{"id":31176,"date":"2022-09-10T15:19:57","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:19:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/4-principles-for-welcoming-church-guests-in-the-covid-age\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:19:57","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:19:57","slug":"4-principles-for-welcoming-church-guests-in-the-covid-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/4-principles-for-welcoming-church-guests-in-the-covid-age\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Principles for Welcoming Church Guests in the COVID Age"},"content":{"rendered":"
Zach Vessels photo – Unsplash <\/p>\n

By Danny Franks<\/em><\/p>\n

The call to Christian hospitality is a call both to the individual and to the church at large. As believers, we are to be welcoming people.<\/p>\n

But how does the gathered church welcome guests when our churches are in various stages of gathering and re-gathering, virtual and physical? How does a global pandemic affect our call to care for the outsider?<\/p>\n

As I lead our guest services culture in our congregation, I\u2019ve been thinking through the lens of four broad categories\u2014both philosophical and practical:<\/p>\n

1. OPINIONS ARE DIVIDED.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is the most obvious statement of our time, and in any given congregation, there are at least three COVID-related opinions:<\/p>\n

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  • COVID is overblown. \u201c<\/strong>This is an overinflated disease perpetuated by an overhyped media. The church should continue to meet regularly and faithfully.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • COVID is understated.<\/strong> \u201cThis is a real global pandemic and lives are at risk. The church should take every precaution necessary to protect the community.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • COVID is what the majority says it is.<\/strong> \u201cOpinions and statistics and feelings change from day to day. I trust what my (government \/ friend \/ church leadership \/ social media feed) says I should do.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    I can\u2019t tell you what your opinion (or that of your church) should be. But I can tell you that people who hold to \u201coverblown\u201d or \u201cunderstated\u201d are really passionate about their opinion.<\/p>\n

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    These people will bring stats and stories to explain why the actions of the church should match their particular opinion, and they\u2019ll question the wisdom of the leadership or the love for the congregation if you don\u2019t align.<\/p>\n

    Pastors must faithfully shepherd all three groups. That means tough calls have to be made. It means lots of conversations have to be had. It means someone won\u2019t get their way.<\/p>\n

    It means grace must be shown and spines must be stronger and wisdom must be asked for if all three groups are to feel heard and loved.<\/p>\n

    2. PROVIDING A \u201cVIRTUAL OPTION\u201d ISN\u2019T OPTIONAL.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    In March, all of us were forced to reckon with our online presence. Churches with existing streaming services had to make those services better and accessible by all people rather than a mere subset.<\/p>\n

    Churches wholly unfamiliar with streaming and social media (\u201cWhat is this Tweeter you speak of?\u201d) had to work around the clock to connect with their people in new and innovative ways.<\/p>\n

    But regathering physically doesn\u2019t mean we\u2019re off the hook digitally. There are still large segments of our congregation and community who can\u2019t or won\u2019t venture out into public gatherings.<\/p>\n

    We can\u2019t leave those people behind in our desire to get back to whatever we define as normal.<\/p>\n

    So yes, our staff meetings need a Zoom option. Our volunteer trainings need a streaming option. And our weekend online gatherings must provide options to help people take a step towards connection.<\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s some low-hanging fruit we can all pick:<\/p>\n

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    • Have live moderators for your Facebook and YouTube streams.<\/strong> Their one role is to connect in the comment section, identify those new to your church, and help them take their best next step.<\/li>\n
    • Tack a simple URL on to your church website.<\/strong> Something like \u201c\/welcome\u201d or \u201c\/guest.\u201d That page can be a one-stop shop for the most obvious connection points that a first-time guest would be looking for.<\/li>\n
    • Provide a digital gift in exchange for their information.<\/strong> A worship download or $5 Starbucks card is a simple investment that will allow you to further connect with those new to your congregation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      3. MEET AND GREET (BUT MAINTAIN SIX FEET).<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      When you\u2019re beginning to regather physically, safety must be a priority. But you can\u2019t just be<\/em> safe, you have to look like you\u2019re being safe<\/em>.<\/p>\n

      I recognize that sounds counterintuitive, as though the thing of actual importance (i.e., being<\/em> safe) is taking a back seat to appearances.<\/p>\n

      But our commitment to safety can\u2019t stay behind closed doors in a staff meeting. We shouldn\u2019t rely only on deploying our sanitation elves who magically appear after midnight and do the deep cleaning under the cover of darkness.<\/p>\n

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      See also  8 Ways to Persevere in Ministry<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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      Here\u2019s how to keep your safety plan out front:<\/p>\n