How To Slow Down And Be Productive During A Pandemic

My eyes started to burn. When I looked at my watch, I couldn’t believe how late it was. Eleven o’clock on a Saturday night, and I was putting on the finishing touches to a video series I had thrown together for students. It was the sixth consecutive day of nonstop screen use, and while I wanted to stop, the adrenaline was pushing me to keep going. I wanted to reach teens and get ahead of the curve to provide virtual ministry for a physically isolated world. The problem is that I was missing the point. While creating a virtual department is important, it’s not the answer to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it isn’t the solution for life after this crisis ends.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe that what most of us are doing is essential, but there are still other parts of our ministry that should receive our focus. While growing your virtual presence matters, what proceeds it is:

YOUR SPIRITUAL WALK WITH GOD

I believe we are all entering into a season where God has called us to surrender to Him completely. While the temptation is to work ourselves out of this mess, instead, we should be allowing God to lead us.

While we’re sorting out schedules, we need to be designate time to reflect and sit quietly with Him. Time with God can be done through journaling or sitting with a planner (I use the Monk Manual) to help you prioritize your thoughts. If you want a guided devotional, check out the YouVersion Bible or First Five Apps.

THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE BACK BURNER

Everyone is being affected by this pandemic, and that’s why the most important thing you can do is call them up and ask them, “How are you doing?” While a video conference call is the newest thing, nothing beats a phone call. In addition to the family and friends, you need to talk to, reach out to some parishioners, especially parents. While the initial reaction is to chat with teens, it’s parents who need are help. Most of them are trying to educate and entertain kids while fighting for their jobs.

Before you get deep into programming, give people a call. Go for a walk while chatting with them on the phone because it’ll give you a break from much the screen. Even if it’s leaving a voicemail, your effort to reach them will go a long way. Right now, people need a reminder that they are not alone and that someone is thinking of them.

PERMITTING YOURSELF TO DREAM AND NOT PLAN

Ministry this summer and fall will be completely different. While we don’t know the full impact, we can predict that people’s finances and priorities will change. It’s going to be a season where we say goodbye to annual traditions (e.g., summer camps) and start thinking about a new way of evangelizing and catechizing teens. While you cannot predict the future, you can start thinking about it, but this time think big. To do that:

Give yourself margin to dream. You can do that with a hobby, reading more, or quietly sitting still. Allow boredom and new skills to strengthen your mind in a way business would not.

Ask more and more questions. Right not, there aren’t enough answers, but the questions we ask can lead our ministry to new levels. A few challenging questions you can ask are:

• How can I create a ministry now that transitions when this pandemic ends?
• Where should I reallocate resources so that they fulfill our parish’s vision?
• Who am I investing in now that can bring me out of my comfort zone?

Those aren’t all the questions; again, there is plenty more to explore; you need to ask them.

Connect with fearless men and women. There are going to be a lot of opportunists, doubters, and doomsayers, but they aren’t going to help you get through this. You need men and women who will walk with you even if they don’t have the answers.

Virtual ministry is an essential part of helping others discover Christ, and we should be spending time understanding this new frontier. But, before we go all in, we need to make sure we don’t forget what matters most. Take care of yourself, connect with others, and don’t be afraid to dream even when the world feels like it’s falling apart. God will provide us with what we need and never abandon us.

What are priorities resurfacing for you during this worldwide pandemic?