If only 20-40% of your pre-pandemic attendance has returned maybe you should be spending 60-80% of your time outside the walls of your church with those who have yet to return.
The truth of the matter is:
Do not forget the urgency of Jesus when searching for the one lost sheep. He left the 99 to find the one!
Now you could argue that your sheep are not lost. You know where they are. They just have chosen to not return yet. While that is all true do NOT fool yourselves; your people are getting comfortable with the idea of not coming back. Your people are wondering if they are even missed.
Right now, is one of the most pivotal times in church history! What you do now matters. What you decide to do now will have an impact on whether the 60-80% decide to ever return. If you do nothing the vast majority will not return. Bank on it. Your inaction will communicate that they were not an integral part of the church.
Ask yourself what is more important. Writing the perfect sermon or putting down the pen and caring for your flock?
This goes well beyond just being a disability ministry conversation. This is an “us” conversation. This is a church family conversation.
It is time to reimagine ministry. The old way of doing things is long gone. You can no longer take a Field of Dreams, “If you build it they will come,” approach to ministry. You must get comfortable leaving the church office and going to members of your church. Think old–school visitation, but with a twist. But do not think for a moment that it is solely your job. You know that the Superman ministry model is not sustainable.
We have created nine different new volunteer positions to help you reimagine ministry. These new positions will help you to navigate the land in-between two realities (Pre-Pandemic Ministry and Post-Pandemic Ministry). These positions will help you to embrace the reality that ministry is now greater than just Sunday morning. Nearly all these positions take people beyond the walls of the church extending the love of Christ in the community where 60-80% of the flock are currently located.
(Click the title below to download in PDF format. If you would prefer a single download, click here.)
These will help you care for your flock that has yet to return. Sure, these positions are written for Disability Ministry but you can see how these positions should be applied across all ministries. There truly is a position for everyone, young, old, tech–savvy, handy person, cook, etc.
Want to know more about each position? Download the entire package. Each volunteer position comes with an objective, detailed job description, location, and reporting structure.
If you are diligent and work on plugging people to serve in these capacities, you will not lose your flock. Your flock will not only know they have not been forgotten but they will also feel cared for and valued. Your success rate of them eventually returning to church will dramatically increase as a result.
The first step starts with putting down the pen. Value those from your flock who have yet to return as much as those who have returned.
