Technology is our friend
Many years ago I was at a national meeting and heard Ed Stetzer, a well-known missiologist, say “facts are our friends.” That always stuck with me, and during this pandemic, I have coined the phrase that “technology is our friend!” I know that adjusting to new technology has not been easy, but it certainly has provided a way to interact with our congregations, and I believe we need to embrace it as a “friendly” alternative.
Worship services
I don’t know about your church, but my church was not technologically prepared for the unexpected reality of hosting remote worship services for more than three months. We did, however, quickly realize that if we were going to meet the needs of our people, we were going to have to offer something. Thankfully, we were able to Zoom our weekly Worship Services without too many issues, and after a few weeks we even added our Sunday School classes to Zoom. We did this by asking questions, doing lots of Google searches and reaching out to others who were already using technology well. It was amazing how much help was available and still is!
Helping a congregation transition
It is natural for people to resist change, but if we as leaders embrace and adjust to the changes, people will follow. A strategy our church put into place was personally contacting every family and asking them three questions: How are you doing? How can we pray for you? How can we help you connect with our online options?
About a third of the congregation needed some coaching or support, and we provided both. We did this by giving them step-by-step instructions to connect and then practicing beforehand so they felt comfortable with the technology and what they were seeing on the screen. We were able to answer questions in real time and help them navigate what they were seeing and experiencing. This was a big win. There were some, sadly, who would not engage at all digitally, but we kept in touch on a regular basis by phone and to check in and pray with them.
Providing content for the kids
Many churches seem to have missed this completely because many assumed kids were “Zoomed out.” And although there is some truth to this, it is important to provide a means for the kids to be connected to their leaders and others in the church. If you do not want to do anything digital, consider handwritten cards with activity pages that families can do together, porch visits, FaceTime, etc.
If you do want to connect digitally, consider short meetings of 30 minutes or less. This is just enough time for a game, short Bible story, application and activity. Consider planning an online game night for kids! Use your imagination, and if you need help, reach out to teens and other adults who use the technology at work. They would probably love to assist you.
It’s not going away
It is my hope and prayer that the pandemic is on its way out, but in the meantime, we need to come to grips with the fact that technology is here to stay. We need to figure out ways to harness its power and effectiveness for our ministry and to further the Gospel.
Sandy Coelho serves as lay leadership development coordinator at the Baptist Convention of New England.