By Carey Nieuwhof: So it’s been a year now since pretty much every church got online courtesy of the pandemic.

As the world moves slowly but surely into the post-pandemic era, there are a lot of questions about what will happen to future in-person church.

The return to church has been anything but easy for churches that are reopened, and hard even for churches that are located in areas that are almost wide open.

A Lifeway Research survey shows that in January 2021,

31% of churches are still reporting less than 50% of their January 2020 attendance

37% are hovering between 50%-70% and 30% are between 70%-100%

Only 2% report seeing more than 100% of their attendance a year ago.

It’s easy to imagine that all of this is going to reverse the moment society is ‘open’ again, but for a number of reasons that’s unlikely.

First, the reopening of society is by every account going to be gradual and staged.

Second, even when laws allow everything to be wide open (as in Texas), people often behave differently than the law allows them. While some people will run into the future unrestrained and with no limits, others will remain cautious for a while to come.

But even that doesn’t explain what’s about to happen next.

Perhaps the deepest threat to in-person attendance comes from a cultural possibility I’ll say more about below, that we might be entering into a relatively selfish me-centered behavior that might relegate churches even further to the sidelines than they were pre-pandemic. And yes, I know, we were already a selfish culture.

I’m not saying this is good. I am saying for the reasons below, it may be true.

Which leads us to the false debate.

The False Debate Part 1: Think About Online Dating

So what’s the false debate?

Well, search the comments on this site or almost any other church-related social feed and you’ll see many leaders arguing that people don’t want to just do church online.

Those who say that are in part wrong, and in part correct.

It’s nuanced. Let me explain.

The same surveys that show in-person attendance is likely to struggle in the future also show that only a sliver of the population wants to only access church online.

That makes sense.

Think about online dating. About 40% of couples who date these days meet online via a dating app or site.  Not shocking.

But couples who meet online don’t stay online. You’ve never met a couple who said “We’ve been married for six years but we’ve never met in person…”

No, both dating and church online lead to in-real life.

So those who say church online can’t meet the needs of people long term are largely correct. We’re built for human connection.

So you would think, then, that the return to church would be automatic.

That’s where it breaks down.

Couples who meet online don’t stay online. You’ve never met a couple who said We’ve been married for six years but we’ve never met in person… No, both dating and church online lead to in-real life.

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The False Debate Part 2: In-Building v. In-Person

It’s true that real ministry happens best in-person. Theologically, relationally and experientially, people need people. The church is a community…in-person community.

But here’s the flawed assumption:  in-person ministry shouldn’t be restricted to in-building ministry.

To date, too many church leaders have assumed that the only viable option for in-person gathering happens in a building owned (or leased) by the church.

If you define in-person ministry as experiences that have to happen in a building owned by the church, you set yourself up for diminished mission.

In fact, if the size of your vision shrinks to the size of a room you can fill, you’ve missed the church’s mission.

If the size of your vision shrinks to the size of a room you can fill, you’ve missed the church’s mission.

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Sure, there will always be people who gather in a central facility.

It was done that way for years because it was a highly practical, sensible option. Historically, you’ve needed a building so you can assemble at the same time in the same place for a common experience. For centuries, a building was a sensible way to deliver that. It was hard to gather dozens or hundreds of people for a service.

Then the internet happened.

Moving into the post-pandemic era, churches can now gather people in person in a wide variety of ways: micro-gatherings, micro-campuses, home gatherings…all uniting the distributed in-person gatherings through technology.

In my post on 2021 Disruptive Church Trends, many of the trends deal directly with this dynamic and you can learn more there  (there’s also a free PDF Team Application Guide you can use as well).

In the future, don’t limit your understanding of in-person gatherings to in-facility gatherings; the majority of attenders and perhaps your most engaged people may not be in the auditorium.

If you expand your definition of gathering, it’s much easier to genuinely expand your mission.

If you expand your definition of gathering, it’s much easier to genuinely expand your mission.

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To drill down further on why this is so crucial, consider these three things.

1. The Culture Has Become More Post-Modern

Crisis is an accelerator, and as Barna has shown, 1 in 5 church-going adults stopped attending church altogether in 2020.

I’m guessing America and many part of the West became even more post-modern and post-Christian in the last year. Trends that may have taken a decade to cement got accelerated as people were decoupled from their habits.

Among the many characteristics of post-Christian, post-modern spirituality, three stand out when it comes to future attendance trends. Post-modern spirituality is:

self-directed
anti-institutional; and
selective

In other words, people will pick and choose what they want to do. That goes from choosing a favorite preacher to listen to, to deciding to watch from home or on the go, and even (you’ve already seen this) tenets of the faith they are inclined to embrace and tenets they’re inclined not to.

I am not arguing this is good. I’m just saying, as a Canadian who’s ministered in a post-Christian culture for decades, it’s very real.

None of this doesn’t mean it’s over for the church. Far from it. In fact, there’s more opportunity for authentic Christianity than ever.

But if you’re relying on old methods to renew your mission, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

Churches that are ready to change their methods in the post-pandemic era will seize incredible opportunities to advance their mission.

And churches that won’t may (as we’ve said here a few times) end up being like malls in the age of Amazon, just waiting  for people to return.

If you change, you’ll advance your mission. And if you don’t, you likely won’t.

If you want more on this, here are five characteristics of churches that will be in decline five years from now.

Churches that are ready to change their methods in the post-pandemic era will seize incredible opportunities to advance their mission.

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2. There May Be A Coiled-Spring of Self-Centered Behavior Ahead Of Us

We were already living a pretty self-centered life as a culture before COVID. As the HBO documentary Fake Famous so clearly points out, we’re really into ourselves and self-gratification.

I wonder if we’re heading into an even more self-centered few years ahead of us as people try to make up for whatever they missed in the last year and a bit: vacations, freedom, time away, and whatever else disappeared from their life.

One leader who leads a church in a pretty much fully open US state told me last week that the 20-30% of people who are not coming back to his re-opened church are still going to theaters, restaurants and other events. But for some reason, they’re just skipping church because “they’re not ready.”

My question was, are they just not ready or just too polite to say they’re no longer interested? Maybe there are many other intriguing things to do with their time…

There is a lot of pent up angst and longing in all of us.

And so much of the pandemic so far as been baffling. The economic and health impact of the pandemic have been so uneven and in many cases, unjust.

Despite the massive disruption, layoffs and decimated industries and cities, housing prices and the stock market have soared. People have been spending on home upgrades, bikes, boats, Peletons and many other things.  Despite all the spending, in North America personal savings rates are at all-time highs.

If you look at history, rather than dealing with the inequities and problems we face, often after a period of deep pain, people often engage in escapism and pursue fun.

The Roaring 20s followed the First World War and Spanish flu. Jazz music, movie theaters, the automobile, flappers, and night clubs gave dominated the Great Gatsby era.

The 50s baby boom, suburban explosion, and prosperity followed the horrors of the Second World War and Great Depression.

Is something like that around the corner for us? It’s too early to tell, but it’s not too early to start preparing.

Doing the authentic work of the church, being active in the local communities that don’t have the economic freedom to escape and being online to mobilize people around the mission matter even more.

If the 2020s end up being like the 1920s, the church needs a better strategy than louder music, more haze and “don’t miss this series.”

If the 2020s end up being like the 1920s, the church needs a better strategy than louder music, more haze and don’t miss this series.

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The culture needs an alternative to itself, not an echo of itself.

You can’t reach a secular culture by being more secular. You can reach it by becoming more authentic.

So be more authentic.

You can’t reach a secular culture by being more secular. You can reach it by becoming more authentic.

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3. Hybrid Church Will Simply Match Reality: Life Is Already a SlipStream Between Digital and In Real Life

None of this is really new.

For years now before COVID, almost every human was living in a slipstream between digital and in-real-life interactions.

You text your friend one second, pivot to a YouTube video the next to get a recipe for dinner, and then meet your family in the kitchen to cut some vegetables for the meal.

For years now, you’ve moved seamlessly between the digital and the real.

Church will be that way in the future too, which is why the hybrid church—offering both digital and physical ministry—is here to stay.

People will be in the building one week, watching solo online the next, and the third gathering with some friends in a home or (better yet) serving in the community to be the church.

Standing in a building resenting everyone who didn’t show up is no way to reach people. So don’t be that leader.

Standing in a building resenting everyone who didn’t show up is no way to reach people. So don’t be that leader.

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And if we are moving into some years where people are heading off to the woods, the mountains, the ocean, tropical islands or their back yard, digital will help you stay connected with them and call them back to a deeper level of sacrifice and commitment to others.

If you really do believe that the essence of Christianity is to be the church, not just go to church, then embracing a hybrid model of church only makes sense.

On the other hand, if you’re limit your digital investment in the hope you can fill a room, that’s a whole other, likely much harder, conversation.

If you really do believe that the essence of Christianity is to be the church, not just go to church, then embracing a hybrid model of church only makes sense.

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A Few Other Thoughts

Before we get to the comments (I would love to know what you think), a few other thoughts.

Having a robust in-person and digital ministry is going to be hard. And no one has really figured the model out yet.

But start here: resource your online presence with the same intensity and resources that you would if you were launching a physical location.

The surprise of course, is that effective digital ministry is much cheaper than launching a physical location, but still. Staff it like you mean it.

Staffing, of course, also involves volunteers.

And because no one has cracked the code yet on micro-gatherings, being a distributed church, or even figuring out what the format online versus for live services will be in the future, feel free to experiment (Mark Clark and I discuss some possibilities here).

Take some pressure off yourself and try some things. Some will connect, some won’t. That’s what innovation is all about.

When it comes to ministry that happens in the facility moving forward, its highest value will likely be for young families who want in-person connection for their kids, student ministry where gathering in person is of high value, people who prefer church in a facility, and of course, new people. You have a whole host of people who are now part of your church online but have never seen or experienced your church in person.

This may likely be the new core of regular attenders for the next few years. I could be wrong, but it seems plausible.

Finally, remember that being the local church is a great thing. 85% of you reading this lead a church of 200 attenders or less. Let that encourage you.

Preachers whose messages are viewed hundreds of thousands of times (sometimes by your people) don’t know your people or your city. But you do.

Along with your team, love them, serve them, reach them.

Nobody should be able to out-local the local church.

Nobody should be able to out-local the local church.

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How Are You Planning?

What are you expecting as you move into the future, and how are you planning for it?

Scroll down and leave a comment!

The post The False Debate Between Online and In-Person Church (How To Plan for An Uncertain Future) appeared first on CareyNieuwhof.com.

Source: The False Debate Between Online and In-Person Church (How To Plan for An Uncertain Future)

The post The False Debate Between Online and In-Person Church (How To Plan for An Uncertain Future) appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By unSeminary: Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re talking with Chris Bell, from 3Circle Church in the Mobile, Alabama area.

When the pandemic started, all we heard about was new restrictions and what we couldn’t do. Chris was immediately challenged to focus on what the church CAN do each day. Listen in as Chris shares ways that churches can apply this as we minister locally, regionally and globally to complete our God-given mission.

What can you do right now? // This question was one that 3Circle Church daily asked and it became their north star, particularly in the early days of the pandemic. Locally this looked like reaching out to churches in the area who didn’t have the equipment or knowledge to stream sermons online and helping them record or get set-up on Facebook. Globally it meant providing resources to ministry partners when they couldn’t travel or do mission trips, and offering training materials online instead of in-person. Ask your staff: what can you do right now? Asking themselves that question gave 3Circle Church the guidance they needed in reaching out to the community around them and focusing on providing the help that they could.Take a local approach. // 3Circle believes all ministry is local and there isn’t a cookie cutter solution to what a community needs. The team at 3Circle is big and through the pandemic they were thankfully able to keep everyone on staff, but it required some positions to be moved around. Where people can’t serve in their normal job function, put them where there is the greatest need. 3Circle had each person on staff contribute towards calling each of the 5000-6000 people in their database to ask how they were doing and pray for them. By interacting with the people in your church family on such a personal level, you will quickly get a pulse on what the needs are locally in different areas and for different families. Options for connecting. // Even though in-person services are relaunching, 3Circle has learned a lot about online services and is going to continue to pursue excellence in this area. When people attend church online, we don’t have control over the variables such as reliable internet or distractions in the home. These factors mean that the online service needs to be more than just a broadcast of the in-person service. To address this, 3Circle started shooting these messages on location with different video cuts to create a more engaging experience that would hold a family’s attention. Though it was more video work, the result helped them to expand their reach and impact more people consistently. Recognize the online ministry opportunities even when you are returning to meeting in-person. Hire staff to support growth and development in the area of an online campus. Empower your campuses. // 3Circle Church takes a local approach with ministry when it comes to multisite too. Because each of their campuses is in a very different area, they each have a different feel and different needs, especially during the pandemic. To have local contextualization at your campuses, it’s important to have a great campus pastor and then support and empower them with the right team. The campus pastor role is one that’s a leader, a shepherd and a communicator. When a campus pastor has strengths in one of these areas, surround them with campus staff that will balance their gifts. For example, if the campus pastor is a grower, then make sure there is a strong shepherd at the campus as well to help them care for people in their community.

You can learn more about 3Circle Church at www.3circlechurch.com. You can reach Chris at his website www.chrisbelllive.com.

Thank You for Tuning In!

There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Chemistry Staffing

Great things happen when the right leadership is in place in a local church… lives are changed and churches thrive.

With all the craziness that has gone on in 2020, we know that many churches are beginning to ask hard questions about what their current team looks like and how ready they are to lead into our new reality. Download Chemistry Staffing’s Restructuring Playbook to develop clarity around where you need to be focusing your time, resources, and team.

Source: Lead with What Your Church CAN DO with Chris Bell

The post Lead with What Your Church CAN DO with Chris Bell appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By TheChurch.Digital: As church leaders in the midst of this COVID season, there are certainly questions on this whole Digital Church thing. Is this effective? Is it working? Chances are your church leadership thinks they have an idea of what’s happening. There are even “experts” like me to tell you what we think is happening. But has anyone actually taken the time to ask the actual people attending (or not attending) our online services?

Enter Barna Research into the conversation. Barna & Stadia just partnered to release the largest report to date on Church Online usage to date… the report centers church attenders, church dropouts… people passionate (and not passionate) about Church Online. What are they receptive to? What are they looking for? Physical? Digital? Hybrid? Barna’s Report confirms some trends that we already understood, but also opened up a number of trends that I, for one, didn’t see coming.

So for the conversation we’re bringing in Savannah Kimberlin from Barna to help us unpack what’s happening here, and help us get a grasp on the future of Hybrid Church.

If you’re enjoying this episode, subscribe for free using your favorite podcast app below:

Apple Podcasts | RSS Feed | Anchor | Overcast | Spotify | Pocket Casts | Google Play

ON THE SHOW

Source: PODCAST 105: Savannah Kimberlin & Barna’s “6 Questions about the Future of the Hybrid Church”

The post PODCAST 105: Savannah Kimberlin & Barna’s "6 Questions about the Future of the Hybrid Church" appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Greg Curtis: It’s a humbling experience to be speaking alongside thought leaders of this caliber. I am so excited about this conference and the help it will give to all of us who strive to serve and connect guests….and it’s coming in just a few weeks from now!

Are you concerned about the number of guests you are able to connect in the current and post COVID world?

Sherpas leading guests on their climb to connect at your church will benefit greatly from this conference.

Register for the conference now and enter promo code CURTIS to save $20!

I will be doing a session on how to create an online program that actually connects guests to small groups and ministry teams. Others in the line up will be bringing their A-game on other topics that are crucial to understanding guests in the New Normal. With people like Rick Warren, Carey Nieuwhof, Nona Jones, and Bob Goff speaking reality and empowering insights to steady us and our teams, this conference is not be missed.

So, if you want to become a more welcoming church and help your in-person and online guests take their next steps, then click here to get your ticket for the First Impressions Conference.

Can’t wait to see you there, my friends,

Here are just some of the others in the line up…..

P.S. Click here and enter promo code TEXT to save $20 when you register for the First Impressions Conference so you can lead your church with innovation, purpose, and clarity.

Source: Ideas and strategies for church guests in the “New Normal”.

The post Ideas and strategies for church guests in the "New Normal". appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By Carey Nieuwhof: Who are you really ‘competing’ against in ministry?

It’s an interesting question, and you may be tempted to dismiss as either inappropriate or bad theology. Fair enough.

Except a lot of leaders are competitive, and if you’ve ever felt yourself secretly resenting anything that seems to be competing with your ministry’s growth, it might be a good idea to ask the question.

Leaders can waste a lot of otherwise productive time and energy battling false competitors, and meanwhile the real problem gets ignored. The crisis we’re currently in makes it even that much more important, because you don’t have time to waste or energy to spare.

It’s easy to envy growing, successful churches or get mad at the church across town (or megachurch) that stole your members in an epic sheep swap. It’s also a mistake.

So…what’s the difference between the competition in your head and the real battle you should be fighting?

Here are four false competitors most church leaders battle, and the real competition we too often ignore at our own peril.

It’s easy to envy growing, successful churches or get mad at the church that stole your members in an epic sheep swap. It’s also a mistake.

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1. The megachurch in your city or online

About that megachurch church many pastors live in fear of…are they your competition?

That question gets accelerated in a post-COVID world as more and more church attendance shifts online. In all likelihood, what’s happening is a significant number people who used to attend a local church have now switched to being part of a mega-church or other church with an strong online presence.

While we won’t really know what’s happened until after we move into a post-pandemic world, I’m guessing the 18% of churches that consistently report growth during 2020 are seeing a percentage of that growth from Christians who used to attend another church. (Consolidation is the #1 trend of the 7 New Disruptive Church Trends outlined here.)

As hard as it might be to see that happen, growing megachurches are not actually your ‘competition’. (Here are 5 more unfair myths about mega-churches).

Different churches trying to reach the world do not create a case of Coke v. Pepsi or Amazon v. Walmart. No, deciding another church is your competitor is more like Coke deciding to take on Coke, or Amazon battling Amazon. That’s usually known as suicide, right?

One church should never try to take on another church, but we do. And when we do, we lose.

To make matters worse, trying to become the rock star preacher when that’s not your gifting or pretending to be something you’re not only makes the problem worse.

Imitation kills innovation and your soul. Envy rots the bones. Nothing good comes from that dark place.

So what should you and I do with the growing megachurch in your city or online?

Celebrate what God is doing through others, and focus on what he’s called you to do, that’s what.

Celebrate what God is doing through others, and focus on what he’s called you to do

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2. The church next door

The church next door is not your competition either, no matter what size. Even if the church is growing like crazy, it’s still not your competition.

It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that your church isn’t THE church, and when you do, everyone loses. When any church flourishes, it’s cause to celebrate, not a reason to complain, fear or compete.

It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that your church isn’t THE church, and when you do, everyone loses.

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When it comes to the church, when one part of the body hurts, we all hurt. And when one thrives, we all celebrate.

The pastor you resent is your ally, not your competitor.

When churches start cooperating with each other rather than competing against each other, unchurched people see unity. Unity and respect are far more attractive than division.

The pastor you resent is your ally, not your competitor.

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3. In-person attendance

The new kid on the block for false competitors is in-person attendance.

As churches reopen for physical gathering, you can sense an emerging competition between those who gather for ‘real church’ in person and those who participate online.

What if that’s a false dichotomy?

As churches reopen for physical gathering, you can sense an emerging competition between those who gather for ‘real church’ in person and those who participate online. What if that’s a false dichotomy?

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Most churches have seen sliding or plateaued attendance for years prior to COVID.

To belittle online attenders as not-real attenders is a great way to alienate what’s left of your congregation.

If your future plan is get everyone back in the building, prepare for a future of diminishing returns.

If your plan is to see church as being online and onsite, you’ll see a much brighter future.

Wise leaders will see online church as something they cooperate with rather than compete with.

If your future plan is get everyone back in the building, prepare for a future of diminishing returns.

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4. The weather

You’re probably thinking….the weather? What’s the weather doing on this list?

Almost every pastor I know (myself included) has at one time or another thought of the weather as our competition.

Snowing again? People aren’t going to come.

Too rainy? People will stay home.

Too sunny and warm? Everyone’s going to head to the beach.

I’ve even had one pastor who lives in a really nice climate that his enemy is wind. If it’s too windy, he told me, attendance drops. I wish I was making that up. I’m not.

The perfect conditions for church seem to be overcast but not raining, cool but not too cold…just miserable enough that people say “It’s not that nice out, so let’s head to church.”

I realize it’s kind of sad we’ve gotten ourselves into this place, but even so, the weather isn’t your real competition. And just a note: church online solves any and all weather issues, except the issue of your real competition.

So to that point, what actually is your real competition?

The Real Competition: Indifference

The real competition for the local church isn’t another church, the mega-church, online church or the weather. It’s indifference.

You ready for this?

People aren’t thinking about you. Or if they are, they don’t see enough value to drop what they’re doing to join in.

The real competition for the local church isn’t another church, the mega-church, online church or the weather. It’s indifference.

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I know that hurts, but it also paves the way for you and your team to reposition yourself for the future.

The average unchurched person doesn’t like awake on Saturday night wondering what you’re going to preach on next.

He does lie awake at night though, wondering if his marriage is always going to be this bad, if he’s going to be stuck in a job that leaves him feeling so unfulfilled, and if his drinking is starting to get the best of him.

That average unchurched person lies awake at night wondering if her kids are going to be okay, how bad her husband’s porn problem is and if the emptiness in her soul will ever go away.

As you know, these are all spiritual questions.

Unchurched people are asking spiritual questions. They just don’t think the church can help.

Unchurched people are asking spiritual questions. They just don’t think the church can help.

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Of course you can help. The key is to cut through the indifference.

How do you do that? Well, this website (and the internet) is full of ways to do that, but let me highlight three briefly.

I. Be the Local Church

So, no, you’re not the leader of your favorite megachurch or church you most admire. No problem.

Just be the leader of your local church. Love your city, township, village….your people.

Nobody should be able to out-local the local church. I promise you the megachurch you admire/envy won’t.

Nobody should be able to out-local the local church.

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II. Make Your Passion For the Mission White Hot

I get it, passion waxes and wanes in all of us (even in the best leaders). And the current moment has made it that much harder.

But one of the differences between leaders who are effective over the long haul and those who are not is that the effective leaders always find a way to keep the passion for the future alive.

By contrast, leaders of stuck or declining churches or organizations generally do NOT burn with drive, desire or passion.

In fact, I can’t think of a single leader of a growing church who isn’t passionate about their mission.

So stoke your passion.

Your congregation will never be more passionate about your mission than you are.

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III. Play Your Unique Role

If God wanted you to be the leader you’re jealous of, he would have made you that leader. But, he made you, well, you.

It can be so easy to feel inadequate for the job…that you’re not gifted enough, talented enough or smart enough to do what you’re called to do.

Not true. And besides, putting on an act every day is exhausting.

Leaders who are comfortable with themselves, who know their limitations, and who can lean into their unique gifting have a great future ministry to an unchurched culture.

Those are some of the key ingredients in authenticity. And authentic leaders resonate with a culture that’s tired of being hyped, sold and manipulated.

Stop wishing things were ideal and embrace the real. It will take you further than you think.

Stop wishing things were ideal and embrace the real. It will take you further than you think.

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The Art of Better Preaching

As much as the digital reality has changed everything, some of the core principles of sermon preparation and excellent communication never change. Great communication is simple great communication.

If you’re ready to start preaching better sermons and reach the unchurched without selling out, then it’s time to start using the right tips, lessons, and strategies to communicating better.

The Art of Better Preaching Course is a 12 session video training with a comprehensive, interactive workbook that will help you create, write, and deliver better sermons. The course contains the lessons Mark Clark (lead pastor of  Village Church, a growing mega-church in post-Christian Vancouver) and I have learned, taught, and used over decades of being professional communicators.

This is the complete course you need to start preaching better sermons, including:

7 preaching myths it’s time to bust forever
The 5 keys to preaching sermons to unchurched people (that will keep them coming back)
How to discover the power in the text (and use it to drive your sermon)
The specific characteristics of sermons that reach people in today’s world
Why you need to ditch your sermon notes (and how to do it far more easily than you think.)
How to keep your heart and mind fresh over the long run

And far more! Plus you get an interactive workbook and some bonus resources that will help you write amazing messages week after week.

In the Art of Better Preaching, Mark and I share everything we’ve learned about communicating in a way that will help your church grow without compromising biblical integrity. We cover detailed training on everything from interacting with the biblical text to delivering a talk without using notes, to writing killer bottom lines that people will remember for years.

Don’t miss out! Check it out today and gain instant access.

Any False Competitors You See?

What false competitors do you see? And how are you battling indifference?

Scroll down and leave a comment?

The post The Growing Megachurch Isn’t Your Enemy. This Is. appeared first on CareyNieuwhof.com.

Source: The Growing Megachurch Isn’t Your Enemy. This Is.

The post The Growing Megachurch Isn’t Your Enemy. This Is. appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By: Carey Nieuwhof

As a leader, you’ve likely looked back at a decision another church or organization made and thought to yourself, “how could they not have seen how bad that decision was…I mean, didn’t anybody realize where that would take them?”

And of course, the answer is no…they didn’t see it.

Which is the point of this post.

Five years from now, what will declining churches have done that pushed them into…well, decline? Because right now, their leaders are making the decisions that will lead them there.

Right now, in the midst of all this uncertainty, you’re making decisions that will shape the future. We all are.

How do you know you’re making the right ones?

As you look back over the last few decades, it’s not that hard to see that churches who refused to change, embraced blended worship (out of fear of offending people), didn’t make tough staffing calls, failed to plan for timely succession, got weird theologically or made a myriad of other unfortunate decisions generally faced decline rather than growth as their dominant story.

While the future is impossible to predict accurately and anyone who tells you they know where it’s all going is either lying or deluded, there are often clues as to what’s ahead.

So very tentatively—and with an openness to being very wrong—I want to offer 7 new characteristics of churches that will be in decline five years from now. I say new, because all of these factors are tied to real-time decision making that’s happening in light of the coronavirus, meaningful cultural change and the dislocation that has become life today.

Again, five years from now, we’ll see how accurate these were, but for those of us making decisions today, here are the characteristics and patterns to watch.

The decisions you make today impact the future you lead live tomorrow.

So, with all that said, here are 7 new characteristics of churches that will I suggest lead them into decline in the future.

The decisions you make today impact the future you lead live tomorrow.

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1. The leaders bet everything on a physical return to church

Is physical church coming back? You bet it is. As long as there are people, people are going to want to connect in person.

Is in-person church the whole future?

Well, that’s a very different question.

These are hardly perfect conditions, but the few leaders who are seeing 70% of their pre-COVID attendance back at in-person services are declaring victory.

I don’t want to rain on any parades, but when did reaching 30% fewer people became a win when there’s a world desperately in need of the Gospel?

I’m talking to a growing number of leaders who are seeing 20-40% as the new normal for physical attendance, and while that might indeed improve in the future, there’s also growing talk of sizable groups of people who have just disappeared from church altogether.

Indeed, according to the Barna Group, the number of pastors who believe their church will grow after the pandemic has dipped to 13% from a high of 34%. 33% see it being the same, and fully 49% believe it will be lower.

If that’s the case, churches that invest all of their time and energy on in-person gathering may not see the impact and reach they’re hoping for.

I outline more reasons I’m wary of wagering your entire future on in-person facility-based gatherings in these posts.

When Your Church Re-Opens, What Will Be Left and Who Will Still Come?

In-Person Attendance v. Online Attendance and the Emerging Trap of Doing Nothing Well

When did reaching 30% fewer people became a win when there’s a world desperately in need of the Gospel?

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2. Success was measured by the number of people who attend physical locations

What you measure as a leader influences what you value.

For years, pastors (for better or worse) measure success by the number of people who attend weekend worship.

If that was a problem in the last, it will be an even bigger problem in the future.

If people engage with church differently via digital, home-based or community-based gatherings, the leader who defines success by worship attendance alone in a church building or campus will grow more and more frustrated.

What you measure as a leader influences what you value.

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So pick some new metrics. Measure what’s really happening online (this will help you do that). Count engagement. Figure out how to measure spiritual growth. Look at your actual impact, not just pure attendance numbers.

Although written pre-COVID, here a post that outlines 7 ways to grow engagement.

If growing churches in the future will be digital organizations with physical locations, then leaders who focus only on physical locations will see a tougher future.

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3. Online ministry is viewed as an afterthought or lesser form

It’s not that most churches won’t have an online ministry. Almost every church does now thanks to COVID-19.

It’s just that in the future, declining churches will see it either an afterthought or a lesser form of ministry.

I know there are genuine theological questions that have yet to be answered. And we’ll figure that out as we go along. If that statement bothers you, just read the New Testament. The Gospel moves forward, and the leaders figure out what it means in real-time.

It’s not that most churches won’t have an online ministry. It’s just that, in the future, declining churches in the future will see it either an afterthought or a lesser form of ministry.

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Meanwhile, people keep moving on.  People are living more digitally than ever, and most businesses continue to rethink their strategy in light of it, reducing physical locations and pivoting to online.

You can see online church as an obstacle or an opportunity. And everyone you want to reach is online, that makes it a pretty big opportunity.

Again, physical gathering will always plan a role in the future of the church, but wise churches will realize there is much opportunity beyond that.

You can see online church as an obstacle or an opportunity. And everyone you want to reach is online, that makes it a pretty big opportunity.

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4. All the feedback comes from their echo chamber

Leaders who are looking for ways to confirm their biases have never had more ways to do it.

Social media is designed to give you more of what you want, and, apparently, we love it that way.

So many pastors feel the pressure from their members to reopen and reopen fully. And that’s predictable. People always crave what they’ve known. In fact, even when it comes to food, you’ve never craved anything you haven’t tried.

You’ll also be highly motivated to return to the way things were because that’s what you know. And, as I shared here, those who succeeded most in the past are most motivated to preserve the past or recreate it.

All of which puts leaders at risk of listening only to their echo chamber.

Church people are going to love in-person worship because that’s all they’ve know. You are going to love it because that’s basically what you’ve led.

You are naturally surrounded by people who will tell you you’re right, that others are wrong, and the algorithm that controls your social media feed will automatically find you more content that agrees with you. Here’s the irony: in an online culture run by algorithms, you don’t actually get more choices, you get fewer.

In an online culture run by algorithms, you don’t actually get more choices, you get fewer.

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Wise leaders expose themselves to different voices: voices: outside voices, younger voices, varying opinions and voices beyond their field or discipline.

Different opinions lead to better decisions.

Leaders of declining churches surround themselves with like-minded voices and influences,  convinced they’re right and everyone else is wrong.

Leaders of declining churches surround themselves with like-minded voices and influences, convinced they’re right and everyone else is wrong.

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5. They quickly went back to 3 songs and a message as their service formats

Even pre-COVID, it was becoming clear that attractional churches were past peak and more charismatic churches were growing (here are 5 reasons why).  Recent research confirms that.

But the COVID disruption and mass move to online has meant most churches quickly discovered that what ‘worked’ in terms of in-person weekend services didn’t translate online, and many pivoted to shorter services, less music and more engaging, interactive formats to engage people.

Some pastors even hired YouTubers to help with message creation and delivery.

It’s still uncertain what the future design of church services online or in-person will reveal, but if this crisis is the accelerator and disruptor most think it is, then a return to a format that had stopped resonating deeply before is likely not the best move.

The key is to keep faithfully experimenting and exploring what helps people best connect with God.

What’s happened so far in the crisis isn’t innovation, it’s adaptation. Most of the innovation lies ahead.

If you’re already thinking, well, everyone I know likes it that way, see point 4 above and point 7 below.

What’s happened so far in the current crisis isn’t innovation, it’s adaptation. Most of the innovation lies ahead.

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6. The church building, not the home or community, was re-established as the sole locus of ministry

One thing this crisis has revealed is how facility-centric the dominant model of ministry has been for generations in the Western Church. Take away our buildings, and we’re all a little lost.

One trend developing before our eyes is the home as the new center of life. In the last six months, work, food preparation, entertainment, school, and shopping are now more home-based than ever.  And for 6 months, that’s been true of church.

Some of that will shift. Not all work will stay remote, but my guess is online shopping, working from home, take-out food, and entertainment will long term trend toward home-based ventures.

A few churches have already pivoted toward moving from a church with 5 locations to a church with hundreds or thousands of locations—those being peoples’ homes.

Wise church leaders will cooperate with this trend rather than compete with it.  They’ll get over their building addiction and the ego boost of full rooms and work on reaching people, which is kind of the point anyway.

In the future, dying churches will see their building—not the home and community—as the primary locus of ministry. Growing churches won’t.

In the future, dying churches will see their building—not the home and community—as the primary locus of ministry. Growing churches won’t.

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7. The leaders excluded Gen Z from the inner leadership circle

Whether you think generational difference are overblown or not, just because you have a 30-year-old on your staff doesn’t mean you’re ready for the next generation.

Gen Z is now graduating college and they’re distinguishing themselves from Millennials, sometimes giving Millennials the same slamming the rest of the culture gives Boomers. While this sounds trivial (and in many regards it is), every generation is defined by something a little different.

Gen Z is the first truly digital native generation to emerge, and their cultural formation is being shaped by all kinds of things like Corona-virus, racial justice, climate change and much more.

Plus, the oldest Gen Z was only 10-years-old when YouTube was born and 12 when the iPhone was launched. They have always consumed and created content differently than any other generation.

If you’re wondering how the thinking and experience between generations varies, enjoy this video of Fred and Tim Williams, twenty-two year-old twins hearing Phil Collins In the Air Tonight for the first time.

The average senior pastor is 57 these days. Surrounding yourself with leaders two or three generations below you and giving them actual influence, authority and responsibility is one of the best ways to keep you and your church young.

And if you’re worried they’re not ready of that kind of responsibility, neither were you when someone handed you the keys. Neither was I. We figured it out. They will too.

Mentoring doesn’t just happen older leader to younger leader; it happens the other way around too.

Once I turned 40, one of the best decisions I made was to keep young leaders at the senior leadership table.

Keeping young leaders around your leadership table is one of the best ways to keep the next generation in your church.

Mentoring doesn’t just happen older leader to younger leader; it happens the other way around too.

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Help Your Team Crush Their Goals As You Move Into the Future (FREE TRAINING)

The future won’t be easy, and many leaders fear their team isn’t up to the challenge.

If you’re ready to change that, I have a simple strategy that will help your team crush their goals in a new free two-part teaching series.

The series consists of two short videos and two free PDF guides to help you hit objectives and create a better team culture.

This isn’t just another goal-setting methodology… there are so many great ways to go about setting goals. It’s a system you can use for real accountability so that you and your team actually hit the goals that you set.

On top of that, I’ll show you the 3-step process that completely transformed how I go about creating a healthy team culture.

Learn more and get free, instant access to the teaching series here.

What Are You Seeing?

I hope this is helpful. I am not saying I know the future. No one does.

But I think we have clues as to how decisions we make today impact the future we live tomorrow.

What do you see? What are some decisions leaders will regret five years down the road?

The post The NEW Characteristics of Churches That Will Be In Decline Five Years From Now  appeared first on CareyNieuwhof.com.

Source: The NEW Characteristics of Churches That Will Be In Decline Five Years From Now 

The post The NEW Characteristics of Churches That Will Be In Decline Five Years From Now  appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By: Carey Nieuwhof

As much as you wish things were getting easier in church leadership, they don’t appear to be heading in that direction.

If anything, things are more complicated than they were a month ago. And infinitely more complicated than they were a year ago.

My guess is you’ve had a thousand different thoughts rush through your mind (and heart) in 2020, not all of them, well, great.

This post was inspired by a clever and accurate post my friend Rich Birch wrote on his blog recently outlining some thoughts church staff had but wouldn’t tell their senior leaders.

I thought I’d pop into the senior leader’s head and see if anything resonates.

Please hear the tone behind this post. I’m with you as a leader.

I’ve cried actual tears for church leaders in this season and I empathize deeply with how challenging this moment is.

Yes, this is a hard time. But you will make it through. The capital C church will make it through, and it will thrive.

Sometimes naming what you’re feeling brings things to the surface you didn’t even realize were there. And yes, I’ve personally struggled with most—if not all–of these.

So what are you really thinking as a church leaders in 2020?

See if any of these ten things resonate.

1. I don’t know how much longer I can do this

Right now, most leaders are more tired than they’ve ever been.

I interviewed Levi and Jennie Lusko recently to talk about the coronavirus crisis, racial reconcillation and how they, their family and church were responding.

Levi gave me a great metaphor. He said we feel this exhaustion because we didn’t know we were running a triathalon. It’s like we got to the end of our run, we thought we were finished, and someone handed us a bicycle and then told us later we also had to swim.

Exactly.

If you’re thinking about alternative careers, other things you can do with your life, or just taking a long, extended sabbatical, hang in there.

Never quit on a bad day. If you’re going to quit on a good day. Hint: there aren’t a lot of good days right now. So hang in there.

Never quit on a bad day.Click To Tweet

In the meantime, please get the rest you need this summer (here are some simple ideas for better rest).

Taking a restorative break this summer is a great idea. A rested you is a much better you.

Leaders who never take a break end up breaking.

Leaders who never take a break end up breaking.Click To Tweet

2. I’m too tired to address the things I know I’m supposed to fix

So much is changing right now.

Long term disruptive trends that are causing decline and stagnation in the church are accelerating rapidly, and if you look at the list of issues to address and things to do, it’s arguably never been longer.

The longing you feel for everything to go back to normal is in part a natural reaction against the massive task ahead.

Denial is not a great strategy. But irrelevance and ineffectiveness are arguably worse.

So what can you do?

Get the rest you need, and lean into God and the team to give you the strength ahead to do what you need to do.

Denial is not a great strategy. But irrelevance and ineffectiveness are arguably worse. Click To Tweet

3. My thoughts and emotions are a total yoyo

Many leaders right now are feeling yoyo emotions: up one minute, down the next, and everything in between.

I get it.

One of the first casualties, when I’m stressed, are my emotions.

Sometimes they go numb, and I feel nothing. Other times, they end up being completely inappropriate or disproportionate.

Physical rest and spiritual health are key to me keeping my emotions healthy.

Your emotions impact you, your family and your team.

While this is a season, just remember that emotionally healthy leaders tend to lead emotionally healthy teams. The opposite is also true.

Emotionally healthy leaders tend to lead emotionally healthy teams. The opposite is also true. Click To Tweet

4. I’m angry at people for not coming back

Not only has the crisis accelerated long term trends of declining attendance, the possibility that many people aren’t coming back to church regularly even after coronavirus has lifted is also real.

And you’re angry at people who aren’t coming back.

If you’ve opened, you’re angry with healthy people who haven’t returned.

And if you haven’t even reopened yet,  you’re probably already mad at the people you think won’t return.

So what do you do?

Feel that emotion.

Pray through it.

Vent to a friend.

And then move on.

As you know, anger is a pretty ineffective evangelism strategy.

Anger is a pretty ineffective evangelism strategy. Click To Tweet

5. I feel best about myself when the room is full

Oh this one’s so ugly you can’t even say it out loud.

But the truth is you only really feel great about yourself when the room is full.

And as much as you said you’d never do it, you’ve tied your identity to your success.

It’s hard to post that shot to Instagram when the room is empty or 25% full because of social distancing, or half as full as it used to be pre-virus.  And screenshotting your online numbers doesn’t quite give you the rush a full room used to.

You wish you didn’t feel best about yourself when the room is full. But you do.

I’m not saying this is good. I’m just saying for many of us, it’s just a little too true.

And if you really want to drill down, the people who benefitted most from the old ways are the most motivated to try to bring them back.

So you’ll either spend a lot of energy trying to make things the way they were before, or you’ll spend more time on your knees and with a therapist trying to break the idolatry of a full room.

As much as I hate that option, it’s probably the best one.

Most pastors feel best about themselves when the room is full.Click To Tweet

6. I like the convenience of church online more than I want to admit

I needed to buy some shorts and sandals for our summer vacation. I could have gone to the mall, but that’s minimum 2 hours with the drive.

So before writing this post, I spend 15 minutes online and picked up the shorts and sandals I needed. They’ll be here this week.

That’s convenient, and it’s been life (retail-wise) for years.

All my life, church has been an almost full Sunday morning commitment…sometimes longer. It has been for most of you reading this too.

What’s shocked me most in 2020 is how what was a full morning or almost full morning (I’m Founding Pastor now and not as involved in the day to day as I was when I was a Lead Pastor), when I’m not teaching it’s now down to about an hour on a Sunday.

That’s a big change.

If you pre-record your messages, maybe Sunday feels different than it used to.

Even when I teach live now on a Sunday in an empty room, if we get a good take of the message during the first service, I can finish up. After all, there’s no one in the room to talk to anyway besides a minimal crew.

As much as most church leaders have railed against the challenges of online church, you probably enjoy the convenience more than you want to admit.

As much as most church leaders have railed against the challenges of online church, you probably enjoy the convenience more than you want to admit. Click To Tweet

7. I hate the prospect of church online for the future

And that said—and as much as you like online shopping personally— you hate the prospect of church online for the future.

No one has done this before, and you were good at church in the old model.

Besides, you’re a relational person. You love ministering to people you can see, touch and engage with personally.

When it comes to ministry, the internet feels like a vapor.

And you’re not sure you’re up to it.

8. I’m not sure more or my team has the skill set for the next chapter

If you drill down further, you’re a little frightened.

No one trained you for this. There wasn’t a single class in seminary in online ministry.

Other people are better at the camera than you are. Your church isn’t really staffed for this.

Maybe you just don’t have the skill set for the next era of ministry.

And perhaps your staff doesn’t either. You didn’t hire your team for this moment.

And now you’re into something you didn’t sign up for.

The truth is you can probably learn the skill set and so can your team. It just takes time and energy.  Which takes up straight back to points 1-3 of this post.

Most church leaders’ silent fear: I’m not sure me or my team has the skill set for the next chapter of ministry. Click To Tweet

9. I can’t handle any more change

2020 has been one thing stacked up on the other. You feel like everything is breaking – your routine, your systems, the economy, the culture…and you don’t know how to put it back together.

And as important as some of these things are, you just can’t take any more.

So please stop. Just stop.

Can we go back to normal? I know normal is dead. But I’d really like to go back.

Of course—and you know this too–change is unkind to the unprepared. But still….

Change is unkind to the unprepared.Click To Tweet

10. I haven’t taken any time to grieve

Everybody around you is grieving and craving a return to normal, and secretly so are you, but you know in your head you haven’t really processed much. You’ve been too busy.

And as a leader, what you do is cast vision and bury your grief because you’re afraid that if you stop, you’ll break.

And as a leader, what you do is cast vision and bury your grief because you’re afraid that if you stop, you’ll break.Click To Tweet

I can personally assure you that this is a little too true.

I spent a decade not grieving the losses that piled up, and it was a major factor in my burnout.

A mentor once told me that ministry is a series of ungrieved losses. He’s right. And now more than ever.

When you grieve your losses, you’re able to move through them to a new tomorrow.

So this summer, take time to rest…and grieve. You’ll come back with fresh energy.

The situation may not be any better, but you will be. And that’s what makes the difference.

This summer, take time to rest…and grieve. You’ll come back with fresh energy. The situation may not be any better, but you will be. And that’s what makes the difference. Click To Tweet

A Simpler Way to Navigate a Complex Future

Yes, there’s a ton of change happening right now. And it’s exhausting.

As complex as things are, having a simple framework to navigate the change will make the task ahead much easier.

If you want to position yourself for the future, my brand new online training, the 30-Day Pivot, will show you how to develop your agility as a leader and as an organization to position yourself for growth.

The 30-Day Pivot is a simple 3-step process you and your team can utilize every as often as every 30 days to respond to the change around you and capitalize on it.

In the 30-Day Pivot, you’ll learn:

A simple 3-step process your team can use to arrive at your next pivot in 90 minutes or less.
An approach that fosters team-generated innovation.
An implementation and evaluation framework that will help your team move quickly and accurately.

I’ve led teams through multiple pivots, and in the 30 Day Pivot, I show you the strategy and framework you need to make quick, accurate and responsive moves that can position your organization for growth, even in the midst of deep uncertainty and change.

Some organizations and churches will thrive in the new normal.

Others won’t.

While the future is uncertain, yours doesn’t have to be.

You can learn more and gain instant access to the 30 Day Pivot here.

What Are You Feeling?

I’m so glad we’re in this season together. Sometimes, just naming what you’re feeling or thinking can be the first step to addressing it.

What are you feeling?

Scroll down a leave a comment.

The post What Church Leaders Are (Really) Thinking in 2020 appeared first on CareyNieuwhof.com.

Source: What Church Leaders Are (Really) Thinking in 2020

The post What Church Leaders Are (Really) Thinking in 2020 appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By: UnSeminary

This has been a strange season to be working in the local church. 

Just a few months ago, we all made the pivot to entirely digital and that felt like the biggest change in our history of leading in the local church. At that point, we thought it would only be a few weeks that we would need to be in lockdown. Now we find ourselves facing what seems to be an even more complex season of ministry. 

This transition to whatever the next normal looks like is going to be incredibly difficult to navigate. This will likely include some mixed variety of digital services, small group meetings, and some version of large group meetings in our auditoriums. 

I love church leaders. I spend a lot of time thinking about how we can be more effective and what we can do to reach more people around us. 

Over the last few months, I’ve spent quite a bit of time listening to and chatting with church leaders from across the country. While none of the fears that I write about here have been explicitly expressed by the individual leaders that I spoke with, they do resonate with the conversations that I’ve been having. My challenge to senior leaders today is to find time in the coming weeks to listen carefully to what your leaders are saying and even more carefully to what they’re not saying.

These fears represent some real pain points that our staff are going through in this season as we face what comes next in our churches. So, here are five fears about reopening that your staff may be feeling but aren’t talking to you about. 

I don’t like crowds anymore. 

This past weekend I was at an Ikea. It was kind of a fun experience lining up outside in a winding queue like I was waiting for my favorite Walt Disney World ride. It was interesting looking at the different types of masks people were wearing. But something hit me when I actually stepped foot inside the Ikea.

This wave of unexpected fear came over me as I stood in the silverware section with maybe 35 to 40 other people milling around me. I didn’t realize that months of being socially isolated had actually made me fearful in crowds. There is no doubt that some staff on your team are worried about coming back, and while we’re cheering that our churches are reopening and are looking forward to 30%, 40%, or maybe even 50% of our community returning to our buildings, there are some staff that will find this to be a fearful or overwhelming experience.

Giving our staff an opportunity to distance themselves from our community as they arrive will be an important part of our reopening plan. Even those affectionate folks among us who used to high five and hug everybody who came through the front door may find themselves with increasing amounts of stress when it comes to growing audience sizes in the coming weeks. 

I’m done with church online. 

A few weeks ago, I was enjoying a peaceful Sunday morning engaging with our church online while making some pancakes with fresh blueberries. When I came back to the screen to watch what was going on, a deep heaviness suddenly fell over me.

We’ve been celebrating this amazing season of digital ministry, but that’s mostly because we haven’t had any alternative. As senior leaders, we’ve been telling our people that this represents the future. We’ve been communicating how important it is for us to shift all of our ministries to digital and online in order to continue to connect with our people. However, I suspect that many of our staff are just done with church online. 

We’re starting to see that this is the case in the broader church, as attendance is dropping and engagement is decreasing. Many of our staff are probably fearful of actually telling us that they are also tired of it, despite the fact that their perspective might actually help us fix the issue.

Let’s create space to address the ways that church online isn’t meeting our needs and what we need to do to change that. If we could talk honestly about what is inadequate about the church online experience now that we’ve all been in it for weeks, we might actually be able push to a deeper level of innovation. 

What is it about church online that is so dissatisfactory? How do we change those things for the future waves of this pandemic and also for people who may never enter the doors of our church but are connecting online?

I work in kids’ ministry. We’re opening without my area. What does that mean?

One of the saddest things I’ve seen in this reopening process is that some churches across the country are planning to open without any form of kids’ ministry. 

The not so subtle message you’re sending to your kids’ ministry team is what they have suspected all along: kids’ ministry is nothing more than babysitting so that adults can sit freely in the main room. 

Over the years, we’ve used language that has caused our kids’ ministry people to be suspicious of whether we might think that kids’ ministry is second best to what’s happening in the adult world. If your church is looking at opening without kids’ ministry, you are making a grievous strategic error. 

Kids’ ministry has always cultivated some of the most innovative leaders in the church. Kids’ ministry is a growth engine and is one of the major reasons why growing churches are growing. To reopen a church without kids’ ministry, I would contest, is not actually reopening the church. If you cannot open kids’ ministry, do not reopen your adult ministry. There are many strategic reasons to consider here but think about the damage you’ll be doing to your staff and leaders, not to mention your wider church, if you don’t include kids’ ministry as an important part of your whole. 

I’m tired. (Like, really tired.)

I’ll say it again, this has been a very strange season for people who work in the local church. There’s a meme that’s been floating around that says, “How is it that we’re not doing any public meetings or anything at the church building, but our staff are busier than ever before?” That’s very true. I would suspect that in your church, many people haven’t taken any vacation time during these last three months because there hasn’t been anywhere to go or anything to do. On top of that, people have been wondering about the future of their jobs. So the thought of taking time off right now has not made sense.

The problem is we’re heading into a reopening phase that will be more demanding than the phase we just went through. The complexity of ministry is only going to increase in the coming weeks and months, let alone if we find ourselves with a substantial second wave of coronavirus that forces us back into a lockdown scenario.

Your team is tired.

I would strongly recommend that you think through what you’re going to do with vacation time in the coming weeks and months. People need to push back, unplug, and not worry about the live feed or what’s happening in the chat room. One more week to rest, to sleep in, to find some sense of new normal. I understand that this can be difficult in this season, but if we don’t give our people an opportunity to take time off, it will only impact our ministries and our team’s ability to stay healthy in the long run.

I feel a little lost. 

This has been a destabilizing season; there’s no doubt about that. There are people on your team today who are not really sure what’s next. The path is unclear. Ministry during normal seasons is already a bit destabilizing and uncomfortable because we’re constantly dealing with people who have real issues and our job is to help them take steps closer to Jesus. The wins are sometimes not entirely evident and the rewards can feel few on a week in week out basis. Our job in this season is to clarify the roles that people need to be filling and the work that we’re asking them to do.

In this season, it’s up to you and me as leaders to give clear direction, even if that means brand new job descriptions and weekly, monthly, and/or quarterly key performance indicators that our teams can push towards. Team members may feel strange raising their hand to say that they feel lost because they might fear that will reflect poorly on their ability to cope in this season. Take time now to get back to the basics around defining the win and clarifying the next steps for your team.

In times of great adversity, the church shines. 

There’s no doubt that these weeks and months have been filled with all kinds of adversity. We need to work carefully and closely with our teams to help them weather this season and to pivot well into what’s coming next. There are some resources below to help you with the conversations that you’re going to have in the coming weeks as you flesh out where your people are at and work through your reopening plan:

A Template for Discussion in a One on One Meeting4 Leadership Personalities Needed for Your Church Team6 Thoughts on Perfectionism and Church Leadership7 Leadership Tensions in Growing Churches

Source: 5 Fears About Reopening that Church Staff Aren’t Telling Their Leaders

The post 5 Fears About Reopening that Church Staff Aren’t Telling Their Leaders appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By: The Church.digital

When I was a kid, I was told that talking in church was not allowed. My parents would allow me to draw or put my head down, but talking was not permitted. As I got older, I was permitted to sit in the student section of church and keep quiet passing notes to my friends during the service. We would pay attention, but we also had our own conversation going on by passing notes. This was in the stone age that preceded text messaging and instant messaging available on a cell phone. We would actually talk about what we liked about the message and made plans for hanging out after church. It helped me solidify friendships in church and dig in deeper into conversation. Now imagine, I grow up and oversee Church Online now. Should I encourage people to be quiet during the service? No way! This is the big benefit of Church Online. You can encourage chat during the service. Online chat during the service builds community and helps people stay connected to the content of your church service. Online chat is a great way to begin the conversation that moves your online audience from a crowd into community. All this starts with a quality chat host.Here are three things chat hosts can drive:

Conversation: Your chat hosts are both greeters and small group leaders in the chat. They help people feel welcome, but also keep the conversation stimulating throughout the service. This is why it’s important to have primary and secondary chat hosts at each online service hour. Someone should be driving the conversation and someone should be supporting, as well. This way guests can also feel comfortable joining in. If two people are affirming guests, it makes them feel welcome and keeps them engaged throughout the service.
Consistency: Having the same team on a regular basis drives community. Think of it this way, who was the person you constantly said “hello” to when you first began visiting your church. You felt like you knew someone. It was the beginning of community for you. You might have had someone notice when you were out. They said things like “we missed you last week.” We see the same kind of community developing in our chat at Christ Fellowship. Volunteers are building friendships with guests. Guests are feeling more comfortable and choosing their service hours based on the chat volunteers that are attending. It’s creating consistency in their online attendance.
Conversion: I don’t just mean salvations. Yes, people are being led to Christ through our online services, but the chat helps get them connected to our church. Chat converts attendees by offering next steps and opportunities to connect to groups and attend our membership class. Chat hosts provide urls to forms and encourage guests to connect to our church. This is how we move from content to conversation to community.

Could you imagine if we offered chat, not just online but in physical services? I guess we’ll have to explore that idea soon. But in the meantime, think about how chat can make an impact on your digital platforms. Consistent chat volunteers can help you connect viewers to your church. It will require time and investment, so be prepared to build a core of people who are dedicated to serving your church. You can start small with just two volunteers at one service hour, but it is a great way to begin moving online guests into your discipleship strategy and get them connected to your church.

Source: The Need for Chat

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by Carey Nieuwhof: As churches slowly reopen their physical doors, church leaders are all asking the same question: who will still be around?

It’s a great question.

And not an easy one to answer. A lot of church leaders are nervous, uncertain and longing to get things back to something certain.

With several months of online-only church, it can be hard to know how many new people have come on board, who’s still engaged, who’s left, and who may be drifting.

And even as buildings re-open, it’s hard to get a gauge because of social distancing, limited capacity and, in almost all cases, no kids ministry (leaving families for the most part still at home).

In this post, I’ll take a quick look at the numbers, offer some observations and some strategies that I hope will help your church not just maintain, but advance in the midst of all this uncertainty.

Church Goers Are…A Little Uncertain

As a church leader texted me recently, opening is so much harder than closing.

The Barna Group is doing weekly polling that, leading up to Easter, showed 49% and even 59% reported surging online attendance compared to their former in-person attendance.

Since Easter, that’s dropped.

Now, only 25% of churches are reporting an attendance surge above previous levels, and in talking to leaders every week, more are seeing their online numbers drop.

So what about reopening? Who will be streaming back as doors open again?

A recent related poll of thousands of church leaders facilitated by Gloo showed people have little consensus around when they feel ‘safe’ to gather again in public.

Asked which other type of activity BEST signals to you that it is time to open in-person worship at the church, the most common answer was a low community level of COVID cases (21.5%)

Other responses included when

Social distancing and stay home guidelines are lifted: 17%
Local businesses are open: 14%
Local restaurant seating areas are open 8%
Testing is widely available and utilized 6%
Schools are open 4%
Vaccine available 3%

But the following results also speak volumes:

15% said they would only return when all the conditions are met (low cases, business open, restrictions lifted, vaccine available).
10% admitted they just weren’t sure.

Essentially, 25% either aren’t sure or aren’t coming back for a long time.

An additional 30% of respondents said they’d rather worship at home and only return when they can be mask-free at church.

25% of church attenders aren’t sure when they’re coming back or aren’t coming back for a long time. An additional 30% of respondents said they’d rather worship at home and only return when they can be mask-free at church. Click To Tweet

I know, that’s not encouraging, but it’s both real and understandable.

If you’d like to poll your congregations on these questions (for free) and even add a few questions of your own, you can do that here.

So how do you put this all into perspective?

Here are four thoughts that I hope can help guide you as you make some very pivotal decisions.

After all, re-opening your church is so much more complex than closing it ever was.

Re-opening your church is so much more complex than closing it ever was.Click To Tweet

1. Become a Lot More Agile: Normal Isn’t Coming Back Any Time Soon

Church leaders who are waiting for things to get back to normal will be waiting a long time.

It’s hard to go back to normal when normal disappeared.

So much has changed, not just in terms of what’s legally allowed (or morally responsible) but, as the poll results suggest,  in terms of how people think.

And to make it more personal, consider how you think.

For example, even if you could, do you really want to get into a crowded restaurant right now? Would you want general admission floor tickets to hear your favorite band so you could crush in with everyone else?

Probably not. At least I wouldn’t.

The psychology of human behavior has an entirely new dynamic that leaders will have to deal with.

Before you over-spiritualize it, it’s not a question of faith over fear. It’s a sign that this is a deeply confusing, changing time.

People need to be led and cared for, they just need to be led and cared for differently.

Church leaders who are waiting for things to get back to normal will be waiting a long time. It’s hard to go back to normal when normal disappeared.Click To Tweet

Instead, pivot into a new normal.

Don’t be so focused on getting back to “normal” that you step back into the past when you step back into your facility.

To do that, you’ll have to become far more agile in the future than you have been in the past.

In a culture of constant change and uncertainty, agility is ability, and flexibility is a superpower.

If you’re curious as to how well-positioned you are to thrive in the new normal, I have a new, short Agility Quiz that can help you assess whether you’re likely to survive, thrive or struggle in the new normal.

It’s just 14 question and results will be sent to you immediately. Here’s the link.

The bottom line is this: the more agile you are heading into the future, the better you’ll be able to realize (and even advance) your mission.

In a culture of constant change and uncertainty, agility is ability, and flexibility is a superpower. Click To Tweet

2. Remember That You’ve Already Reached New People

The last few months haven’t been all loss. In fact, for many churches, that’s hardly the case.

You’ve likely reached new people online, including many you haven’t yet met.

The challenge with ministry online is a little like the challenge with new people who attend your church. It can be hard to get to know them.

Even with physical attendance, countless churches have new people who attend, sit in the back row and don’t connect with anyone.

Online just amplifies that, which is good and bad. You’re reaching new people…you just don’t know who.

The key is to move toward engagement, encouraging online attenders to:

Fill out an online welcome card or text their info in
Like, comment or follow so you can connect more personally
Take a step into an orientation group, small group or some kind of movement beyond attending service
Join your email list

Engagement is a sign of openness and a desire to connect.

Just because you can’t see an online attender doesn’t mean they aren’t real. So don’t give up on the progress you’ve made.

Just because you can’t see an online attender doesn’t mean they aren’t real.Click To Tweet

3. Realize Some Online Attenders Will Stay Online for a Long Time (and that has nothing to do with COVID)

As we’ve already seen, even as your buildings reopen, not everyone will rush into church. Some of that is COVID related, but it’s actually much deeper than that.

For years now, the trend has been for new people to watch online for weeks, months or even a year before they venture into a church’s physical building.

That trend will not only continue, it will accelerate.

Digital is the new default for our culture, and the current crisis only accelerated that.

Digital is the new default for our culture, and the current crisis only accelerated that. Click To Tweet

Church leaders who take all the resources they have been spending and investing in online church and move them back into physical ministry locations risk losing any online traction they’ve picked up as well as the audience that’s still watching.

In the future, churches that have the largest impact will think of themselves as digital organizations with physical expressions rather than physical organizations with digital presences.

So don’t let your foot off the digital pedal.

In the future, churches that have the largest impact will think of themselves as digital organizations with physical expressions rather than physical organizations with digital presences. Click To Tweet

4. Resist the Urge to Make Online Attenders or Non-Attenders Second-class Citizens

The church has enough dividing lines and judgmentalism already. We don’t need any more, and we should actively eliminate what we have.

But it’s not that hard to imagine that both church leaders and church members would start to divide themselves into two categories

The truly faithful, risk-taking, trusting, in-person attenders who are loyal and deeply Christian

Everybody else

That’s not just sinful, it’s stupid (as well as unstrategic).

Church leaders, if you stand there with a scowl on your face every Sunday angry about empty seats, why would anyone want to sit in one?

When you devalue people—curious people, frightened people, anxious people, cautious people, new people, hurt people—you sabotage the very mission you’re trying to accomplish.

People can smell judgment a mile away. So, church leaders, stop judging.

People can smell judgment a mile away. So, church leaders, stop judging.Click To Tweet

This is a very critical moment for the church moving forward.

Church leaders who embrace infrequent attenders, online attenders and non-attenders will eventually have more attenders.

Those who don’t, won’t.

Church leaders who embrace infrequent attenders, online attenders and non-attenders will eventually have more attenders.Click To Tweet

5. Be Less Controlling: Being Controlling and Being Effective are Usually Mutually Exclusive

I know this sounds axiomatic, but the truth is God is still in control.

Every leader is struggling with a loss of control. I am.

The truth is you can’t control:

The economy
Whether people return to church
When people return to church
Your numbers
Human behaviour
The future

And that’s massively frightening for a lot of leaders.

You had a system that worked…and now, it’s gone.

But that’s okay. God is still in control. You aren’t. You never were.

So what do you do?

For starters, focus on what you can control, not on what you can’t.

You and I can’t manipulate events or people, but you can respond to what’s happening and try to help people in the midst of it.

Second, look for the opportunity instead of the obstacle. My favorite question to ask during the crisis is the simple question “What does this make possible?”

The church has always been at its best when it’s under pressure.

It’s one thing to preach that God is doing a new thing. It’s another thing to embrace it.

I imagine that God is reforming and reshaping the church for the future. You resist that, or you can embrace it.

Here’s a principle I’m reminding myself of these days: Being highly controlling and highly effective are mutually exclusive.

In your desire to control things and get back to ‘normal,’ are you squeezing out new things God may want to do in you and through you?

I don’t know the answer to that question, but I sense the question is important. I’m asking it personally.

Being highly controlling and highly effective are mutually exclusive.Click To Tweet

You Don’t Have to Guess How Your Church Feels. Poll Your Church For Free

For sure there are ways to track where your church is at.

The easiest way to get real-time information on your church reopening is to poll your congregation directly.

I’ve partnered with Gloo, a US-based platform and technology firm, to give leaders access to the Returning to Church Check-In, a way to directly survey your congregation on how they are feeling about a return to church.

There are about a dozen standard questions that will help you benchmark your congregation’s responses against national averages and the check-in allows you to ask your own questions as well, so you don’t have to guess.

You can access the Returning to Church Check-In for free here.

Data-informed decisions are simply better decisions.

Data-informed decisions are simply better decisions. Click To Tweet

The Future is Uncertain. How Agile Are You? Take The Agility Quiz.

Some organizations will thrive in the new normal. Others won’t.

Over 70% of the 700+ leaders who took a recent survey predict that the future for their organization is going to look very different than before the global crisis.

While the future is uncertain, there are clear indicators and characteristics of which organizations will fail which ones will thrive in the new normal.

So, let’s see how you and your organization are positioned.

Take the free, 14 question assessment and have results sent to you immediately.

Take the quiz now.

What Do You See?

What issues are you grappling with as your church reopens or considers reopening?

Scroll down and leave a comment.

The post When Your Church ReOpens, What Will Be Left and Who Will Still Come? Some Thoughts. appeared first on CareyNieuwhof.com.

Source: When Your Church ReOpens, What Will Be Left and Who Will Still Come? Some Thoughts.

The post When Your Church ReOpens, What Will Be Left and Who Will Still Come? Some Thoughts. appeared first on Passion for Planting.