In Ronald Heifetz’s landmark book on leadership he emphasizes the need to recognize that our challenges are changing and that as leaders we have to be able to put our finger on the current challenge.
I am going to speak very generally for a moment. If the challenge pre-COVID19 was keeping Sunday morning rolling along then the cat is out of the bag. If our relationships weren’t solid. If our connections were weak. If our love for the lost was lacking. If our community connection wasn’t real…it is all laid bare now.
The question is what does this new position expose about our former way of doing things and what opportunities does it highlight that either weren’t there before or we couldn’t see before?
Here are some of our new challenges:
- How to connect when we can’t be present with each other
- How to serve from 6 feet apart+
- How to shepherd people you can’t be with
- How to get the message out without class or worship
Here are a few opportunities that come to mind. I would like to hear yours:
- We need to support our medical personal. This is happening here locally through people parking around the hospital at 7:00-7:30 am and pm with their flashers on to pray. It is touching watching docs and nurses come to the hospital windows to wave and take pictures of all those praying for them. We cheer for the nurses as they come back to their vehicles. This is Jesus’ work in real time.
- We need to support our elderly. Check on them. Reach out. Serve them (from a distance). Get groceries for them, etc.
- We need new networks in the community – as we band together to help we will find like minded people. We found this through a prayer chain our church did to pray for the hospital workers. We found many people we didn’t know signed up to pray. We can connect with them as they are like-minded people on a mission with us.
Many more could be mentioned. What challenges and opportunities come to mind for you?
