This Fall You Need To Keep It Simple, Saint!

As we hurtle toward a fall season like none before, I find myself overwhelmed daily with the wealth of resources and possibilities at my fingertips.

For example: In the first responses to a survey about our fall retreat, I already had one family who was not comfortable with any in-person gathering, and another whose child could no longer stand videoconferencing because of his learning needs. These are equally valid, serious concerns, and they necessitate unavoidably distinct pastoral responses.

But my knee-jerk reaction is that I needed to offer two fully-fledged, parallel retreat experiences:

• Maybe the in-person retreatants should follow the same exact schedule as the virtual retreatants.
• Maybe I can “Zoom in” the virtual attendees to participate in some things alongside the in-person retreatants.
• Maybe I should send home packages of supplies.
• Maybe the in-person retreatants should follow the same exact schedule as the virtual retreatants.

These aren’t bad ideas, exactly, but I am veering perilously close to missing the forest for the trees. I keep hearing the Holy Spirit steer me back to an old cliché: K.I.S.S. (let’s say that stands for “Keep It Simple, Saint”). We need to define what are we trying to accomplish, and only then can we determine the way forward.

It’s important to offer flexible options that account for the varied needs of those we serve. In fact, that was ALWAYS true.

But there is such a thing as being too flexible. We don’t want to be “extra,” not only because it’s a recipe for burnout for ourselves, but for the sake of those we serve:

Too much flexibility jeopardizes good recordkeeping.

The amount of administrative work increases exponentially with each layer of complexity, which heightens the risk of someone falling through the cracks.

Too many options make it impossible for families to navigate and understand what they’re signing up for.

The number of people who already don’t understand the difference between faith formation and sacrament prep should give us pause when thinking about how to present our plans for the fall.

Too much “programming” leaves little room for individualization.

Paradoxically, if you know what the “standard” is, it is much easier to adapt it for individual circumstances. If we try to anticipate every single iteration with a stand-alone response, we will absolutely fail.

Too many competing systems makes it difficult to train and support volunteers.

While it’s good practice to have many possible roles for volunteers, those roles should work together under the same umbrella. That way they can energize and support one another rather than you serving as the linchpin for every interaction.

So how do can you K.I.S.S. your ministry this fall?

Carefully consider your “ecosystem.”

We can learn a key lesson from the experience of schools this past spring: The more you can centralize all resources and interactions within one platform, the easier it is for families (and volunteers!) to navigate. What this might look like in ministry is that your offerings come from one or two sources, and they are presented as consistently as possible in all contexts: in-person, hybrid, and virtual. (This makes the next point much easier to accomplish, too.)

Intentionally plan for the pivot.

We have the advantage now. We know what virtual ministry can look like. We know that some families will need virtual options from the start. We know that even if we’re not doing it at the start of the fall, and we may well find ourselves back in “lockdown” before this is all over. No excuses for not being prepared this time!

Reimagine your volunteer roles.

There are so many new opportunities for volunteers based not only on gifts but on family circumstances. Consider not only up-front roles (virtual and analog), but behind-the-scenes and asynchronous possibilities. Remember that not all ministry must be gathered, nor must all distanced ministry be virtual. Let those non-gathered elements of ministry be where the layers of complexity and creativity shine!

Leave room for the Holy Spirit. 

Don’t fill every nook and cranny with content, technology, and tasks. Allow the Holy Spirit to work by including breathing room in your gathering times, weekly schedules, and seasonal calendars, for your team, for families, and for you.

Saints-in-the-making, how will you be keeping it simple this fall?