This line in one of Carey’s articles this week stuck out like a sore thumb for me. It speaks so much truth to what our focus needs to be in this new day. So much of our attention has been unavoidably centered around quality and content in the past year, and kudos for that. But friends as we continue to think about those things, we must be giving intentional time and energy to community and connection.
People have grown accustomed to our ever-changing efforts to improve livestreaming, in-person socially distanced worship, attempts at doing music better, making preaching clearer and relevant to in-person and online audiences…and friends, hear me when I say, all these things are necessary. But we have to be intentional about how we are creating community and connection.
That means finding new and creative ways to engage with people both in the service and throughout the week. And follow-up to visitor and connect cards is only the beginning. We need to be thinking about and implementing ways to create safe community opportunities for people to get connected and stay connected with the life of the church and not just asking them to be a butt in the seat or a view on a livestream from week to week.
People need and want community. They desire relationships and fellowship. It is ours to provide these opportunities for such. And these opportunities need to be both relevant and fresh. These are the things that will help our churches both survive and thrive in this new day.
Keep pushing. Keep striving. Take rest. And while you rest, dream. When you awaken, innovate.
In the journey with you,
Lan