Lessons from Covid-19
The following post is authored by Chad Farrand. Chad and his wife, Melody are from Orlando FL. They have three daughters. Haruka, lives in Tokyo, Japan. Kailey and Molly are in Michigan. Chad has been a pastor for over 20 years serving as a youth pastor, discipleship...
Broadening our definition of worship
In times of Covid, we cannot engage in congregational singing, long a staple of corporate worship. So let’s think creatively. What else can we do to usher ourselves into the presence of God? How can we experience him and praise him? Nature sings I once took a group of...
Journey toward a new beginning: How can we raise up more small group leaders?
One thing about church during a time of pandemic is certain: we need to do more things in smaller groups. The limiting factor for reaching people is no longer how many people you can gather in one place; it is how many leaders you can raise up. The limiting factor for...
Journey toward a new beginning: How can we adapt worship?
There is no way around it. Taking a traditional large church service and doing precisely the same thing in a small group just feels strange. A twenty-minute sermon in a living room or backyard? Congregational singing? Much of what we have been doing for worship for...
Journey toward a new beginning: How can you raise people’s awareness of God’s presence?
When people are accustomed to being reminded of God’s presence in a church building during a church service—and you may not be able to do that—how can you build awareness of God’s presence outside of the building? How can you help them see that God is still here,...
Journey toward a new beginning: How do we get people on board?
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a challenge to brainstorm ways to thrive as if things were to stay the way they are now for the next three to four years. Innovation means change. To make any effective change—from worship, to small groups, to children’s ministry—you...
Journey toward a new beginning: How do we create interaction with online services?
Most churches used to be in-person gatherings that potentially had some online offerings and resources. Now the shift in thinking has become that you’re an online church that potentially has some in-person gatherings. At this point, in-person church attendance is only...