The GREAT Reset: 5 Resets the Church is Experiencing
If you’re reading this, you’ve experienced the upheavals, redirections, pivots, and changes we’ve all had to make (and continue to make).
And like YOU, I have experienced the burdens, grief, and weight of these decisions in light of a world pandemic.
With that said, the pandemic has also allowed the Church to reset. And, what I mean with reset is to have the permission (and ability) to shape what the Church should (or could) look like/be rather than what it was.
We have the ability and permission to experiment. Reboot. Reimagine.
As a friend, I think we should not wait to go back to pre-COVID days. In fact, I think those days are done. And yet, these days can allow us to move forward towards what can/should be. COVID has allowed the Church to reset.
Here are 5 resets I am experiencing:
The reset of spiritual disciplines
People are searching and longing to reconnect with God. And furthermore (and as an example), in a digital world, we need to find new ways to create digital disciplines* so we can re-encounter God.
The reset of relationships
In addition to this, people are looking for meaningful relationships in community. In my context, I find it fascinating how many people are wanting to reconnect in smaller communities such as small groups and/or mid-size communities to do life with. In some circles, the Great Reset is reviving house churches…
The reset of church programming
Programs are resetting from event-based activities to team-based ministry. What I mean by this is the reset of events not being the attraction but the people who are leading/inviting people to it. There has been a re-engagement of volunteerism in things that matter; like the Church. This has been a great reset in my context.
The reset of spiritual growth
The pandemic has forced Christians to either apply their faith or re-examine their faith. As we see in the Early Church, faith was not just a head knowledge but a heart knowledge applied to everyday life.
As an example, in the Great Reset, pastoral / spiritual care continues to be on the forefront of what people need in their spiritual journeys. People are grieving, lonely, and hurting. It is in these realities where spiritual growth can deepen through care and prayer, not necessarily programming/event management.
The reset of resiliency
As you have heard, culture is calling the pandemic the Great Resignation or the Great Quit. People are reseting their priorities, jobs, and relationships. And maybe you have felt the same thing.
And yet, as a ministerial practitioner, who is navigating a congregations’ fears, failures, worries, and anger, we have a great opportunity to reset.
Reset what should be. Reset to what could be. Reset to what can be.
Keep plodding well, friend.
And, with that said, what way(s) have you experienced the Great Reset in your church/ministry/life?
*a prospect of my doctorate studies on infobesity.