s Word carefully, faithfully, consistently, lovingly and boldly.
Young people desperately need to hear from God during this pandemic. They need to hear his powerful, truthful Word above all the other noise in life. For his Word is truly a lamp to their feet. We all need to grasp again that God’s Word made his dwelling among us. His Word is a rock on which we can find rest and hope. On the mountain where Jesus was transfigured, God the Father declared, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5).
As we love young people, praying for them, connecting with them online, Jesus ultimately calls us to feed them with his Word. We can do that through online talks, daily devotionals and Zoom Bible studies. We can also do it by helping each young person open their Bible each day and meet God in his Word. Let us lead by helping young people not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).
Wise Christian leadership in the different seasons of COVID-19
If wise Christian leadership requires God’s leaders to adapt quickly as seasons change, what are the different seasons we will all face as we lead youth and children’s ministries? Over the last month, three distinct seasons have stood out as I have supported church leaders to be wise leaders.
Season 1: React and adapt
In mid-March 2020 the ministry landscape shifted. In this first season, enormous energy was poured into re-imagining and implementing online gatherings and ministry systems. Moreover, church leaders were overwhelmed by new information: external guidance, new policies and Safe Ministry guidelines, online ministry tools and everyone else’s ideas.
As a result, church leaders became exhausted. Change is exhausting. Fear is exhausting. It was the same story in our homes. Parents and children were exhausted from constantly adapting to changes in their schools, activities, friendships.
What does wise leadership look like during the reaction season? Here are four ideas to consider as we react and adapt when we find ourselves in a new ministry environment:
Communicate regularly and personally with your people using your voice. God’s people are missing their leaders. We can love young people by regularly speaking to them, comforting them, sharing good news stories of what God is doing, pointing them to the gospel and praying for them.
Try new ideas without guilt. There is no playbook for the coronavirus crisis. We have the freedom to try different strategies in the reaction season. Communicate that you are trying new ideas and invite young people and their parents to feedback on the ideas you are trying.
Fight the urge to replicate what you used to have. It is impossible to replicate what we used to do at Kids’ Club or youth group on Zoom. Wise leadership is returning to your ministry principles(why you do what you do), and let them shape what ministry looks like in the crisis.
Filter all the new ideas. Social media is overflowing with ideas as people try new strategies in the reaction season. Wise leadership is not copying another church. It is remembering your ministry principles, assessing your local resources, and then filtering through the new ideas to support and enhance your ministry to young people.
Season 2: Build sustainable ministry
A new season dawns once churches settle on a new rhythm of ministry gatherings. Church leaders will experience a decrease in anxiety due to change and technology. There will be some encouraging stories of growth through our ministries and a need to tweak things rather than significantly pivot.
Season 2 is the time to build sustainable ministry for as long as we can’t gather in person. Whereas the goal in the reaction season was to exist, the goal in the sustainable ministry season is to do effective gospel ministry. Three key patterns dominate this season for church leaders.
The first is the movement of children and youth minister energy from doing stuff (for example, working out the technology, running groups, writing content) to investing in volunteer leaders. We will return to equipping our leaders for works of service, so the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:12) as the means of doing sustainable ministry.
The 555 Challenge
A home discipleship tool for families
The second is the realisation that the home, and not the church online, will be the source of growth for young people during COVID-19. There is a diminishing return for each online gathering we do each week. Sustainable ministry involves pivoting our time towards energising parents to disciple their children and especially their teenagers. There has never been a better opportunity for parents to read the Bible, pray and talk about life with their teenagers. The 555 Challenge may be a helpful program you can use to build sustainable ministry among your church families.
The third is taking the time to rethink what effective ministry with young people will look like for your church post-COVID-19. COVID-19 provides a unique opportunity to get off the treadmill and reflect on the long-term impact of our current ministries on young people, the correlation between our principles and pragmatics; areas we are neglecting, and opportunities we can explore.
What does wise leadership look like in the sustainable ministry season? Here are five questions to reflect on during this season:
Create special moments. Can we sustain our current ministries for 2 months, 6 months etc? How can we create occasional special moments for young people to look forward to?
Equip parents. How are we equipping parents to disciple their young people (including teenagers) at home? What are they seeking to grow in their children?
Equip young people. How are our young people going engaging regularly with God on their own?
Help young people go the distance. How are our ministries going at producing long term disciples, men and women following Christ when they are 25-years-old and beyond?
What does success look like? Reflect on whether we mainly measure the success of our ministry based on our inputs (what we do) more than outputs (young people genuinely transformed by the gospel)?
Season 3: Launch
The final season commences with the announcement of the relaxation of restrictions. It will be a time of great anticipation as we prepare to gather in person again. Church websites will be refreshed, a flurry of Facebook videos inviting people to church will be released and launch celebrations planned.
However, getting church going again will not be easy. Volunteers need to be reengaged, family patterns adjusted, and ministries launched for the second time this year. Preparing for launch will take weeks not days of clear, intentional leadership.
What does wise leadership look like in the launch season? Here are four things to reflect on:
Get ready to listen. Everyone has changed due to COVID-19. Many young people will have grown in their faith and person. Others will return struggling with sin, guilt, anxiety, fear or doubt. When we return to physical gatherings, it will be the time for listening to our young people and hearing how God has been at work in their lives.
Work in and through your leaders. The greatest danger in the launch stage will be for ministry leaders to try and do everything and exhaust themselves. Wise leaders will work out their launch plan with their leaders.
Launch your ministries with clear communication. COVID-19 has compelled everyone to rethink ministry. Wise leaders will use all the thinking done in the sustainable season to launch refreshed ministries, that reflect biblical principles. The launch season will provide a great opportunity to communicate the purposes of our ministry and how they partner with the home.
Celebrate. It has been painful to not physically meet as God’s people. When we can gather again it will be the time to celebrate with praise, eating and laughter, who we are as a community of God’s loved children.
This pandemic has created complexity for our ministries. We will all face three new ministry seasons in the next months. Wise Christian leaders will seek to boldly lead God’s people with a clear appreciation of the season we are in. I would love to hear your ideas for how to lead well in each of these seasons.
