NOTE 17 - How will church history remember 2020?
(...hey, that's us!)
With enormous challenge comes enormous opportunity. With enormous opportunity comes enormous responsibility!
How will church history remember this time of great social and economic upheaval? That it sparked a time of great revival or that it was a time of great gospel opportunity lost?
If the coronavirus pandemic is the biggest health and economic challenge the world has faced since the Great Depression, then it must also present one of the biggest gospel opportunities in the 90 years since.
We know God works in and through adversity. For those of us who have been praying for revival, perhaps this is it! The world needs Jesus.
Everyone's status quo has been severely challenged.
Everyone's status quo has been challenged like never before. People everywhere have been dramatically stopped in their tracks. People are worried. Not just about lives and livelihoods lost. For many, security, certainty, confidence and hope have been lost too.
People are looking to us. Not just our church members, but also non-Christians in our communities.
Just eight weeks ago, most people didn't give Jesus a second thought. Worldliness seemed to be the answer to happiness and secularism reigned supreme. Hubris, built on strident individualism was the power of the day. Speed of achievement, self-fulfilment and gratification was valued in priority over having a genuine heart for others.
Today, that has all gone out the window. Non-Christians are logging into online church and reaching out to Christian friends! They are seeking answers.
For Christian leaders everywhere, the stakes have never been higher. Unique and unprecedented circumstances present unique and unprecedented leadership challenges, responsibilities and opportunities.
So, what about you?
As you turn to the question of restarting church, what will be your approach? How are you going to rise to the challenge, grasp the opportunities - to grow the kingdom and rebuild for a better church - and execute your responsibilities in a God honouring way?
Our status quo has already been severely challenged. This is often the hardest part of change - pushing people out of their comfort zone. The coronavirus pandemic has set us all up for change.
In light of this once in a life-time crisis, what are your big opportunities? What is your bigger gospel vision? What does this mean for doing church better? How are you are going to inspire your congregation to share this vision? What is the plan to enable and empower your people to work with you to achieve it? What can you be doing to encourage them as they do this? In what ways can you show your conviction and commitment to the kingdom and the glory of God is second to none?
Next post: will we will go through NOW-WHERE-HOW as a framework for this.
Facebook: we are also now on Facebook as Oilstone Ministry Leadership. Click on that link and follow us there. We will be posting thoughts and suggestions to help you through.