Episode 188: A COVID-19 Family Ministry Road Map with Gina McClain

Nick Blevins Family Ministry Podcast: Children | Youth | Students | NextGen

In this episode, Gina McClain shares some ideas that she has gathered and a resource she helped create: a COVID-19 Family Ministry Road Map. Whether you have a specific strategy already in place or are just starting this conversation, Gina brings years of expertise and insight from some of the nation's leading family ministry leaders to help prepare churches for leading families well in the next season.

Gina McClain

Connect with Gina on Twitter, Instagram and Website.

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Notes

In the COVID-19 season, what are you seeing and noticing in churches?

• Churches are getting creative
• There is still a lot of unknown
• Must stop thinking about CONTENT and think more about CONNECTION
• Thinking about who is there AND who isn't there
  • In this season, we don't really know who is there, so engagement must be measured differently
• Families need content on the weekends, but they also need someone to show up during the week
• Some students are not safe right now
  • What was a crack in our ministry yesterday, today is a CHASM

Three Phases of the Family Ministry Roadmap:

• Phase One: Online Engagement
  • Keep volunteers engaged and call on them to make connections
• Phase Two: Seeing the return date
  • Asking all the questions we need to ask about returning
    • What families will come back?
    • Cleaning buildings?
    • Which ministries will meet?
  • Volunteers: we get a RESET
    • Not just focusing on activities, and remind them about CONNECTION
    • Update procedures
    • Possibly recruit for Guest Services to move to “hands-free” check-in (no screens)
• Phase Three: Full launched back to church on campuses
  • DIG INTO PHASE ONE
  • Realize that your families that call your church home may NOT return right away
  • Engage and offer what was available in Phase One
    • You must know who is there and who isn't there
    • You must know WHY families aren't returning
    • NOTE: emailing families for prayer requests is less personal than calling a family and asking how you can pray for them
  • “The silent enemy in this season is not coronavirus, it's disconnection.” – Gina McClain
• Secondary resource: A Leaders Guide to a Connected Ministry
• Launching a Cohort for ministry leaders: Connected Cohort

Action Items

1. Get the COVID-19 Family Ministry Road Map
2. Plan your map
3. Make 5 calls this week

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