The year 2020 is proving to be a difficult (and interesting) time to be a Pastor. Such a statement might seem controversial (or not) but there is immense truth to it. Pastors, in times such as these, are called to lead the Church in shrouds of uncertainty, criticism, and attack. People are questioning the Church’s relevance and purpose for various reasons, placing many Ministers of the Gospel on the forefront, continually testing their apologetic skills and their ability to endure without cracking. Additionally, the recent Coronavirus pandemic (code-named “COVID-19”) has taken headline news hostage on a global scale. Every area of life has been disrupted and, in some cases, halted. It is obvious that our world is in a state of chaos and panic.
This is where we address something that might not be spoken about frequently; the Church Calendar. Every year, Churches create and present a compendium of activities that they seek to undertake; conferences, meetings, camps, concerts, crusades, retreats, and the like. We also tend to be very strict and rigid with these events, seeing them as set in stone; immovable, unshakeable. Coronavirus, on the other hand, shook us. It has given us a clearer image as to how crazy, deadly, sinister and dark the last days are going to be. So, since we are the Church, the purveyors of light and salt in the world, what renewed focus should we embrace from all of this chaos and panic? What must we do to our pre-planned activities?
Now, please note Pastors and Church Leaders, I am not saying to discard all of your plans that you had for the year. However, with all that is going on around us, it would not hurt to revisit the Church Calendar and see what areas would need to remain the same, be enhanced, be rescheduled, or be removed.
Here are six (6) areas of your Church Calendar that would need such a revisit.
#1 Revisit Your Focus on Prayer
An essential part of being a Christian and being the Church is living a life of Prayer. Prayer surrounds communication to and with God; we need to live lives of Prayer. It is therefore important to consider (1) how often we meet for prayer (corporate prayer), (2) the quality and structure of our corporate prayer meetings, and (3) the promotion and development of private and personal prayer of increased value among leaders and members. Corporate prayer is important as seen in Acts 4:31, which says:
“And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.”
Acts 4:31 (KJV)
We see from this scripture that corporate prayer brings unity, thereby creating an atmosphere in which the Holy Spirit can effectively work in and through us. Being together in prayer also allows us to be edified and therefore bolder in understanding and declaring the Word of God. It would therefore be important that a Church re-evaluates how often they meet for prayer and also the quality of such a gathering for prayer. This entails being strategic and timely in prayer requests, education others about and practising various methods of prayer, and having regular (and creative) presentations to promote the importance of prayer. We must also promote and give effort towards our fellow brothers and sisters enhancing their private prayer lives. This can include creating and distributing material that would be needed to enhance the prayer experience. Most importantly, give effort towards promoting prayer that is based on the Word of God. Timely, Biblical-focused, strategic, united and committed Believers and Intercessors on integrity are needed for times such as these.
#2 Revisit Your Focus on Bible Study
It is important for a Church to meet to study the Bible together and also to promote personal Bible study among the brethren in their personal lives. It is also important to be Holy Spirit-led in what the actual study should be focused on and how it is conducted. It is important to make studying the Word of God a priority as a Church, as is seen in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which says:
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV)
Increasing your focus on effective Bible Study helps in the following ways (though not limited to the following ways):
- It builds a greater understanding of the Scripture.
- It helps Believers deal with difficult questions concerning God, the Word, Society and other topics and issues.
- It helps Believers in their spiritual development, livelihood and ministry.
- It builds unity among the brethren.
It is recommended that you have a weekly Bible study session. It should also be noted that Bible study should be different from a regular Saturday or Sunday morning service where preaching is carried out. A Bible study session must allow Believers to ask questions and be interactive. This would, of course, allow a greater level of creativity in studying the Bible. It is also advised that we consider what our focus would be in such study sessions. Understand where the Holy Spirit is leading you as a Pastor and Teacher of the Word (you cannot do this without Him). He will help you to understand the spiritual state and needs of the Church and, therefore, what areas to focus on and to conduct studies on. Therefore, do not go into conducting complicated analyses of prophetic scriptures when members of your congregation are still struggling with topics such as “how to pray” or “how to read and understand the Bible”.
#3 Revisit the Purpose of your Meetings
When I say meetings here, I do not speak of “Prayer meetings” or “Bible study sessions”. I speak about (1) Administrative meetings (meetings with Boards of Elders and/or Boards of Deacons) and (2) Weekly small-group (or cell group) meetings.
The Administrative meetings are important and vital to the Church’s function. However, their focus and priority must be kept in check. Every meeting does not have to be focused on repetitive topics (unless they are important must be repeatedly discussed). Try to have meetings that promote seeking God and solution-building as opposed to arguments, running around in circles and beating around the bush. Also, ensure that meetings are timely, starting at a time convenient to everyone and ending at a time in which people can get back home safely.
For small group meetings, focus should be given on discipleship and the overall development of those in attendance. Small groups are important as they can act as the practical outreach arm of the Church, focusing on developing Believers towards holiness unto the LORD and reaching and helping people. The aim is to be focused and to not have meetings that would not be profitable to the Kingdom of God. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of evaluating what is important from what is not.
#4 Revisit the Purpose of Your Church Activities
Such activities can include conferences, concerts, camps, retreats, family trips, and the like. In revisiting the Church Calendar, such events should be focused more on (1) building unity, (2) developing the whole man, and (3) reaching others with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Such activities, therefore, cannot simply be gatherings that would focus only on developing believers (making believers ‘fattened’) and neglect reaching out to others. On the flip side, such activities cannot be outward focused and neglect the development of the Believers. There must be balance.
When planning, or re-planning, such events, take into account their actual purpose. In times like these, it is important to waste no time on activities that can be trivial and meaningless, not impacting lives. It is also important to have people-focused activities and, in particular, activities that can offer help, supplies and resources to people in need. It is important that we re-evaluate our Calendar to focus on activities that can actually show practicality to our Faith; it’s not just about talk, its about the actual walk.
(Important note: Do not take Family Trips and Fun outings for granted. ‘Fun’ may seem trivial at first, but it helps to integrate individuals more, to create a lively atmosphere, and to create opportunities for effective outreach).
Focus should also be given on limiting activities. This would be beneficial in encouraging believers to spend more time with their families and on their personal development, as opposed to being continually made busy in the four (or multiple) walls of a Church building. Being the Church is not about having the most activities or the most flamboyant events to promote our image. Being the Church is about living for Jesus Christ and reaching out to others with the aim of the whole man (spiritually, physically, mentally, socially, etc) being developed.
#5 Revisit the use of Technology in hosting Meetings and Activities
As the COVID-19 virus is continually spreading, and as we are encouraged to practice social distancing or physical distancing, technology has been a saving grace for many of us, including the Church.
As we revisit our Church Calendars we should observe and implement the most effective ways in using technology in our meetings and activities. Even when the spread of the virus lessens and we may be encouraged to congregate once more, administrative meetings can be held over platforms such as Zoom, Skype, Google Suite, or WhatsApp video call. This can help lessen the need to acquire transport to a Church building for a meeting and limit the occurrence of getting back home at late hours from a meeting. Technology can also help us in broadcasting services and events, in disseminating information, in being creative with and specific in presenting information (thereby making meetings and events more effective and profitable), in incorporating help from others (especially young people and tech enthusiasts) in ministry and outreach, and in building the Church’s capacity in using (and managing) Technology in times such as these.
#6 Revisit Your Focus on working together with other Churches
It is important for us as a Church to know that working in isolation of each other should not be an option for us. We need each other. As was stated before in a previous point, there should not be any competition pertaining to which assembly has more advanced music, technology, infrastructure or resources (in general). Instead, we need to work together.
Have activities where you can combine effort with another Church. If you decide to have an outreach initiative in a particular community, work with a Church (or Churches) in that community and have a joint venture. After all, that Church would understand that community better than you would; they are actually there! Family trips, Camps, Retreats and outings can be hosted among different Churches. This can help in the acquisition and sharing of needed resources and in the reaching of more persons. Instead of one Church making a donation to a hospital, geriatric home or other institution, a group of Churches can come together, pool their resources and work hand-in-hand in giving to the institution and to Society on a whole. Doing this will effectively show the practicality of and unity within the Church (which is really needed) and would also limit the number of activities and events that you would have to plan and execute within your local Church setting.
In times like these, our Church Calendars and plans should only be set in stone if God tells us to set them in stone. We must be observant of the situations around us and plan and work to properly address them as a Church. After all, we are the Body of Christ, representing Him in every sphere of society. Therefore, lets plan and represent Him well.
Beacon Of Flavor 