Group gatherings. Some groups forego them altogether. A group member in Albuquerque, New Mexico, recently approached me at the end of a workshop I led at the state’s annual evangelism conference. She lamented the fact that her teacher does not believe in group gatherings and their class has dwindled because of it. In his opinion, the teaching time should be enough.

Groups do need to be together. We are seeing this during the COVID-19 crisis. Churches and groups have scrambled to find ways to keep people connected online. The church has realized the power of fellowship and gathering as the church, even if it is digitally.

But the author of It Begins with Prayer challenges us to consider the problem with group gatherings in chapter 2. Exactly how could gathering together be a “problem”? Groups organize fellowships, like picnics. People bring food. Games are played. Friendly competition takes place. People enjoy their time together. But the author asks a haunting question: “…But have we done anything that really builds community?”

We might be tempted to say, “Well of course we built community!” But a shared experience doesn’t necessarily build community. Think of it this way. If you attend a sporting event in a stadium of some sort and watch a game with 20,000 others people, did you build community? What about the last airplane flight you took? You flew with 180 people, but did you really build community? Of course you had a shared experience, but did you leave the event knowing people more deeply? Did you really build community?

Do we settle for shared experiences as groups when we really need real community? That’s the question we must answer. Shared experiences are good and needed, for sure. But perhaps what is needed more is a way for people to experience a deeper level of community. In the next blog post, we’ll answer the question, “What is real community?”

An open letter to the church:

Dear Church,

The Coronavirus is going to be with us for a while. The President’s team of advisers is predicting a spike in cases through mid-summer, but that is their best guess. Because churches are moving online during these days, and because the CDC (Center for Disease Control) has recommended that public gatherings be 10 people or less, the church isn’t going to return to live worship for a while.

In the meantime, the bills continue. Staff must be paid. Mortgages are due. Some programs must go on. As you shelter, work remotely, and avoid larger crowds (including those at church) please send in your tithes and offerings regularly. My church’s weekly budget requirement is approximately $13,000. Last Sunday online giving was $1700 (we met online for worship, so no offering was taken like we normally would have). If this continues, we will be in considerable financial trouble very shortly.

If God’s people continue to give, my church will weather the storm. So I ask that you do the right thing in these difficult days. Meet online with your Bible study group. Keep relationships going (because being isolated at home is going to take its own toll on us). Worship on Sundays with your church online. If your church isn’t online, then find one that is and worship with that church family for a time. And don’t forget to give like you normally would. It’s so important these days.

COVID-19 is going to pass. It’s going to get better. We just need to stay together and stand strong, and we can emerge stronger than ever on the other side of this. Keep up the good giving!

Sincerely,

Ken

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We’ve all heard the reports – COVID-19 has not peaked, and the President and the CDC predict it may not dissipate until mid to late summer. That’s just a guess for now, but it is changing our churches and our Bible study groups.

Many of us are working from home, avoiding contact with people, reducing travel, and making the washing of hands a top priority. Churches are canceling live Easter services in favor of online-only experiences. Groups are not meeting. Everyone is trying to go online.

The effects of isolation are going to grow as time goes by. People will become nervous, and worry and fear will increase. Feelings of isolation and disconnectedness will cause severe anxiety for some people. This is a time for our church’s Bible study leaders to step up. Big time.

A few years ago, David Francis and I co-authored a book we titled 3 Roles for Guiding Groups. The book presented three roles that group leaders have: Teacher, Shepherd, and Leader. Today is the day that all three roles are vitally needed in the church.

Because many groups are not meeting at their churches for the foreseeable future, staying connected relationally for the next 8 weeks or more is going to be vital to group health, and to the well-being of group members. This is no time for group leaders to take a break, but instead it is time for all of us who lead a group to double our efforts as teachers, shepherds, and leaders. Here are three key things group leaders can do, based on the three roles I’ve mentioned:

1. TEACHER – Group leaders, it’s time to go online. Don’t let the technology intimidate you into doing nothing. Your people need to continue reading and studying God’s Word now more than ever. If your church is a smaller one, then one teacher could teach all adults simply by using FaceBook Live. For a more interactive experience, Zoom or Google Hangouts might be a better option. If you aren’t comfortable with this, ask for help. Don’t leave your people without a teacher! They need to hear and study God’s Word, and you can create that experience for them online. You can also teach via email – see my blog post from yesterday for some helpful ideas about how to use email to lead your group to study.
2. SHEPHERD – Because members of your group will face anxieties, fears, feelings of isolation, and uncertainty about the future, this is your time to shine as a shepherd-teacher. Check in with your group via email or text…maybe even call some of the higher-risk people in the group whom you know will struggle during these days when the COVID-19 virus is accelerating in scope. Pray with members of your group over the phone, lead them to share prayer requests via email and encourage them to “reply all” so that the group can pray for its members. Offer to help any who are struggling or in need of basic necessities.
3. LEADER – Group leader, by doing the two things above, you’re leading. Lead your group to stay connected during COVID-19. Lead your group to study God’s Word. Lead your group to interact online and to pray for one another. Not doing anything isn’t allowed – so please lead. Your people are counting on you. This may turn out to be one of the highest growth times for your groups in ways other than size. But do lead your group members to be on the alert for other adults who are not connected to a Bible study group, and lead them to invite others to become a part of your online community of believers.

I believe that the church is going to emerge on the other side of the COVID-19 outbreak in a stronger relationship with the Lord and people will emerge stronger relationally – if we act. There will be groups who don’t have group leaders that step up to teach, shepherd, and lead them – don’t let yours be one of them.

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