One thing to consider when discussing your re-opening plan is the added weight and responsibility on your volunteers. We must guard against volunteer burnout because we placed too much on them in an effort to reopen the church doors quickly.

"Will volunteers come back to serve right away?" is an important and reasonable question to ask. Not everyone is going to want to jump right back into crowds, no matter how small. (And for some, this is their way out of serving in an area they don't really fit).

Volunteers with health concerns, small children, or who live in close proximity to someone who is more susceptible to illness will stay home. You're now down volunteers. Don't forget the people who will now call in sick with a runny nose!

With people not coming back right away and with different variables such as work, illness, etc that will cause them to miss a gathering, you will then place more responsibility on the ones who are serving. This includes the leaders who are trying to staff the various roles.

And let's not forget, many people (including pastoral and church staff) have reached physical, mental, and spiritual capacity. If we rush to "normal" for the sake of gathering in the short term, it may be detrimental to the church in the long term.

Our team has decided to do a very scaled back setup. We will forsake curtains and lights for volunteer health. We will begin to hold KidLife classes in phases. We will most likely have acoustic singing.

Let's consider the health of our volunteers and our leaders. They are the ones who have bought into the vision of the church. They are the ones who serve without praise. They are the ones who love the church the most. It's evident in the time they commit week in and week out.

To burn them out so we can return to "normal" quickly will lead to future issues that most likely can be avoided. Tough (and maybe unpopular) decisions will need to be made to protect the health of the church.

So I'm praying for every pastor I know, including myself, that we will shepherd our volunteer sheep well and that God will grant us wisdom and strength in the months to come.