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How to Help People Take Next Steps During COVID-19

By New Churches Team

Today, it’s hard to imagine planning for after COVID-19, but it’s important to consider church life and helping our people take their next steps. Next steps usually involve either serving in a ministry or getting into a small group. This is difficult during a time of online gathering, as most new people would be uncomfortable joining a Zoom video call for a small group time with strangers. Now we must consider how to make things more personable so they feel safer stepping into a group or ministry.

Starting a New Group

Invite new people into an online class where they can learn more about your church, ask questions, share their story, and interact with other people in the church to help get them connected. Ask a question and invite every person to take a turn sharing their response. This allows the group to interact more and begin to build trust. Invite the group to meet again to continue to build a connection. This isolation won’t happen forever, so this same dynamic can continue in person.

Determining the Essentials

The core of church is having authentic relationships, experiencing spiritual transformation, sacrificial service, and generous living in a way that influences others to follow Jesus. This time in isolation will help us to focus on our next steps in development and get real about the essential things we need to flourish as disciples. Christians can be learning how to take responsibility for their own discipleship and how to have relationships with others that facilitate that growing process. We can be intentional about helping people take those next steps now and as we move back into gathering together.

Adapted from the New Churches Q&A Podcast Episode 483: Taking the Next Step with COVID-19 (with Bob Logan). Click here to listen to more to church planting, multisite, and multiplication tips.