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Reopening church: 5 strategic tips to communicate properly
Mark MacDonald Religious CommunityFirst of all: Church never closed. Sure, your building had restrictions but the Church (the Christ-followers in your local fellowship) didn't close down. In fact, the virus only decentralized your Church for a relatively short time. I certainly hope each of your ministries is soberly looking at how people have been affected and how opinions have changed during this time. That's why an effective communication strategy is essential. Instead of a shotgun approach, you need a systematic strategy that pushes to a process of changes. Here are five strategic tips.
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5 things I wish I knew when I graduated from college
Mark MacDonald Religious CommunityI was interviewed for a college webinar about church communication. After a lively discussion with the integrated marketing communication professor, he made me pause with his final question: "Many college students are listening to you. What do you wish you knew then that you know now?" Here are the five things that came to mind.
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Avoiding ministry burnout in the midst of COVID-19
Deborah Ike Religious CommunityHave you ever run a marathon or other long-distance race? If so, you know how tempting it is to run a fast pace initially. Between the extra adrenaline pumping and energy from the crowd, it's easy to blast off from the starting line. That can work for a few miles, perhaps, but it will catch up to you. Pretty soon, you're slowing way down, wondering if you’ll have enough energy to finish the race. Are you feeling that right now?
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5 tips for communicating when tired
Mark MacDonald Religious CommunityWhat a year. What a Sunday. What an event. Today, many of you are waking up and wondering what hit you. Adrenalin has a way of masking exhaustion. The excitement of getting things done before a deadline tends to feed us. Then it's over. You're totally tired. Scripture has many characters who struggled after the "big deal." David, Elijah, Jonah, Job, Moses, and Jeremiah all seemed to deal with self-doubt, exhaustion, and feeling down afterwards. They are human just like we are. Here are five tips for dealing with the tired spirit, because the work must go on.
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Infographic: Giving during a pandemic
Brian Wallace Religious CommunityAs houses of worship sit empty, parishioners are still able to connect with their faith through live streams, television, radio, and more. This infographic outlines the economic impact social distancing is having on giving back and how we can still give back during these difficult times.
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Post-Easter activities to accomplish during the pandemic
Deborah Ike Religious CommunityWe just wrapped up the first virtual Easter. Let that sink in for a moment. Your team spent hundreds of hours planning, preparing, and setting up services in a way you never thought you'd need to just a few short weeks ago. So, first off — excellent work! The willingness to pivot and the ingenuity of church teams has been incredible to behold. That's something to celebrate. As your team recovers from a whirlwind of activity, here are a few actions to take in the coming days.
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Will your church be ready when the crisis ends?
Mark MacDonald Religious CommunityThe language of COVID-19 is here and probably won't vanish when the last case ends. Social distancing, elbow-bumping, and cough-cringing are all going to live in our collective psyche for years to come. A few days ago, I approached a neighbor who was washing his car. We awkwardly walked close, half-extended hands in greeting, before laughing and backing away. It's difficult to express Christian love or even friendliness in light of COVID-19. Even after the crisis has ended, we'll be different people. That goes for our houses of worship, too.
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How to plan for more social distancing at your church
Deborah Ike Religious CommunityNow that federal social distancing guidelines extend through at least April 30, it's time to plan for how to do ministry remotely for a longer period. Even if the government changes social distancing guidelines in May, some parts of the country might have to remain online-only for longer based on how COVID-19 is spreading in their region. For now, planning remote church for the next 30-90 days seems wise. As your team plans for the next several weeks of online church, here are several things to consider.
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How to serve your congregation online
Deborah Ike Religious CommunityWith social distancing becoming our new, temporary, norm, many churches have moved to online services only. The potential for even Easter services to be online-only is a real possibility. In light of these challenging circumstances, how do you serve a remote congregation? Here are a few things to consider.
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An employer’s guide to COVID-19: Top 5 strategies for keeping your…
Candice Gottlieb-Clark Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementBusiness owners and leaders, there is no doubt that these are challenging times. COVID-19 has required you to change business practices overnight. Teams that normally buzz with momentum are now separated, and you must hope are still able to work effectively to get things done. Technology that was once optional for getting things done is now essential, whether your employees feel ready or not. While fear and stagnancy may be unavoidable in the first few days of change, this process is not going to be a short one.
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