4 Steps You Need to Know Before your First Sabbath at Church

Hi Brother and Sisters,

This pandemic will change many things about church operations going forward. Leaders may be bombarded with uncertainty about how to navigate these waters and how to plan programs that fit the church's growing needs. Note well that knowledge and preparation are some of the keys to success.

Most leaders are struggling to plan because of the constant changes in information. Uncertainty and doubt loom due to the unprecedented nature of this pandemic. Before we list these strategies, we pray that you approach these challenges with faith, knowing that all things are possible through Christ Jesus. At sabbath programs, we have developed four steps your church can implement to improve your services going forward.

Step 1: Organisation is Imperative

The bible is filled with stories about the necessity of being organised. The story of Joseph and his work in Egypt shows us that preparations today makes life easier tomorrow. Jethro showed Moses how organising people could make a seemingly difficult task much lighter. Take the necessary time to make plans and preparations to cover all possible scenarios and make the resumption of services as seamless as possible.

Step 2: Create Specialty Teams

Create a team to assess the members of your congregation to gain knowledge of the various problems that may have impacted them during the closure of the church. This team should comprise of church elders, deacons, community service leaders and individuals who have an affection to the needs of people. Confidentiality is paramount in these situations.

The information gathered should be used to tailor messages, programs and initiatives to persons who were impacted and the church at large.

Your congregants may have been affected and suffered devastating losses. The church leadership should be informed so they can help.

Step 3: Focus on Outreach

Community members have been significantly impacted, as well. Focus on initiatives that will assist the most vulnerable parts of the population surrounding your church. The church doors were unavoidable closed during this period, now is the time to spread them wide open to welcome all who have physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Be empathetic with their needs and let your impact be positively felt. Plan approaches that can express your sympathy through various outreach programs. Partner with other groups to provide the best help you can.

Step 4: Adapting is crucial to survival.

Lastly, we must adapt to the new normal. Each church must consider lasting ways to incorporate technology to improve service provision. This could be as simple as WhatsApp groups or creating an email/SMS list to streaming services online. Involve the younger population to help the church generate ideas with a sustainable plan moving forward.

We pray for each church during this time. Tell us about the various ways your church is planning for the ways forward.