When the pandemic hit in 2020 most of us though it would be over in weeks…at worst, a few months. The months stretched into a year and more…and the powerful disease continues to disrupt lives and plans, not to speak of the deaths and health issues swirling around us. It is tragic, and it seems to be never ending. If the pattern of new variants continues, we could be battling Covid for quite a while.

So, in ministry, what do we do? Many questions come up these days:

  1. How do we continue to minister with the new (and often changing) restrictions?
  2. How do we accomplish our mission and keep our staff and volunteers safe?
  3. How do we manage in times of crisis that seem to change almost daily?

Leadership expert John Maxwell reminds us:

“The place to handle a crisis is not from behind a desk but in front of the people. A leader’s visible presence during times of crisis inspires confidence and gives others a sense of security.”

It’s easy to get trapped into sitting in our office strategizing how to utilize our resources best… when your best resources are your people…and they need a visible leader. Today’s employees value open, transparent leadership. Share your plan for guiding your organization through the crisis to help decrease anxiety and give your team a sense of direction. As one management leader said, “You may not know your strategy, but you can certainly talk about your values, priorities, and observations.”

Here are some ideas to help you:

  • Communicate verbally with the team.
  • Send out frequent written communications, with both information and inspiration included.
  • Speak personally to as many staff members as you can, even if it is a brief conversation.
  • Ask their opinion on a ministry direction or procedure.

Of course, be sure to continue to show appreciation to your staff and volunteers. When you work in challenging and changing situations, it’s easy to feel lost and under-appreciated. As a leader, you need to double-down on showing how much you appreciate the team and their work in these difficult days.

Everyone likes to be appreciated. And during times of crisis, this is especially true. The team members need the reinforcement that when things are anything but normal, they are still “hitting the marks” and accomplishing the job. The leader may think his staff understands how much they are appreciated. But according to one estimate, 85 percent of employees in the U.S. report being overworked and under-appreciated.

Eighty-five percent!

Through the years I have discovered that the part about feeling overworked is made worse when the team member feels under-appreciated. Show honest appreciation, and that team member…whether an employee or volunteer…will often gladly give you that 110 percent you are hoping to see.

In Paul’s letter to the Christ-followers in Thessalonica, he gave them similar instructions of appreciation as they serve with fellow believers.

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT

Yes, these are difficult days for all of us. Yet our mission goes on. Our need to share hope increases. And the only hope of lasting value is what we have to offer…Jesus. Again, God’s Word has instructions and encouragement for us.

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Galatians 6:9 NLT

With the Lord’s encouragement and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can not only just get through a crisis…we can flourish.

God’s best…