At FOUR12 Canada, we're equipping the Church for greater influence through serving!
Episodes
Tuesday Oct 06, 2020
Tuesday Oct 06, 2020
Welcome to Episode 0014 of the FOUR12 Canada Podcast! This is our Second Season and we are so excited to kick it off with this episode!
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We are excited to kick off Season 2 with Pastor Matt Kerr (above left) and Pastor Bill Anderson (above right) from Faith Baptist Church. We chatted about the effects of this season on our church and community, the response to reopening, and how everyone needs a squirrel costume to reach families!
Bill has served as the Kids Pastor at Faith for 9 years. Matt has been the Pastor of Worship and Communications for 14 years. He also oversees production and the voice of the church.
Connect with Bill
Connect with Matt
Links from the Podcast
PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS
How Did We Get Here?
- Faith closed in-person in March; moved to prerecorded livestream with a kids segment
- Volunteers recorded Bible stories for grades 1 to 5 and preschool craft videos
- Praise that we had a livestream for the past 5 years, so it wasn't a difficult transition
- Opened in-person in June and had a live band singing onstage as of August
- Staggered opening of kids min started in September
Connecting With Volunteers
- Drive-through appreciation instead of a big dinner or event
- Gave little gifts and encouraged each volunteer
4 Points About Reopening Kids Min
- See it as a big experiment
- Plan for fewer kids
- Don't get overwhelmed
- Make a big deal about every kid that comes in
The Effect on Our Community and Church
- We see evidence of the importance of gathering
- Now beginning to bridge connecting people
- Anxiety and stress of missing out on community aspect
- Kids and families have missed the personal touch that we get on Sundays
Ways to Connect With Families
- Try something fun and different to meet outdoors with families at their homes
- For example, use a squirrel costume to reach out to families
Biggest Hurdles for Reopening
- Incremental growth (1 step forward, 2 steps back)
- Challenges with guidelines and clarity
- Navigating diverse opinions, both in our church family and community
- Diversity in those serving and the conditions they are comfortable serving in, as well as frustration
"As leaders, we are called to lead the whole team: not choose and select who to lead..."
- Remember, we are people leading people; we need love and grace
- Working out the screening and tracking and all the guidelines
- Cleaning and reminding kids of physical distance
- Determining reporting policy and what will we do as a church
Response of Reopening
- Eager volunteers for grades 1 to 5; preschool volunteers are a little more nervous
- Families were so grateful
- Kids really needed this and missed it
Strengthening Families During COVID
- We continued with social media, making online announcements as much as possible
- Brett Ullman, author of Parenting: Navigating Everything, came to talk about parenting
- Kept shining the light of the gospel onto local families
- Aimed to be a voice for those in crisis
- Connected with families in every situation and provided help
- Helped meet community internet needs for online school
Moving Forward and Equipping Volunteers
- Sent a weekly email to volunteers
- Used TrainedUp program
- RightNow Media also has ways to upload training videos
- Phone calls, emails, praying before we start
- Added online tools for the worship band
- Added new volunteer role: lead vocalist who leads and guides our vocalists
- New production members stepped up
- Put new people alongside experienced team members to shadow
- Looking for social media volunteers (e.g., chat moderator is a new role in the online church world)
- Systems database management
Moving Forward Ideas for Kids Min
- Use social media to interact with families
- Personal letter to kids (snail mail or email)
- Birthday cards
- Squirrel costume!
Moving Forward Ideas for the Church
- Communication is key with individuals and groups
- Clearly communicate to the church as a whole
One Thing to Remember!
- Get a squirrel suit
- Start with love! It will clarify what you need to say, whether you are talking to a volunteer or leader
- This is only a season
- Guard your relationships with God and with your team members
- Make the most of every opportunity to inspire kids
- Make a short plan
Speaking to the Pause
Listen to the song "Living Hope" and remember why we need a Saviour. Keep pointing people to Jesus!
1 Peter 5:6-7: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
Know that God is in full control of this situation!
"Do what you can do to allow God to do what he can do" - Dave Lane
Thanks for listening! We hope this episode has equipped you for greater influence through serving and we don’t want you to miss a single episode so if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. And you can help us reach more people by writing a review for the podcast on the Apple podcast app and other podcast apps that you use. The FOUR12 Canada podcast is a ministry of Faith Baptist Church in Huntsville, Ontario. Explore everything FOUR12 Canada at four12.ca. Thanks for spending some time with us. See you next time!
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Up Next Episode 0015 Season2: Jeremy Norton on Living in the Yukon and
What Happens When
we Delay Rest
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