Mike Bonem
Imagine that you’re flying across the country for a big family reunion. You’re thrilled that you’ll be able to see your parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews. You’ll get to meet the newest family members – a 6-month old baby and your cousin’s new spouse – for the first time. In the middle of the long flight, you hear the pilot’s voice: “Folks, there’s a storm ahead. We’re just going to turn around and go back to our originating city to wait it out.” You’d be confused and angry. Sure, it’s not fun to fly through a storm, but planes do it all the time, and they can often adjust their route to avoid the worst weather. Changes in the flight plan are appropriate, but giving up makes no sense at all.
Pastors and ministry leaders thought the storm of covid would be mostly over by now. Early in the summer, when cases had declined significantly, they felt encouraged and hopeful as they planned for the fall. When the pandemic came roaring back, it created a new wave of uncertainty about how to proceed. There are many perspectives about the “right way” to do ministry in the current season, but that is not my purpose in writing. Instead, I want to look further into the future.
Just like the imaginary airplane flight in the first paragraph, there is a future for your church on the other side of the covid storm. So what is your job right now?
- Be clear about the destination. The person boarding the plane for a family reunion has a specific city to reach. In the same way, you should be as clear as possible about God’s preferred future for the church or ministry you lead. This task doesn’t fall solely on your shoulders – it’s a job for the entire leadership team. When people can see an exciting destination, they’re more willing to work hard to get there and to endure some storms along the way.
- Adjust, but don’t turn around. Of course the pilot should make adjustments to avoid flying through the middle of a storm. You should do the same. We’re all tired of changing plans, but that is our current reality. And there is an upside. Every adjustment is an opportunity to reinforce the vision. It’s a chance to ask, “In light of these obstacles, how can we best become who God wants us to be?” That is a much better response than giving up.
- Instill confidence. When a plane is heading into turbulent weather, the calm and confident voice of a pilot is reassuring. In the same way, the challenges of this season create a tremendous leadership opportunity. People are looking for leaders who are honest and realistic about the difficulties ahead, and who are also confident that, with God’s help, the church will prevail and emerge even stronger. Don’t waste the chance to be that leader.
What is your leadership flight plan?
