I listened in to a conversation today between some amazing leaders, and part of the conversation was centered around how the churches and leaders can point people to hope in this season. (The actual question was ‘why are some churches and leaders better at this than others?) The answer included the following phrase from Wendell Berry; “it all turns on affection” and it got me thinking…what’s the next best step?
- How do we engage more families?
- How do I re-engage my volunteers?
- What is the best way to encourage the next generation to stay connected to church?
- Is there anything I can do in this season to reach or support the community where I am planted?
Perhaps, each of those questions is best answered with this question, “What is the next, best step you take to love and care for those you are trying to reach?”
What’s the Next, Best Step?
Here are a few things I am hearing from parents in this season.
‘My kids haven’t heard from any leaders at our church for months. They don’t feel connected and don’t want to go back.’
‘My church offers programming online and while that’s great, I don’t need a video right now. I need someone to help me understand how to talk to my kids about fear, loneliness, the hope of Jesus. I don’t feel equipped for some of what I am navigating and wish the church would help me.’
Unfortunately, I have heard volunteers and leaders talk about the disappointment they feel because they don’t feel cared for or connected. In our busy-ness to push out content, move to digital platforms, and shift how we offer Christmas, Easter, VBS and other programming, some of us have allowed our care for individuals to take a back seat.
We represent Jesus by how well we LOVE those in our community. It matters to the individuals who volunteer on our team as well as the kids, teenagers and families we serve. The hope, vision, encouragement and even the love of Jesus that we desperately want to share with those around us, hinges FIRST on how well they feel we care about and for them.
So, what is the next, best step for you and your team? Whatever will communicate care and love to those in your community. (Community here referring to those you do ministry alongside as well as the families you serve.)
10 Practical Ways to Care for Your Community
1. Uber-Eats
Send dinner to the single parent households that attend your ministry.
2. Family Movie Night
Did you know you can mail a plastic wrapped microwave popcorn pouch, right in its original packaging. YES…these can go right in the mail, attach an address label to them, as well as a label that says, just popping in to say we are thinking about you! (Go ahead…and print a shipping label for the back with your top 5 family movie night titles.)
3. Pizza Postcard
Mail postcards to your volunteers with a free $5 pizza coupon. “No matter how you slice it, we are grateful for you.” (Our local pizza places have $5 pies, don’t hesitate to ask around and see if a restaurant will partner with you! Often they have discounts for schools and churches, etc.)
4. Personal phone call to your team
Pick up the phone and call everyone on your volunteer roster, with NO AGENDA other than to check on them. (This needs to happen regularly for us to build trust and truly communicate care to our team.)
5. Postcards to Families
Send a short mailer out to families that include your top 5 podcasts, websites, resources that will help equip them for the topics they are navigating in this season.
6. Local Tour Guide
Research 5 completely FREE things families can do, or places they can visit, in your area and share with families. (Spring break will be here before we know it…)
7. Conversation Guide
Create and share a simple Faith Conversation Guide that will support parents who may be looking for some language they can use to talk about faith with their kids. (I shared a SALVATION CONVERSATION GUIDE here, that you can download for free and use!)
8. Personal phone call to EVERY family
Listen, if you had more than 50 families attending prior to lockdown in 2020, I know, this is incredibly time consuming. If you want to communicate care to families, THIS is definitely a way to do it. Nothing surpasses personal contact. Families know you are busy so when they hear your voice on the other end of the line, you communicate deep value to them and you build trust.
Want to step it up a notch, have a small group leader that is connected to their child, be the one to make the call. Help parents feel surrounded with community! (How can I pray for you? Is there any tangible way I can come alongside your family?)
9. Gift of Time
Time is one of the most valuable resources in this season. We are all feeling spread thin. How can you help give parents (or your volunteers) the gift of some extra time? Can you create a Pinterest board, that shares one-pan, 15 minute meals? What if you gave away an hour of free housecleaning once a month to one of your volunteers. (Or them all, if that is what your budget allows in this season.) Perhaps you hire the individual who owns the yard maintenance company to cut some yards. There are SO MANY ways you can just give back a small pocket of time and it will mean so much.
10.Show up
Are their teens back playing sports that you can show up to watch? Is there a family that is moving that could use some help? When, where and how can you SHOW up?
If the success of your ministry and leadership hinges on affection (the way you show love and care for others)
It’s so easy to get excited about ministry to families that we forget that our volunteers can only pour out what has been poured in.
We need to pastor and care for those who serve alongside us, first! If you try to rally your volunteers to step in and help show affection and care for families and they themselves do not feel cared for, you are not going to get positive results.
A second special note…some of these suggestions are personal in nature. You will only know about the single parent, the mom who is home trying to navigate virtual school with four children, or the family who is downsizing to a new house by being in relationship with people.
What is the next, best thing if we want to point people to Jesus? It is whatever will best allow you to communicate care and affection and build trust with the people God has called you to lead and to serve.
Before you go, I shared one of my favorite family traditions for the month of February, HERE. It is inexpensive and fun way to speak words of life into your kids and not too late to start at your house (or to encourage the families in your ministry to start.)