6 leadership tips for re-opening your church

Bud Brown June 25, 2020

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Despite the growing enthusiasm for re-opening congregations and the anticipation of a return to normal, we're not there yet. Our churches haven't reached the "new normal" everyone's been looking for. We're still in the neutral zone.¹

The following six leadership behaviors will help as you lead your church through the uncertainty and doubt of this phase.

1. Feedback

Your church members are experiencing a lot of uncertainty. The familiar ways of getting things done no longer work. You make lots of decisions on the fly. Many of these changes will change many times before things settle into a more routine pattern. In the meantime, people won't know what to expect from one week to the next.

Since you're their leader, you'll help lay some of their anxiety to rest by giving lots of feedback. Continue to repeat an encouraging message like this: "This is hard but we will weather the storm together. We're headed in the right direction so everything will be fine."

When you note that someone does something commendable or helpful, be sure to let them know that you noticed and that you appreciate their efforts. Affirm their contribution, and if they need it, allow them to vent.

2. Focus

I've piloted small craft through violent storms in the Pacific, the Caribbean, and vast freshwater lakes. On stormy seas the pilot must keep the boat and crew safe, ride out the storm, and arrive in one piece. You trim and furl sails, stow gear, and work the tiller to ride with the wind and current.

When heading into the waves, take them on the bow at an angle. In following seas you juke and jive to maintain directional control. Above all, you avoid taking waves on the beam. It takes skill born of experience and intense focus. When the storm has passed you plot your position and set a course to the next waypoint.

Since mid-March pastors have focused all their time and energy on adjusting things just to get through to the next day. Plans have been made ad hoc, policies have been revised on the fly, and for many it has been a white water ride. But you can't relax when you see clear skies and calm water ahead. Now, more than ever, you need to focus the congregation on the mission. In fact, that's been the entire purpose of going through this rough patch—to position the church for more effective mission in the future.

Don't let up on the pressure when all your services and programs are up and running again. Instead, point everyone toward the mission and make haste. Keep reminding the church of the mission. Focus.

3. Celebrate

When anything worth celebrating happens, whoop it up. Give genuine affirmation to whoever deserves it. It can be something as simple as, "Yay, we've finally got our online giving set up!" It could be more dramatic "Praise the Lord, our youth pastor has doubled the number of young adults in that ministry."

It's always an excellent idea to celebrate the wins. It's essential when you're struggling to get through the neutral zone. You will need all the wins you can get to maintain morale and relieve the anxiety which uncertainty produces.

4. Revise workloads

Staff workloads fall out of balance in the neutral zone. The worship pastor (or worship leader) won't have much to do, but the Children's pastor will work 90 hours a week. Office staff will be underutilized.

Find out which staff (including volunteer staff) are overburdened and who has time on their hands. Rearrange the workloads so no one burns up, and no one feels useless. This builds morale and creates team solidarity.

5. Champions

Rely on key influencers to motivate the congregation to stay the course, to remain calm and keep their eyes on the horizon. You may have but a vague notion of where things are headed. You'll need others to help you guide the congregation through disorientation and uncertainty.

When the pastor and key leaders remain calm in the face of uncertainty, the church's emotional system ratchets down the anxiety. While you're in the neutral zone, be sure to have regular contact with your champions. Keep them informed of how you're piloting the boat and what's up ahead.

6. Discipline

While you're in the neutral zone, there will be more than the normal amount of back channel chatter. A few people will be anxious because of the uncertainty and perceived lack of direction. Those who feel it the most may not hesitate to express their opinions. That's OK if they're talking to you or the staff. But, if they're spreading their frustration like a virus throughout the rest of the church, you need to put a stop to it. Exercise church discipline.

Conclusion

The neutral zone is that awkward place between an ending (the old normal) and a beginning (the new normal). The path forward is often unclear. During this period, a pastor's job is to keep everyone's eyes on the mission and the ministry. Traversing the neutral zone will be hard. But it will be easier if you use these 6 interventions.

1: See my previous article, "4 feelings church members experience in times of change" on this website.

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Bud Brown is an experienced ministry leader, writer and educator. He is co-founder of Turnaround Pastors and co-author of the ground-breaking Pastor Unique: Becoming A Turnaround Leader. He brings special expertise to change leadership in the local church, mentoring pastors to become revitalization leaders, training churches how to find and recruit the best talent, and training leadership teams how to achieve their shared goals. Learn More »

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