Has anything changed in the past year? I suspect the answer is a resounding YES! It seems the whole world has adjusted to a new normal due to the global pandemic. Masks. Social distancing. Vaccines. Sheltering and quarantining. These things and more have come to the forefront of our minds and our lifestyles.

So, what about your ministry? How is it different than it was in 2019 before the Covid-19 virus changed our world? I’m not talking about just reacting to the situation…working from home, remote broadcasting, etc. I’m talking about adjusting what you are doing to what the world is doing. How are you communicating the Gospel today to reach people today who need hope today?

Leadership guru John Maxwell put the thought succinctly: “We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are.”

Has the traffic pattern of the lives of your listeners and viewers changed due to the pandemic? What do you need to do now to intersect with them with the hope of Christ? Are there different programs you need to produce? Are their new ways to get the message out? Are we holding on to what we already do because it is comfortable? “We know how to do this…and we aren’t sure how to do something new.” That’s not a good place to be. Again, John Maxwell addresses the idea of change: “To be a leader you must be able to create positive change.”

So…do we just think up stuff on our own? Do we glean from what the rest of the world is doing? Or…do we seek what the Lord would have us do to reach a lost and dying world? Scripture reminds us that the Lord Jesus was not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Paul told us he would use any means in order to reach some (1 Corinthians 9:22). That sounds like passion, focus, and creativity…all for the sake of Christ’s Gospel.

And you say, “But I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know if I can do that. I’m not sure I am ‘gifted’ enough to try something new.” You may not be able…but remember, God is able. Dr. Henry Blackaby reminds us that the Lord has a plan and will enable you to accomplish all He wants in and through you.

“Will God ever ask you to do something you are not able to do? The answer is yes—all the time! It must be that way, for God’s glory and kingdom. If we function according to our ability alone, we get the glory; if we function according to the power of the Spirit within us, God gets the glory. He wants to reveal Himself to a watching world.”

– Experiencing the Spirit: The Power of Pentecost Every Day by Henry Blackaby

Today, your audience doesn’t need programs. They need Jesus and the power He intends for their lives. Those touched by your ministry don’t need some clever idea. They need the solid truth that there is a God who loves them and a Savior who died so they could live eternally with Him. And for those who embrace that truth…everything changes.

Does that sound hard? It is out of your comfort zone to adjust programming, schedules, and styles for today’s people. J. Oswald Sanders said it well. “The frontiers of the kingdom of God were never advanced by men and women of caution.”

Embrace change. Seek God’s direction daily for your ministry. Keep the audience in mind as you program and produce. Be like the men of Issachar. They understood the times and they knew what should be done (1 Chronicles 12:32).

So… what will change today to reach someone tomorrow?

God’s best…