Don’t demean the gospel by tossing it out there like a cheap product you’re trying to get some sucker to buy. Allow it to change your life. And while it’s changing your life, deeply invest in the people around you.
Working side by side provides a relational glue that can't be manufactured any other way.
Until we’re ready to lay down the dream versions of community that we foster, we’re setting ourselves up for disappointment and failure. But if we can let go of these romantic notions, then we can begin to love real people.
Very quickly a Microchurch environment can tend to take on the vibe and personality of the organizer. So how do you ensure that each Microchurch or missional community thrives in all the ways of the ministry of Jesus?
I don't know how to talk about "leadership” anymore.
I have a simple plea for you in this post: Stop waiting to engage in your God-given purpose.
What kind of superpowers lie within the body of Christ that haven't yet been awakened?
So many people spend mealtimes just simply trying to survive. What would it look like to make mealtime more intentional?
As the pastor of a fairly traditional church, I've been really frustrated by all the things I can't do. To be completely open here, I think it's reasonable for churches to make adjustments to slow the spread of Covid. Personally, I also think some of the restrictions imposed on us don't fit a common sense approach. In reality, however, so many people in my own church family are taking the cautious approach to this that "normal" isn't really an option for us. I support every family that has decided not to gather as we used to, even if we could or did offer a "back to normal" type of church gathering (we haven't).
So while I understand the restrictions we're receiving and the opting out of so many families, I'm also really frustrated. I'm not trying to get into constitutional rights or the proper interpretation of Romans 13. Those are important discussions but really not my point. I'm just trying to say that I'm frustrated because so many of the things that I've felt have been effective ministry tools are no longer effective in the way they used to be. It's frustrating to have to scrap things and redefine what it means to be a pastor or to be a church family or to "minister" to people.
But here are my questions to myself: Can I not seeing any good coming from having to redefine these things? Do I really think I was crushing it in the things I used to do as a pastor? Can I honestly say that I want my church family and my ministry approach to go back to the way it was?
As elders and pastors we're having to ask ourselves what it means to minister to people right now. It's easy for me to whine about what I can't do. But now that I'm thinking about it, what I can do is pretty amazing.
A few months ago, Mike Jarrell passed on an analogy that I've found helpful. He said that if you want to get really good at Chess, you practice playing without your queen. That forces you to utilize your other pieces more. (So I'm told, anyway). And here I am, a pastor having to care for a church without the "queen" of the large, in-person gathering. Can it be done?
It seems certain that our existing church structures are going to take a hit with all of this. Barna keeps releasing depressing data about how many people are no longer engaging with traditional churches. The impact of Covid will linger, and our traditional churches have some major soul-searching and adjusting to do in the months and years ahead. But what-I-can-do-now helps me chart a path forward.
I'm taking every opportunity to go meet with people in my church. For some, this has looked like lunch or coffee. For others who are more vulnerable or just more concerned, it has looked like sitting ten feet apart outdoors or just talking on the phone. But doing ministry at the pace of one-person-at-a-time has been a refreshing return to my original ministry. We've been realizing the importance of our small groups living together like a family. Our healthiest groups have been absolutely vital in being there for each other.
Don't get me wrong: we're genuinely worse off for the loss of face-to-face interactions with so many people. I'm heartbroken by what Covid has taken from us in terms of lives lost, freedoms lost, and the rise of a culture of fear and isolation. But what I can do right now is lean into smaller, more personal interactions with people. And that's genuinely a blessing. Perhaps what is being stripped away most is my ability (or perceived ability) to ministry at scale. But maybe I wasn't created for that anyway. Certainly that's not the only way to do ministry. I've long been convinced that ministry at scale is not the most powerful form of ministry. I've always known that the most effective ministry comes through personal interactions. This season is forcing me to remember that.
Honestly, my brothers and sisters who have been investing in missional church, micro-churches, and discipleship oriented ministries have a huge advantage here. What I'm calling an adaptation they've just called "ministry" or even "life." We have much to learn from these approaches.
As we approach the end of the year, I'm frustrated by what I can't do. But as I do what I can, I'm reminded at the goodness of it. I know I can't do it alone (I'm only one person!), but that's a healthy reminder anyway. If the church is going to be the church, we'll all have to play our part in caring for the people around us. We can all care for people over the phone. We can all set up distanced fire pit hangouts or FaceTime chats. At scale, it's impossible to hit everyone's pandemic comfort levels, etc. But individually, we can find the best way to connect with one person or a few people. If we do that, we'll be setting a pattern that will serve us well farther into the future than the pandemic will last.
Mark Beuving has been serving in pastoral roles for nearly 20 years. After a decade in various teaching and administrative roles at Eternity Bible College, Mark is a pastor at Creekside Church in Rocklin, California. His books include ‘Resonate: Enjoying God’s Gift of Music’ and the New York Times bestseller ‘Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples,’ which he co-authored with Francis Chan.