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[THREAD] As a pastor starting very preliminary conversations this week with staff about what “re-opening church” (on-site/in-person ministry) might look like, I wanted to share some of my first thoughts that may help other church leaders as you begin to think through these issues
1. Start thinking/planning NOW for re-opening even though we may still be weeks away from loosening of restrictions (depending on your location). Don’t be caught off guard by local or state announcements when they eventually come and be forced to make last minute decisions.
2. This one is tough…dismiss the “light switch” plan. The day on the calendar where overnight everything goes back to “normal” isn’t coming. You need to start creating a plan for online, in-person and on-site ministry that will be phased in and will be SLOWLY adjusted
3. If you’re a church over 200, begin to help your staff/leaders understand that likely some of the LAST restrictions to be rolled back will be large crowd gatherings like church worship services....
...It’s possible certain businesses may start reopening sooner than later, but the large church gathering could still be weeks or even months away
. 4. Although NOTHING at this point has been defined, begin to think in likely phases of roll-backs: no gatherings over 50, then over 100, then over 250. What kind of ministry will you be able to responsibly/safely do in those categories?
5. Prepare for HYBRID ministry during the roll back period that combines the possibility of small in-person gatherings, like small groups, with online experiences like the Sunday worship service.
6. Begin to have your team think through what the implementation of social distancing guidelines will look like in each ministry.
7. Prepare for pushback. The moment some restrictions are rolled back, some will press strongly for programming “as usual.” Conversely, there will likely be many who resist, as a matter of personal/public health, any early re-establishment of programming.
8. Get lots of ideas/feedback from other local churches…I believe the re-opening phases (when they come) are going to be much more regional than the “shut down” was. Which means some of the model churches many of us turn to for ideas and strategy may not apply in your community
9. I’m sure there are many other important considerations, but hopefully these ideas are a helpful start…I would love to hear your thinking and additional thoughts. We’re better together!
