Because of the coronavirus, all of us serving in ministry are having to adapt to a new “normal” that may continue for weeks or even months.
For those of us in technical roles, this requires major shifts and adaptations in what we do on a daily basis. Since we may not be able to be at our church facilities, and thus unable to work hands-on with gear, we carry the responsibility to remain productive with our time, even when we're working remotely.
What do I need to do differently with my team when we get back together?
To an extent, this forced break in the action can actually be a blessing for many of us. After all, there’s usually a laundry list of things we wish we had time for, or we hope we can get around to “when things slow down a bit.” Well, guess what? Things have slowed down a bit!
Here are some ideas of things that can be done remotely and will ensure that you and your team are improving, despite the disruption to your workflow.
Dream.
Sometimes we get so busy just executing daily tasks that we don’t have the luxury to sit down and plan for the future. So, the result is that we get so busy being pulled along by the pace of life that we just don’t have a clear vision and plan for how to drive ourselves towards a specific destination.
Do I need to elevate select team members into leadership roles so they can help me carry the weight...?
This, then, becomes the perfect time to do some dreaming. Are there things I need to do differently with my team when we get back together? Do we need to implement more social gatherings to strengthen our sense of “team” and community?
Do we need to improve our training processes? What about finding different ways to recruit new team members? Is there new technology we should consider implementing, or a new workflow we could consider adopting?
Do I need to elevate select team members into leadership roles so they can help me carry the weight of leading? Are there tasks on my plate I need to delegate or train others how to do, so I can focus on different things?
Growth is an intentional and strategic process, and there’s no reason why this season can’t be the birth of something special.
What about dreams for myself? Do I have personal goals, whether in the professional arena or for myself and my family? Do I have mentors in my life to provide encouragement, support, accountability, and coaching?
We are all familiar with Proverbs 29:18 and Habakkuk 2:2, which remind us of the importance of having a vision (revelation) and writing it down so it can be clear. But how many of us actually do those things?
We may claim that it takes too much time, and we can’t afford to take that much time away from equipment issues and service prep. But that becomes yet another reminder of why this may be the perfect time to put some energy into longer-term planning and dreaming.
This is the time for us to focus on the “ministry” side of our job...
And don’t let this just be a one-time thing. Commit to taking some time periodically (perhaps quarterly) to sit down, review your situation and your growth path, and see if there are things that need to be changed.
Growth is an intentional and strategic process, and there’s no reason why this season can’t be the birth of something special.
Invest.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of ministry. Without them, services would never happen and ministries would be rendered ineffective.
With everything that’s happening around us in society right now, we can’t forget the fact that “life” is still happening, and it’s affecting everyone in many different ways.
I need to ensure that my team knows I care about them as people, beyond the technical skills they bring to the table.
This is the time for us to focus on the “ministry” side of our job and ensure that we’re pastoring our people well.
I can make it a priority to reach out to members of my team on a daily basis to check in and see how they’re doing. Perhaps I break my team down into small chunks so I can hit a couple different folks each day over a couple of weeks and maintain some contact with them. It doesn’t have to be anything drastic, like hour-long phone calls with each person each day, but just a simple text or call to reach out and check to see how people are doing.
I need to ensure that my team knows I care about them as people, beyond the technical skills they bring to the table. I really do care about whether their jobs are on the line, or they have a friend or family member who’s sick, or whether they’re struggling with fear and anxiety amidst the crisis.
Let’s all commit to continuing to pastor our teams during this pandemic so they are constantly reminded they are loved and cared about and have someone specifically praying for them. After all, they may not feel like they can reach out to the pastor directly with a prayer need. But if they know they can still get in touch with me, and I actually do care about them, that can make a huge difference in their outlook.
The busier things are...the more I end up trying to do things myself, since I may not feel like I have the time to train others. Well, that’s the benefit of a slow-down. Get those things out of my head and get them down on paper.
This, again, becomes something that I can continue doing on a regular basis moving forward. Don’t let times of crisis be the only motivation for connecting with those around me. Let this become a habit for ensuring that I’m engaged in the personal lives of the people I lead.
I’m called to pastor them before I’m called to train them.
Document.
Sometimes, the busier things get, the more I end up holding onto myself. I keep a running mental list of all the things I know how to do and the things that need to get done, and I end up trying to do more things myself, since I may not feel like I have the time to train others.
Well, that’s the benefit of a slow-down. I finally have some time to take all of the things that are stored only in my head and get them down on paper.
Are there processes that are only known to me? I need to take the time to write all of those things down so that I can use that as an outline to start training others how to do what I do. That will then make it easier for me to go on vacation without having to constantly answer the phone and take questions from my team.
Is there a consistent and effective way of training new volunteers? This is the perfect time to start drafting a plan for how to onboard new team members and ensure that they’re all learning things the same way.
Plus, I can take the time to start recording some screen capture videos to actually show and explain how to use certain software or platforms (whether Planning Center, ProPresenter, Slack, etc.) and get my team all on the same page.
What about how-to or troubleshooting documents? Is there a way to build a guide that addresses some of the most common issues a team member may face, then explain how to fix or overcome those challenges? I can have these available in kids rooms, youth rooms, other campuses, etc., and now perhaps start cutting down on all of the support/help desk-type calls I get on Sunday when people have problems.
This season is a great one to consider the idea of scalability and sustainability. Is what I’m doing scalable and sustainable? Having processes well-documented is a great way to build a platform that we can grow from, and it’s the best way to bring others alongside me so they can continue to grow their abilities.
Grow.
If I’m committing to dreaming and helping others grow, I have to make sure I’m growing myself.
One of the downsides of being busy is that we tend to do more learning on the fly and “winging it” than we probably wish we had to. So, we figure things out as best we can, and perhaps unknowingly end up developing bad habits.
But with the possibility of more time on our hands, we can set aside time to intentionally learn and grow. I can take a couple of hours one day to watch some videos, take some online classes, or pursue a certification.
Maybe I’ve always wanted (or needed) to learn more about a certain technology. I can now set aside some time to read up on it, or watch YouTube videos, or even watch other churches’ online videos to see what they are doing.
Because of the pandemic, there’s a wide variety of online materials now available for free or at discounted rates. A rental/production company called Magnum has compiled a list of online materials, updated regularly, that they are now offering, free of charge (https://bit.ly/2UC75sQ). MxU, which many church folks are already familiar with because of its audio training events, has content available (https://mxu.rocks/), as does the SALT Conference (https://saltuniversity.com/).
I would hate for any of us to look back at this season and feel like it ended up being wasted time.
Even though we may not be able to have services or events in the normal way, there are still plenty of ways that we can redeem this time and make it productive.
But the key is to be intentional and have a plan. We can’t just float day to day and hope that things will somehow change.
We may not have a choice where we are working, but we do have a choice about whether or not we will be productive.
