By Bob Weeks
Now that the Covid-19 restrictions have been decreased, most of our SCBI churches have begun to meet in person once again. I heard it put this way, “We’re getting back to normal!” Sure, we can get back to normal – but should we?
Was normal good? Or was normal just comfortable? Maybe a “new normal” needs to be initiated.
When the Covid-19 crisis hit we were all forced out of our comfortable routines and made to exert effort to worship, fellowship and serve. Many Believers rose to the challenge. I personally served alongside church leaders that employed some highly effective ways to care for church members. Was it normal? Nope. Was it good? Yes, it was. Will returning to normal mean that they will stop caring for people in that highly effective way? I hope not; but, that would mean they can’t return to normal.
I believe that we have been given a gift. People have been prepped to adapt to needed change like no other time in recent memory. Now is the best time in years to imagine, plan and institute change within the framework of the local church. Please know that I am not advocating change just for the sake of change. But I am suggesting a needed, beneficial change that ultimately enhances the mission of the church needs to be undertaken.
For instance, this would be a great time to add a Small Group ministry to your discipleship strategy. Sunday School is not meeting or attendance is meager at best. Why not add a Small Group emphasis that could continue the discipleship efforts if there is a recurrence of Covid-19 closures? Start it, NOW!
Remember that yearly event the church has been doing since the dark ages but does not push the needle in the church’s current mission and costs heavily to boot? You have already canceled it for this year. Why keep feeding a dead horse? Kill it now!
Do you need to add another Worship Service? Do you need to stop a Worship Service? Do it now!
Leaders lead an organization to where it has never been before. Leaders lead! The reality is, it will not be long before normal will get locked down once again and people will cling to “normal” as their safe place. Leaders, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, imagine, plan and implement what the “new normal” needs to be. Lead. There is no better time than now.