Small churches adopted a handful of models to survive the pandemic.  They include the church at home model, the shut-in model, the never shut down model, and the hybrid model. With these models come new opportunities to adapt worship and Christian education for your settings. In this article, I’ll share effective tips for how to keep worship alive and Christian education vibrant during the pandemic in your congregation.

You Are Not Alone

Small churches are often isolated from each other, so you may not be aware of how other congregations are coping.  The first thing I want you to know is that you are not alone. Through my work with congregations in Creating a Culture of Renewal®, we have gained wisdom from small churches around the country who are effectively using the following four models.

The Challenge: Effective Ways for Small Churches to Communicate Change

Whatever model you are using, there is one challenge that you must avoid.  This is the tendency of many churches to UNDER-communicate.  Churches that under-communicate assume that everyone already knows what is happening.  This dangerous assumption ensures that you will leave people out as you make changes. When you lose contact with your congregation, you weaken the bonds that will bring people back when it’s safe. Instead, regular communication allows you to stay connected with your people, and to implement the worship and Christian education tips I am about to share.

How Small Churches Worship During the Pandemic

Here are the models we have found small churches using.

The Church at Home Model

The church at home model is similar to a home-school model and is especially useful if your church is shut down. Here, worship and Christian education is provided at home in a family setting. In a way, this is the ultimate small church. The value of families worshiping together cannot be underestimated.

Small churches can minister to the “church at home” by delivering weekly or monthly handouts that follow lectionary or seasonal themes. Coordinate worship and Christian education materials so they build on each other.  Several outlets such as Cokesbury provide free downloadables for just this purpose. The Upper Room or other subscription-based devotionals can fill in the gaps. Be sure to include an offering envelope, as well as letters of communication, if email is not being used.

The Shut-In Model

If your congregation has re-opened but older members are reluctant to return to in-person worship, consider the shut-in model.  Similar to the Church at Home Model, the Shut-In Model is delivery-based.

Just as you ministered to shut-ins before the pandemic, deliver bulletins, Upper Rooms, and pre-packaged consecrated Holy Communion to these folks. The one difference is the need to socially distance, and the potential reluctance to have non-family members enter the home. Be sure to include newsletters, and an offering envelope, in your delivery.

If internet is not available in your setting, both the Church at Home and Shut-In models can benefit from a conference call number.  This could be used for bridge-line-based prayer, worship, and brief Christian education sessions.

Never Shut Down Model

Congregations that never stopped meeting or continued to meet for the most part will want to pay special attention to protecting at risk populations. This includes folks who are unvaccinated.  Be sure to ask people to mask, to sit 6 or more feet apart during worship, and to use hand sanitizer. The value of meeting together, even under these conditions, cannot be over emphasized.  People to people contact, worshiping in community, and the joy of seeing familiar faces—while keeping safety practices in place—boosts the spirit and makes glad the heart.

Hybrid Model

If and when your small church begins to meet again, don’t be surprised if some of your people don’t return. They may opt out, either because of safety concerns or because they just got out of the habit. In this case, developing a hybrid model of worship and education may be your best bet. If internet is not accessible, your hybrid model would be ongoing delivery to the church at home or to the shut-in folks even as the rest of your congregation worships in person. Again, be sure to mail offering envelopes or give people an opportunity to give online. If you have internet access, use that to create a hybrid community that allows for people to participate online or in person. You can livestream worship and Bible Study on Facebook or record and post to YouTube.

It’s time now to plan your next outreach, whether a mailbox delivery for Thanksgiving, a bulletin, or a letter to your congregation. Lead with love, follow up with invitation, and round it out with a call to action.  Ask people to pray for one another, to contribute to a food bank, or to call their neighbor. Just because folks aren’t meeting in person, doesn’t mean they can’t stay connected. Also, don’t forget to ask them to contribute to the work of the church. Finally, if you are looking for the next best practice as you survive the pandemic,  join me for a brand new online short course starting in November: Church Growth: From Barriers to Breakthroughs.

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