Maybe your church has already reopened. Maybe you’re only meeting online. Or maybe you fall somewhere in between.
Whether your church has reopened or not, we must understand our audience to effectively serve and minister as a church. And your audience now likely includes people who have experienced your church virtually, whether through a livestream or online group.
Here are four questions to help you assess the people you’re serving and how your church can meet their needs.
1. Who are we trying to serve?
Think about the people you’re serving. What are specific groups within your church? After you’ve identified the group(s) you are serving, start to consider practical aspects of their needs.
For the remainder of this article, we’ll use parents as our example.
2. What are their greatest needs?
In this season, families have likely spent more time together at home. As a result, parents may want to be more intentional in their discipleship. This discipleship could take place during mealtimes, while playing outdoors, or as part of bedtime routines.
Parents may need a resource to help guide them in effective discipleship at home. They may also need additional resources for their kids to further engage in God’s Word through Bible studies and activity pages.
3. What abilities do we have to meet one of these specific needs?
So how can your church serve parents in at-home discipleship?
Maybe your church could develop conversation starters to be used when the family is gathered together to encourage spiritual discussion. Consider conversation topics that seem natural—topics of eternal and spiritual significance. Or maybe you could create a reading plan for the family to study Scripture together.
4. How are we going to deliver the resources?
Once you’ve decided what resources you are going to provide, determine how you’re going to distribute. Will it be digital or physical? If digital, will you post it to a Facebook group, send it by email, or by some other means? How often will you send it?
Or should you go the analog route and print off resources on quality paper with your church’s logo? Will you mail them or drop off on porches?
You can use these four questions again and again to help your church identify and serve the people in your church. Both in this season of ministry and seasons to come, these questions help you to know your people and best meet their needs. Check out this free course to help churches move toward a new normal in response to COVID-19, which includes this ministry realignment framework.
