COVID-19 has brought with it a flurry of unexpected changes. One month ago, I never would have expected to wear a mask to the grocery store, practice social distancing, or wash my hands incessantly. Life has changed dramatically and there have been some unexpected gifts.

There is an upside, though. Even as people have rapidly incorporated unwelcome habits into their lives, the church has been gifted by the pandemic.

It’s true. The pandemic has managed to kill off some mindsets that no longer served the church. Many of these shifts, decades in the making, happened seemingly overnight.

Over the next several weeks, I will highlight three of these quick shifts and how to turn them into sustainable culture shifts by anchoring them in your congregation’s DNA.

COVID-19 has brought with it a flurry of unexpected changes. But it's also brought unexpected gifts. Here's how you can create a culture shift. Click To Tweet

Pre-Pandemic Mindset: We’ve Never Done It That Way Before 

Do you know the seven last words of the church? “We’ve never done it that way before.” These words of resistance have slowed or stopped many needed changes in congregational life. Those seven words were a sign that tradition had once again triumphed over risk.

However, with the rapid onset of the coronavirus and the changes it necessitated, congregations quickly became aware that the pre-pandemic mindset wouldn’t do. To continue resisting change would mean nothing less than abandoning the church.

Mid-Pandemic Mindset: Whatever It Takes To Stay Together

As church doors shut to slow contagion, congregations took on practices they had resisted for years. Most congregations never dreamed they would launch online worship services, Facebook live, or Zoom Bible studies in a matter of hours or days. Yet, fueled by a deep desire to maintain the church body, congregations adopted a new mindset, “We’ll do whatever it takes to stay together.”

As congregations quickly moved online, they found something somewhat surprising. Worship attendance has grown, not shrunk. The frail and infirm can now worship without bracing the weather, roads, or inaccessible sanctuaries. Visitors can pop in and out at will, reasonably anonymously. The curious can try new forms and styles of services with little risk.

Turn Unexpected Gifts Into A Culture Shift

When face to face gatherings prevail again, will your people still see the need to keep an online presence alive? Will they invest in the tech to upgrade their online presence?

You can’t know for sure now. So, here are three ways to anchor this quick shift in the congregation’s life to become a sustainable shift in culture.

First, name and acknowledge the quick mindset shift that has taken place. Ground this shift in biblical stories such as Abram and Sarai following God’s call into an unknown future. Recall how, along the way, God made a covenant with this couple and changed their names, signifying an essential shift in their connection.

Second, sacralize the quick shift. You’ve already begun by leading Easter services online. Now think ahead to Mother’s Day, graduations, and Pentecost. Plan now for the sacred to come alive in “the diaspora.”

Last week, I led an online Passover Seder for my parents, siblings, partners, and kids. Together we were spread out over seven households in four states. We wouldn’t have gathered together on our own for this holiday. But the pandemic brought out both a creative urge to stay connected and a fun way to accomplish it while commemorating a sacred occasion.

Third, and most importantly, boost your immunity to burnout, fatigue, and isolation. You are at the forefront of leading rapid, unexpected change. While change can be exhilarating, it can also be exhausting. Quick shifts can’t become culture shifts without sustainable leadership at the front.

You are in the midst of significant societal change. Now is the time to lean in with creativity and courage.