It came like a double-whammy:
First, the announcement came that Walt Disney World was shutting down as a precautionary move due to CoVid19. The next day, Disney announces they are releasing almost 10,000 employees (called “Cast Members”) from the Disney College Program as an extra precaution.
In 48 hours, a chunk of the Cast Member population eliminated.
Three days later, the 47 square miles of Walt Disney World was a big ghost town. All four theme parks, 30 resorts, water parks, campgrounds, and more, were empty. The only ones outside of management, full-time and part-time Cast Members who were allowed to remain (although on paid leave) were the 1000 International Cast Members who worked in EPCOT’s World Showcase. It was safer and more cost-effective for Disney to keep them on standby for when the EPCOT re-opens.
The good news out of all of this was that Cast Member Church made—what I now believe was a God-inspired move—a decision to focus all of our efforts for 2020 on the very same 1000 International Cultural Representatives who work in EPCOT. In essence, our mission focus was spared. Truthfully, it made it easier for us to serve them even more effectively.
We have been hosting dinners (10 or less, of course) and helping alleviate the anxieties many Cast Members are feeling during this time of uncertainty. In just our first week of social distancing, we have already had two young Cast Members from Italy desire to pursue Jesus and begin a discipling relationship.
Because of our “soft” quarantine (we still go out to eat and for coffee), we have had more time to reach out to a large group of Cast Members who have returned home to Europe. We have established eight years of relationships. So we have been setting up lots of Zoom gatherings with CMs in the UK, Italy, Germany, France, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and more. Today, my wife and I had the opportunity to pour into a former Cast Member who lives in London, England. She wants to continue to meet weekly. Tomorrow, we meet with a former CM who lives in Colon, Germany. I suspect his response to our invitation will be the same.
All of this has opened the door to a potential virtual discipling process that we are calling “Cast Member Church: Global.” We desire to nurture these relationships and invite them into an actual discipling process. So far, the response has been amazing. People all over the world are worried. They are waking up to the fact that they need something substantial in which to place their faith. The combination of CoVid19 and technology has made this new dimension of ministry possible.
We are stepping into new frontiers and are loving every minute of it.
Yes, Disney will eventually re-open, and life will return to familiar rhythms. But we will continue to explore the new opportunities God has given us by way of this virus. We are connecting on a deeper, more personal level with young people all over the world who are going to make a difference for Jesus in their unique cultural contexts.
God is doing amazing things, and we look forward to Him doing even more as we step out in faith.
And hopefully, that will include some toilet paper along the way.