The road forward . Four scenarios and three questions for every church leadership team.
Churches are starting to plan for a post shutdown world. The Australian Prime Minister has announced a three stage road map, of gatherings of
- stage one = 10 people,
- stage two = 20 people,
- and stage three = 100 people.
But significantly stage three could run for a very long time.
Adam Lowe is senior pastor of St Barts Toowoomba, as well as being a psychologist who has focused on organisations. Gary Koo is the Bishop leading the Sydney Anglican Church’s Covid-19 Diocesan Taskforce.
Adam outlines four key scenarios facing churches and a series of three questions that churches need to address. Link here. See also an article on strategic change by Adam Lowe here.
Gary Koo says there are key lessons we have learned:
- We’ve had more people engage with our church services than when we met physically
- Online church has provided opportunities for those with chronic health issues to attend more regularly
- Online fellowship has been helpful for those who find it difficult to initiate conversation
- Older members have adapted better than may have been expected.
- It has provided opportunities for inter-generational encouragement
- Socially disadvantaged areas have been impacted disproportionately
- Smaller churches have been impacted disproportionately
- People value church connection possibly more than we realised
- There is competition for our people’s time that stops them from engaging
- A lot of church life involves doing what isn’t ‘essential’
- Churches dependent on rental income have been hit hard.
- There is a disparity between the mental resilience of our senior ministers and our assistant ministers. What is the cause of this?
- People may not have access to a reliable pathway to access mental health
resources - Multiply redundant communication is necessary for messaging
- Pastoral care has been undertaken in a more intentional way than before.
- People have valued ministers making personal contact with them
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