Kids Ministry

Dedicated to helping Kids Ministry leaders in their mission of making disciples

Encouragement, Events, Family Ministry, Kids Ministry, Ministry, Reaching, Resources

Ready, Reset, Go!

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Summer is here, and kids ministry leaders everywhere find themselves re-entering into the joys and challenges of conducting busy summer ministries like VBS, attending summer camps, and creating summer programming to re-engage kids and families. It has been encouraging to see so much momentum around vacation bible school this summer. If there was any question as to whether kids would return to at-church events, the answer is a resounding, yes!

The good news is that the positive response we have seen to summer ministry events would seem to indicate that kids and parents are ready to come back to church. Ready or not, kids are coming back, and we need to make sure we are ready to go when they arrive. It may be tempting to take a break and relax with a major vacation getaway and let ourselves let down after camp and VBS are over, it would be wiser to take a brief respite and quickly reset our sights on fall. The reality is that the calendar is not our friend. Time is short, and, if we are honest, many of us are not really ready. If you feel like you have been running late and making a lot of last-minute decisions you are far from alone. We have all been functioning in a reactive mode, shrouded in uncertainty, without the ability to plan as far ahead as we would prefer. 

Although we don’t have eons of time to regroup, we do have a window of opportunity to make preparations over the next few weeks so we can get out in front of what we hope will be a significant fall influx. But we cannot afford to delay. Now is the time to make key decisions and take important actions as we anticipate the restart of our kids ministries, some or all of which may have been on mothballs for the last 18 months. 

We cannot afford to simply return to what we did a year and a half ago. This is time to reassess, reevaluate, regroup, reenlist, reengage, and possibly reinvent our kids ministry strategies, programs, and personnel. We need to re-design our ministries to make sure that they are well informed by the current state of our culture and make adjustments where necessary. In many regions churches have already returned to ministry as usual where they no longer require leaders or kids to wear masks or to enforce strong guidelines on social distancing, however it is wise for us to continue to implement standards and practices that minimize contact and maximize space for everyone in attendance. If you have not already reviewed and updated your guidelines, now is the time. 

The Lifeway kids team has created two important and helpful e-books that you can find at lifeway.com/kmfa. 6 Considerations for Reopening your Kids Ministry gives insight in regards to standards of practice for safety, cleanliness and volunteer preparation and 10 Attributes of an Unshakable Kids Ministry helps you reevaluate your priorities so you can best serve kids and families as we emerge into a new post Covid season. 

We anticipate what may be the largest fall kick off for kids ministries anywhere, ever, so we would all be wise to create strategies specific for re-engaging kids and families who have not attended regularly over the last 18 months, and to welcome and invite new families from the community to visit our churches this fall. Summer is a great time to offer fun family events in your fellowship hall or parking lot to attract and connect with kids and their families. This is a great opportunity to proclaim that your kids ministry will be back in a big way this fall. Starting this conversation early will help kids and families prepare now to be back then. To help you host a successful relaunch event, the Lifeway kids team has also provided a handy kit for creating your own fall relaunch celebration. The Go Time Kit is a printable download that will help you outline an experience for families that will reestablish relational connection between your church and the community you serve and restart momentum as we get ready to press go. 

As we anticipate a massive return of kids and families to our churches this fall nationwide, we as kids ministry leaders need to not only gear up to re-open our doors and prepare our spaces for kids to be back, but also reevaluate our strategies in light of a world that has changed. Whether we are ready or not, fall is coming, and it is coming fast. Now is the time to get ready, and to reset, so that we can be all-systems-go as we near September and the relaunch of our kids ministries.

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had an extensive career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and host. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years. They have four amazing children: Tally (21), Tristen (20), Tyson (14) and Tate (11). 

Family, Family Ministry, Reaching

Reaching Non-Traditional Families in Your Ministry

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By Kayla Stevens

The families in our ministries are wonderfully diverse, unique, and different, and we celebrate those differences. Yet, as we serve the families in our churches, we may still have some blind-spots in how we interact with the different types of families we serve. 

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with my good friend, Sara Lansford, a talented editor, Kidmin leader, and foster mom about how church leaders can be encouraged to serve both the non-traditional and traditional families in our ministries. Here are a few insights from that conversation. 

What is something you want leaders to know about non-traditional families? 

I really would love for church leaders to advocate that non-traditional families can be healthy families, too. Our culture often talks about things in terms of health and brokenness, and oftentimes families that are not traditional are seen as unhealthy because they don’t fit the traditional mold or model. But, what is true according to the gospel is that all families are broken. We are all broken by our sin, and that sin not only affects us and our relationship with God, but also our relationship with others, including our families. Whether our kids belong to a family through foster care, adoption, or biology, all of our families are broken and in need of Jesus. As such, we don’t have healthy families because they are traditional and unhealthy families that are not. We have families of all shapes and sizes that need the redemption and restoration of Jesus. 

What is a misconception you see in the church at large in relation to kids from non-traditional families? 

I think one of the misconceptions we often operate from is that children from non-traditional families are “bad kids” or will require more energy and patience than kids from traditional families. We don’t always say this aloud, but we may demonstrate this in how we approach behavior issues at church or the conversations we choose to have with that child’s adult. One of the best pieces of advice I heard about children and behavior is that every behavior is a sign of a need. If there is a behavior that is being expressed, there is usually a deeper need behind the behavior that needs to be brought to the surface. No child is the same and no experience is the same, but kids often know when an adult or authority figure sees them differently than the boys and girls around them. As leaders and volunteers, we need to make sure we are viewing each child in our care with equal dignity, respect, love, and expectations. 

What can leaders and volunteers do to encourage and support non-traditional families in the local church? 

When it comes to supporting and caring for non-traditional families in the local church, there are three things that come to mind that were so helpful for me. First, language matters. Our volunteers have changed terminology in identifying the adults in kids’ lives as “your grown-up” rather than mom and dad. It seems like a nuanced change, but for the families in your ministries whose primary caregiver is not a mom or dad, this shift is seismic. It recognizes and respects the caregivers and helps children feel included in understanding they have grown-ups in their lives like the other kids in their class. 

Second, options are important. When certain holidays come about that celebrate family members, be mindful of the kids in your ministry and be ready to provide several options that everyone in the class can choose from. If your class makes a Mother’s Day card for moms or grandmothers, also consider options where kids can participate, such as making a card for a teacher or friend. Create opportunities for kids to feel included rather than singled-out because their family doesn’t include a mom or grandmother. 

Lastly, I think it has been so encouraging for me as a mom to be part of a church that fosters community and communication. Having opportunities for kids of single parents to be taken somewhere special to shop for Christmas gifts for their grown-up or dropping off a meal kit basket on Valentine’s Day are small gestures that spoke volumes to me. 

Families of all shapes and sizes want to be seen and want to belong. When we take the time to let people know we see them and love them, we open the doors even wider for them to grow deeper in biblical community as the family of God. 

Kayla Stevens is a Content Editor for Lifeway Kids. She is a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and William Carey University. Kayla lives in Nashville, Tennessee and has served in Kids ministry for over 10 years.

Follow-up, Reaching, Vacation Bible School
Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Ministry, Reaching, Teaching Kids

3 Reasons Kids Returning to Church Need Extra Care

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Disclaimer: I am neither a licensed counselor nor a psychologist, just an untrained observer of human behavior.  However, over the past few months—as  preschoolers, elementary kids, and preteens have returned in-person to church gatherings—I either have noticed first-hand,  heard from others, or just sensed personally that something is different. 

I truly believe that our communities and churches have yet to see the lasting impact of lockdowns, long-term online learning, lengthy hospital stays,  deaths of friends and family members, cancellations of extracurricular activities, lack of appropriate physical touch, shortage of kidmin volunteers, and constant mask-wearing. If present realities are any indication, we’ll experience a continuation of these three issues: anxiety, anger, and antisocial behavior.

  1. Anxious. Kids have a lot to be anxious about: losing loved ones to COVID-19, completing school work, maintaining their lifestyle with one or both parents out of work, etc. 
  2. Angry. Kids are angry that they can’t play team sports, go to parties, be with friends, go on vacation, or eat at their favorite restaurant.
  3. Antisocial. Kids have spent a lot of time at home. They have lost the skills necessary to “play nice” with others. They haven’t had opportunities to share their stuff, and they haven’t been challenged to resolve interpersonal conflicts.

Lest we believe that only children are anxious, angry, and antisocial, think about the adults you come in contact with. Many of them probably have these same issues. Adults have learned how to cope, and in some cases, mask their feelings. Kids, however, are more transparent. And, these issues may seem to be amplified in kids because children are external processors. In other words, as a kidmin leader or volunteer, you will most likely be the recipient of that anxiety, anger, and antisocial behavior.

The question then is, “How do we provide extra care for preschoolers, elementary kids, and preteens who are anxious, angry, anad antisocial?” Among possible solutions, I suggest the following:

  1. Take care of yourself mentally and physically. Dealing with kids who are struggling behaviorally will be less reactionary and more lovingly responsive if we as adults get adequate rest, eat healthy foods, exercise, and nurture our minds.
  2. Take care of yourself spiritually. Spending time in God’s Word and prayer prepares us to love and care for kids. The more we are in tune with the Holy Spirit, the more we will exhibit “the fruit of the Spirit [which] is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
  3. Take care of yourself socially. This may sound antithetical, but we as adults need to spend time with other adults in order to sharpen our social skills. Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.” After over a year of attending church online, working from home, having our groceries and other purchases delivered to our homes, and consuming all forms of entertainment at home, our social skills are rusty at best and non-existent at worst. How can we expect to care for kids if we ourselves don’t know how to relate to people outside of our households?

I truly believe most of us are anxious, angry, and antisocial to some extent. If we take care of ourselves through the power of the Holy Spirit, then we can provide extra care to kids who have these same behavioral challenges. Paul said it best when he wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5) Let’s receive God’s comfort and then give comfort to the kids in our ministries, in the name of Jesus.

_________________________

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Ongoing Bible Studies and Network Partnerships, Nashville, TN, and is a graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The author of It’s Worth It: Uncovering How One Week Can Transform Your Church and a general editor of the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids, Landry is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. He teaches kids at his church in Middle Tennessee, where his wife Janetta is the Preschool Minister. They enjoy spending time with their two adult sons and their wives, and spoiling their five grandchildren.

Events, Kids Ministry, Ministry, Reaching

Different Ways to Engage Kids This Summer

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Chances are you’ve looked at the calendar and you know that summer is coming! Chances also are that you’ve looked around your church and realized that kids are going to need something to do to stay engaged while home during the summer. Depending on where you live, and the restrictions in your locale, you might be needing something different and creative to reach out to the kids in your ministry. Here are a few suggestions depending on your church’s level of return and comfort.

If you have no plans to be on campus during the summer months consider these suggestions for staying engaged with your kids. 

  • Hey, there’s always the old fashioned telephone. Giving kids (with parent’s permission) a quick phone call periodically just to catch up will go a long way in keeping them engaged in what’s happening in your kids’ ministry.
  • Have a drive by parade, only in reverse where you take the time to drive by the kids’ homes and shout a greeting. If you can, stop and pray for them from your car. 
  • Send virtual challenges through email or text as appropriate. Think of creative challenges kids can complete by themselves or with a sibling and have them record themselves completing the challenge and email or text it back to you. 
  • Host a virtual VBS event.

If your church and city are more open and you can have folks gather outside, consider some of these suggestions for staying engaged with your kids. 

  • Host family events at the church on Saturday’s or whatever day works best for you. Some of the fun things you could do outside are water day, fun field day, bicycle or tricycle parade, ice cream social or host a family picnic. 
  • Have your families gather to enjoy popsicles in the park.
  • Host outdoor neighborhood VBS events.

If your church and city allow on campus meetings, consider these suggestions for staying engaged with your kids.

  • Host a family game night where everyone brings their favorite board game and let everyone choose which game to play.
  • Organize a parent’s night out where you have fun games and activities for the kids while mom and dad get a few hours to relax, knowing their kids are well taken care of. 
  • Host a traditional on campus VBS event.

Staying engaged with the kids in your ministry is very important and hopefully some of these suggestions will spark an idea for you. 

Tim Pollard teaches 3rd graders at Tulip Grove Baptist Church. He’s passionate about helping kids dig deep into Scripture, which he pursues through his daily work as leader of the Explore the Bible: Kids team. Tim lives with his wife and daughters in Mount Juliet, TN.

Family, Family Ministry, Kids Ministry, Reaching

Parents and Kids Ministry

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What about parents? Should I try to minister directly to parents? Is there value in building relationships with the parents of the kids I serve? Is that really part of my responsibility? 

As a kids ministry leader, these questions may have crossed your mind at some point in your ministry. We would answer “Yes, there is great value to parents, their kids, our ministries, and our churches when we include ministering to and equipping parents as part of our strategy.”

Parents of the kids in our ministries need us to be strategic because they are often too busy to stop and think about parenting strategies. With bloated school, extracurricular, and church schedules, along with the rapid influx of technology threats and an ever-changing social culture, many parents are overly-stressed with their day-to-day responsibilities. This stress can lead to a fear that they are wandering through a completely unknown territory of family life. Too often this fear leads to frustration and spiritual stagnation in parents.

Parents are busy and stressed to the point of spiritual paralysis. We would be wise to come alongside them to help evaluate their role and responsibilities, being extra careful to take a “by your side” posture as we interact with parents. We have the opportunity to remind them of the Bible’s strategic commands related to parenting. For example, the Bible guides us to know that performance is not as important as a transformed heart. In the home, both discipline and teaching should aim at developing a child’s heart to honor both God and the parent. It’s not enough to teach kids to obey and simply feed them biblical facts. Merely gaining more information often only leads to arrogance. Our kids need gospel-transformed hearts to apply knowledge and biblical understanding to their lives through godly wisdom. 

Some parents may not realize they are in the middle of these challenges, but many do. The success of parents living out their God-ordained role should motivate us to help parents pause and evaluate their parenting responsibilities.

What might a strategy for parent ministry look like for kids leaders?

  1. Build relationships with parents.
    1. Create specific opportunities to meet and build relationships with parents.
    2. Invite parents to serve alongside you in ministry, so they can get to know you and see your heart for their kids, not just because you need to “fill a volunteer hole.”
  2. Train yourself to be a source of Biblical wisdom related to parenting.
    1. Research and study the Scriptures for specific parenting instructions. 
  3. Train parents to evaluate and lead in their homes.
    1. Research and provide parent training opportunities for parents to be discipled and to equip them with the skills they need to lead their families well. 

You may have heard it said that if we are going to effectively reach kids with the gospel, we must also reach their parents. There is great truth to this, especially thinking about long term impact. Parents will benefit and appreciate when others come alongside them to help chart the course and navigate family challenges. As church leaders, we are positioned to do just that, so that both parents and kids can hear and experience the transforming power of the gospel. 

For more of this conversation, check out the Kids Ministry 101 podcast: Parent Ministry.

Ministry, Reaching, Vacation Bible School

The Most Critical Event on Your Church’s Calendar This Year

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By Sam Luce

This past year has been one of the more difficult of our lifetimes. There has been much loss and much difficulty, but there have been some unexpected blessings as well. One of those blessings in disguise is the killing of church-as-usual and programs-as-tradition. It has caused us to think about why we do what we do.

This was a fruitful exercise because it can lay the groundwork for starting something new or evaluating something old and create a plan to start again. Twenty years ago, I led VBS because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do as a new kids pastor. I did it for about five years but didn’t get the buy-in or the traction that the effort required of me, my team, and our volunteers.

I’m also ashamed to admit that I fell into the school of thought that VBS was outdated; I was wrong! After a 12-year break, we started to do VBS again. Regardless of our opinions, most Americans are quite pro-VBS. Findings from Lifeway Research show that most (95%) American parents—regardless of how often they attend church—say their kids had a favorable experience at VBS.

What’s more, a similar number (94%) said VBS helped their child better understand the Bible, and 95% agreed VBS was one of the most meaningful church experiences for their child.

Here are a few reasons we started again and why it could be the most important item on your church calendar.

Your unchurched neighbors are open to it.

We live in a very pluralistic society that doesn’t value church but values traditions. Many parents have young kids who either don’t go to church or infrequently attend church but have great VBS memories. They want their kids to have those memories and put their kids in VBS before taking them to a church service on the weekend.

It’s an effective way to partner with parents.

Having 15 hours in the VBS week to speak new truths or reinforce what is being taught at home is invaluable. The new “regular attendees” standard is now 12 to 24 Sundays a year. VBS gives you a nice chunk of time to drill down into core truths kids need in the world we now live in.

Partnering with parents starts with equipping parents. Doing VBS with this in mind makes VBS more valuable than a simple stand-alone program.

It brings the church together.

VBS has to be a whole-church focus. It can’t be something only your department does, or an execution of the same handful of volunteers who do everything else in the church. I did a kids department-focused VBS years ago and just finished a church-driven VBS. The difference is night and day.

It’s a discipleship tool for the families in your church.

Reaching new families has to be a focus but not the whole focus. We want to reach new families, but we also need to build foundations for our families. Picking the right curriculum is essential. VBS is more than an outreach tool; it’s a gospel-shaping delivery device for the whole family.

Our church has changed. We still care about the weekend service, but we care more about intentional ways to help with spiritual formation and discipleship. The stats back this up. According to Lifeway’s research, a staggering 88% of respondents said VBS positively affected their spiritual growth as a child, and 96% feel it has positively affected their child’s spiritual growth.

If how and why we do VBS changes, it can be an effective tool to reinforce your entire church’s framework. I hope you pray about how you should do VBS.

Some ideas on how to rethink VBS in our current COVID world:

Backyard Bible School

This is a great option because it allows you to reach neighborhoods and kids you wouldn’t normally reach. It also allows you to be more flexible and keep groups smaller, which may be important depending on your state’s rules or the rate of infections in your area.

Regional Bible School

This is again a way to have a smaller setting in the communities that may attend your church but would be able to invite more neighbors. One of the things we have to look at in regard to our VBS being an outreach is how far people who don’t attend our church are willing to drive. 

VBS Tent Edition

Rent tents and use them for more spacing or for complete outdoor VBS if indoor meeting is shut down again this year.

My encouragement for you is to do VBS this year. The kids in your church and community need connection, discipleship, and hope more than ever. Do VBS even if you don’t usually do it. Our world post-COVID has changed because people have changed.

We’re going to have to think smaller, be more intentional, and demonstrate more flexibility, not just now, but on the other side of the COVID crisis.

Sam lives in upstate New York with his wife and four children. He has served as the pastor of families at Redeemer Church for the past 23 years. Read more at his blog SamLuce.com.

This post originally appeared on lifewayresearch.com.

Reaching, Uncategorized, Vacation Bible School

Yes to VBS

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2020 was a challenging season for ministry—and 2021 is (so far) proving no less difficult! But that doesn’t mean we can continue to delay or postpone strategic ministry opportunities until a time that is (hopefully) more convenient. Ministry to children cannot be deterred or deferred. It’s simply too important! For most churches, 2020 meant that they couldn’t conduct regular church programming and special events in the same ways as usual. Sunday School went virtual. Worship was livestreamed. There was certainly a learning curve, but many churches saw that once they broke out of the same old mold they’ve been using for years, their creativity kicked in and the work of ministry continued in new, fresh, and exciting ways. 

It’s time to do the same thing for Vacation Bible School! VBS is one of the largest evangelistic outreaches of the year for many churches. It consistently accounts for one-quarter of ALL baptisms in a given year. It has the potential to open more doors in your community than any other single week on the church calendar. That’s why it’s so important to say YES to VBS this summer—no matter what it looks like! You can have a VBS in-person, in the park, in the home, or any way in between. Where and how doesn’t matter … it’s the WHY that counts. It’s worth it to your kids to say yes to VBS this summer! It’s worth it to your community to say yes to VBS! It’s worth it to the kingdom to say yes to VBS!

This summer, whether you’re in person, online, or somewhere in between, Lifeway wants to help you say yes to VBS! We’ve identified four creative (and safe) ways VBS can happen in 2021 and a whole set of resources to help you be successful, no matter which option you choose. I’m particularly excited about the new resources designed especially for virtual VBS, which include:

  • Daily Bible story videos (5 for preschoolers, 5 for kids)
  • Virtual VBS Directors Guide (with activity adaptations for Bible study, rec, and crafts)
  • Family Connection Bundle (take home resources for families to do together)
  • Kids Craft Bundle (individual, pre-packaged crafts for each day)
  • VBS at Home on Ministry Grid (videos and written prompts to equip parents to lead a VBS experience at home)

The time to say yes to VBS is now. Pick a format and commit to it. Begin preparing now so that you are well positioned to pivot as needed. Remember, no matter how you say yes to VBS this summer—Lifeway’s got you covered! Learn more at https://vbs.lifeway.com/yes-to-vbs/

Evangelism, Kids Ministry, Reaching

6 Questions to Ask Before Doing Community Outreach

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Years ago, many churches operated with a Field of Dreams mentality: “If you build it, they will come.” (I was in a church business meeting one time when the topic of building a new sanctuary was being discussed and that line was quoted!) The problem is that this attractional ministry imagination proved flawed. People are not standing by waiting for a reason to come to our churches. Rather, we need to have a missional, or incarnational, ministry imagination—one that drives us into our communities to love our neighbors and serve them. 

Many times, we as kids ministry leaders are asked to spearhead community outreach. Perhaps because we tend to be the uber-creatives on a staff team. Perhaps because the pastor thinks we have tons of free time on our hands. Whatever the reason, if you have been asked to plan a community outreach, here are six questions you need to ask before you do anything else: 

  1. Why are we doing an outreach? 

This question will require you to pursue honesty—perhaps brutal honesty—from your fellow staff team and church. Why do you want to do an outreach? Really? The knee-jerk answer will be to love the community. But sometimes that isn’t the real reason. Sometimes we do outreach for ourselves. We do outreach to grow the church, not for God’s glory, but for our own. We want to be in that church—the one the other churches talk about and are jealous of. Or we want more people so our budgets can increase so we can in turn have nicer things. It isn’t hard to see how God will likely not honor whatever outreach we do if this is what drives it. If you really want to get to the heart motivation of an outreach, ask this: “What if we are successful and we have tons of new families start attending. But all of these families have little money to tithe. And all these families would be of a different socioeconomic, political, ethnic, etc. background than the core of the church. How would we feel about that?” If that thought excites your church, you are ready to proceed. 

  1. What does our community need?

At the risk of asking the obvious, if your outreach event doesn’t meet a need, why do it? If your church cannot answer this question, it also might reveal that you don’t know your community well enough. Maybe the step you need to take is getting to know the community more by being a bigger part of it. Or perhaps, that leads you to the type of outreach event you need, one that gives you an opportunity to foster meaningful relationships. 

  1. What kind of impact are we looking to make?

Are you looking to “wow” your community? Are you looking to show your community that you care? Are you targeting one part of your community or all of it? Answering this question will help you determine what resources you might need (I served at churches in central Florida where “wowing” required a whole new level with a little place called Disney up the road) and what type of outreach event to do. 

  1. Are we looking for one-time or recurring outreach? 

Related to the previous question, are you looking for a one-time, stand-alone outreach or a recurring one? You would want to be very careful about setting expectations for a recurring outreach if you are not committed and able to meet them. Helping a school one time is great, but not if you promise to come regularly and never show up again. Your outreach to those kids, teachers, and families likely just made them out of reach.

  1. What win are we going after? 

This question might feel crass and utilitarian, but it is important. You need to have a win, or a goal, in mind to give the outreach event purpose and help you evaluate its effectiveness to consider for future outreaches. Is the win the number of people who participate? The number of gift cards given away? The depth of relationships developed? The different way the community sees your church or Christ?

  1. What lead and lag measures will we use? 

A lead measure is an action we take that we can control. A lag measure is a result of the lead measures we take. So for example, if your outreach event is a sports day camp for kids, the lag measure—your win—might be having 100 kids from the community participate. (By the way, you would want to exclude your church kids from that count to be true to your goal.) But you cannot control that number. You cannot make anyone attend. So what can you control to help reach that goal? Perhaps the number of personal invitations, the number of ads you run on a local radio station, and the number of fliers you hang. These would all be lead measures you can control and evaluate to determine why you reached your goal or why you did not and what you can do better for the next one.

Brian Dembowczyk is the managing editor for The Gospel Project. He served in local church ministry for over 16 years before coming to Lifeway. Brian earned an M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a D.Min. from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his family live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Encouragement, Reaching

Loving Your Neighbor While Distancing

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By Bekah Stoneking

COVID-19 has changed nearly every aspect of our lives. The ways we connect with our church families, pursue education, and even the ways we grocery shop has been affected by this virus and the safety protocols surrounding it. Another significant part of our lives that has been altered is our obedience to the Great Commandments—particularly the one about loving our neighbors as ourselves.

Arguably, one of the most loving things we can do for our neighbors during this time is to practice social distancing. But social distancing doesn’t have to mean sacrificing relationships. Here are some ideas for ways you can harness time, technology, and a little tenacity to build relationships and share the joy of Christ with your neighbors.

TIME

Vulnerability manifests in many ways. Consider ways you can give your time to care for your more vulnerable neighbors. Providing yard work, car washes, or grocery delivery are practical ways to use your time to love the vulnerable around you—including the elderly, single parents, the immunocompromised, and families who may be missing a parent who is an essential worker. Single people or others who are living alone would also be blessed to have someone help carry some of these tasks.

Or, if you don’t have an abundance of extra time, remember that little things can  go a long way. Picking up an extra pack of toilet paper or can of Lysol and leaving it with a neighbor can be a significant act of service!

You can also use your time to intentionally pray for your neighbors. The next time you go outside for some sunshine and exercise, go on a prayerwalk around your neighborhood. Pray for your neighbors by name as you pass their homes. Pray for the essential and frontline workers in your community. Ask God to help you see the needs around you and to help you think of ways you might meet those needs.

TECHNOLOGY 

As our churches gather online or in other creative ways, invite others to join in. Then, invite your neighbors to grab a snack and have a casual conversation over Zoom. Talk about the sermon, action points, or any questions people may have. Ask God to work through you to build a connection between your unchurched neighbors and your local congregation. And, as you do this, involve your church and the resources you have access to in helping to meet the physical, relational, and spiritual needs in your community.

Another way to harness technology to love God and others is to share encouraging Bible verses online. Consider including pictures of activities your kids are doing to learn the verse or pictures of your family putting the verse into action this week. Build community by inviting others to share photos of their own. Create a neighborhood hashtag for your neighbors to use when sharing content online.

Use this hashtag to gather neighbors together for other online activities, like read-alouds of your children’s favorite books. Older children can practice their reading fluency by leading read-alouds of their own. Or, coordinate with other parents to purchase several copies of a book and create online book clubs for teens, kids, or entire families to participate in together.

Hosting an online talent show is another way to gather your neighbors. Invite the kids who have missed dance recitals, band concerts, or other performances to don their uniforms and costumes and show off their talents. Use Zoom or have parents upload short videos to your neighborhood’s secure Facebook group. Use this space to cheer on the talented youngsters in your community.

Some other fun ways to connect with your neighbors online include:

  • Posting a silly, serious, or thought-provoking Question of the Day on your neighborhood Facebook page to spark new conversations and connections
  • Creating an editable Google spreadsheet for local business owners to share details about their products and services
  • Setting up a secure Google Doc for your child and her friends to write stories or keep a journal together 
  • Have theme days and encourage neighbors to dress-up and share family photos in a central location

CREATIVITY
Get creative with sidewalk chalk. Draw pictures and create beauty for others to enjoy. Write Bible verses and encouraging words on your driveway. Take your kids to their friends’ houses to leave fun notes on their driveways or sidewalks. 

If you live in a cul-de-sac or on a quiet street, use sidewalk chalk to create a giant hopscotch game or a fitness path including differently-shaped lines to follow, circles to jump in, and blocks with challenges like, “10 jumping jacks” or “20 squats.” Invite your neighbors to add on to the courses you create. Enjoy hanging out in your yard and watching others as they play on your paths.

Play in your windows. Dress them up with window chalk paint. Have theme weeks where everyone decorates their windows with a similar motif. And, if you have really fun neighbors, celebrate Christmas in spring! Put up your lights and lawn decorations and enjoy a walk or car ride with your family to admire all the lights.

Another way to use creativity to bond with your community is to work together to encourage essential workers. Hang posters and banners thanking frontline workers in your neighborhood or provide a basket of treats and essentials for delivery workers. Work together to collect supplies for these baskets, or food and supplies to share with your church’s food pantry.

Also, be on the lookout for ways to encourage your neighbors who are reaching milestones. For example, you can honor graduating seniors by creating door hangings, mailbox decorations, or yard signs for them to display. As your neighbors miss out on important celebrations during this season, show them that they are remembered, celebrated, and loved.

RELATIONSHIPS

Social distancing doesn’t mean our relationships outside of our homes cease to exist. Encourage your family members of all ages to send snail mail to neighbors, friends, and extended family. Beyond cards and letters, you might especially brighten someone’s day by mailing pictures to color or beautifully illustrated Bible verses.

Also, make sure to get some face-time. And beyond regularly connecting with others on video chat, have a little fun by having a theme night with another family. Select a theme, encourage everyone to create their own costume to match the theme, then sit down to dinner with your friends (via your phones, tablets, or computers) and enjoy everyone’s goofy outfits. 

Then, take the fun outside. With your porch, balcony, or driveway as your stage, play music, perform skits, host read-alouds, or simply enjoy your own, personal activities outside at the same time someone else is. Sometimes, simply seeing another person is just the mental and emotional boost someone may need. Scheduling some driveway hangouts where everyone interacts from a distance or even sings worship songs together can be a great display of how the love of Christ reaches us and extends beyond the walls of a church building.

Whether you are overflowing with love and hope, itching to release some pent up creativity, or you’re in need of a dose of goodness, yourself, this season is ripe with opportunities to think outside the box and love your neighbors, create joy, serve others, and cultivate connections while social distancing. 

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