Picture with me a house that has been subject to a flood. The damage is substantial, and it is going to need complete rebuilding. There might be two approaches that you could take.
The first approach is to rebuild your home back exactly how it was before the disaster struck. Paint the walls the same colour, purchase the same fixtures and fittings, and return your home to the way it always was.
The second approach is to take advantage of the rebuild and make some changes. Add some new colour, new design, change the position of the walls, mix things up a little bit. You might want to introduce some new technology, use new materials and techniques to rebuild.
Are we going to recreate what we had before the Covid-19 pandemic? Or are we going to rebuild differently?
The pandemic has created a fundamental shift in society. Things we never imagined happening have become normal for some of us. Online church, not having weekly face to face fellowship, the fear of gathering in an enclosed space because of what it may do to your already compromised immune system.
For some members in our church, a return to ‘normal’ isn’t seen as an option now. Those who were shielding or have since become immunocompromised may still feel hesitant to return, physically, to church.
Before we get to the ‘How’ question and begin to think about the part that we can play in rebuilding the church from behind the scenes, I don’t want us to breeze past the implications of the metaphor at the start of this article. Going through a flood or crisis, and in our case a pandemic, is both devastating and exhausting. The loss and grief we have experienced is going to take sometime to heal. For some the grief is the heartache that certain members are not going to return, while others have walked away from their faith completely. If it’s not members it might be financial crisis, losses of church income that will impact any thought of the rebuild at this stage. Speaking to leaders it seems a harsh reality that they only have the funds to maybe organise a clean-up and the question of a rebuild is much further down the line.
I remember a friend of mine waiting on a decision from the insurance company to find out if they would cover the losses of their flood damage. It was a tough time as the family waited for the insurance assessors to make their final decision. I remember the phone call they received and the relief they felt when the approval came through to say that it was fully covered, and they don’t need to worry. It was covered and they could rest assured that they would be able to start to rebuild the family home.
It got me thinking, the reality is that we live in a broken world, the church is broken and we are definitely broken. We are all going to experience times of devastation and desperation, crisis and difficulty. I love the scripture in John 14 when Jesus says,
1“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God ;believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
I just love this, what an amazing promise and encouragement. Jesus has gone ahead of us to prepare a room for each one of us within His house. We started this article with a house illustration and so we should end on one. Whatever the rebuild looks like for us over the coming months and years, let’s remember John 14. Do not let our hearts be trouble but believe and trust in God. Let us remember that whatever part we play in the rebuilding in this next season though important is only temporary. For our home and appointed place is with our Lord who has gone ahead of us to prepare a room in His house where we shall dwell forever. So, as we rebuild, we build with that eternal perspective and longing for that final day.
1. Revisit your Vision Statement and determine the blueprints for the rebuild.
2. Let the rebuild of the church be about People not Programmes.
3. Take the time to revaluate your resources and deploy.
4. Gather a team together who are taking initiative across the church, identify and utilise their gifting in the process. Don't do this on your own.
5. Communicate your plans to the church and celebrate grace at work in the rebuild.
6. Not only should we pause to grieve and recognise the losses, but we must throw ourselves at the feet of Jesus and ask for grace.
7. Finally build with an external, heavenly perspective, waiting and eagerly longing for that final day.
