As if running your church and ministries isn’t hard enough on a normal day, add in a world-wide pandemic, and you’ve now got a whole new set of rules and expectations that send all the “normal” protocol out the window. You’re experiencing unprecedented times alongside unexpected and new territory as you attempt to provide some sense of hope and continuity with your church members.

Here are 4 helpful truths and tips as you continue operating in a quarantined, digital realm.

1. Stay visible. This may go without saying, but you now have to be more intentional than ever if you want to remain top of mind and present in your church members’ hearts and minds. They’re looking to you to be visible, so a couple times on Sunday and once on Wednesday may not be enough. You don’t have to post all day, every day, but try enacting a 5-min daily devotional on Instagram and Facebook live. Whatever type of interaction feels natural and feasible for your church, we encourage you to do it and do it frequently.
    
2. Unpolished is ok, and often preferred. If you’re having to scramble to add live streaming capabilities, or you’re a pastor wanting to send daily encouragements on social media via video, remember: IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT. People are not expecting high-production quality during this time. The imperfections come across as authentic and real. So, don’t stress if the lighting isn’t perfect or if your dog barks mid-stream. :)
    
3. Think “daily” not “weekly.” While you’re used to operating in week-by-week basis, you need to switch to day-by-day thinking. Regulations and expectations seem to change hourly, so you and your teams need to stay flexible and operate out of a “one day at a time” mindset.
    
4. Encourage your members to invite. These uncertain times put people in a similar mindset to things like 9/11 and even Easter. They’re more willing to accept an invitation to, in this case, watch a service. Encourage people to send links to your live stream if they need some hope and maybe once everyone is finally out of quarantine, you’ll gain some new members.

No one is going to get this all perfect, and that’s not the expectation. However, there are some things you can put in place to help you along the way. If you need any help still being the church, but online on through text, we got you. Whether it’s adding live streaming to your site, adding online giving, equipping you with a texting solution for fast and effective communication and giving, we want to help. Contact us today if you have any questions or needs during this time.