Digital Ministry: You Are Enough
The first few weeks of self-isolation were challenging. Not only was I continuing to get my roots planted in doing virtual ministry, but I was also privileged to be offered a part-time position to serve my presbytery as a technology consultant. At first, things appeared okay, yet as time went on, I realized that something was off. My vision was blurry, my eyes hurt, disruptions in my sleep, and I had frequent headaches. The culprit? Well, all of my problems stemmed from digital eye strain.
While running around, I forgot about the strain looking at a computer monitor puts on your eyes. Besides blue light, the American Academy of Ophthalmology says that our eyes blink less when we stare at our screens. So I started to take breaks every 20 minutes and cut down on non-essential work, and eventually, I figured out a balance that worked for me. In this writing about virtual ministry, you may be asking why I'm talking about eye strain, and that's a fair question. It's because I wanted to take a moment to realize how that even the most "tech-savvy" among ministry leaders are still wrestling with the new reality of leading an online church.
I've had the honor of talking to many different pastors during this COVID-19 pandemic. And in each context, everyone is doing something different to serve their communities of faith. Some pastors are pre-recording their services and uploading them to YouTube or Facebook as premiers. Other worship leaders are doing live broadcasts that involve platforms such as Zoom. And then some churches are relying on good old' reliable phone calls and mailed materials such as worship bulletins and sermons. After each conversation, I am usually asked, "Is there anything else I need to be doing?" or "Is there anything else I can do to make things better?"
I'm torn when I am asked this question because I am never quite sure how to respond. Often people are wondering what they can do to make things more streamlined or more manageable, but then some want to know what they can do to make their virtual presence polished or offer more in terms of virtual programming. These are both well-intentioned questions, yet I'm not convinced that the majority of church leaders need to add something else to their already full plate. Virtual church, virtual faith communities, are just as demanding as physical ones, and to stretch ourselves thing when we still have so much time ahead will lead to a hard and messy burnout.
We are in the for the long haul, and I don't mean until the stay at home orders are lifted. In starting a conversation about reopening my Session, brainstormed various ideas. Most likely, we would still maintain a tailored virtual service and Bible study. In addition, we would most likely limit our fellowship time, other social events and try to worship as much as we can outside during the warmer weather so that people could spread out. Church won't be the same (nor should it) for a long time, and our online components are here to stay. So you are doing enough, you are enough, as a pastor, a church leader, or whatever role you play. You are enough, and I don't say that lightly, I've seen how hard you all are working!
Don't worry about being a master at Adobe Premier or iMovie. Don't stress trying to figure out live video streaming if what you are doing now is keeping people connected. Is what you are doing authentic? Does it speak to the heart of these tough times? If so, then I think you are doing your fair share and creating a worship experience that is filling the hearts of your ministry context. I'm not saying everything is perfect, and there are somethings (even for myself) that still need fixing. But we need to permit ourselves to say that there is another day to get that done and that there will be another day to fine-tune what aspects of online ministry we want to perfect.
Ministry leaders, you are all in my prayers, as I hope I am in yours as well. If using a cellphone to stream is working, that is great! If you find that recording ahead of time is working, that is also great! And if you find you are mostly calling people and mailing out worship materials, that is also great! It is enough, and you are enough. If your ministry context hasn't told you that they appreciate what you are doing, let me say that I appreciate and value the work you all are doing. I know it may not carry the same weight, but please know that your work is not going unnoticed. I see it in the number of conversations I have and in the Sunday videos that I see you all producing or live video streaming.
Online ministry is here to stay for a while, if not longer, and our race is long. So please take care of your weary bodies, hearts, and minds, and know that what you are doing is enough and you enough and that you are not doing this alone. Peace and grace, and as I heard from a colleague this morning, "May God’s grace be the aquifer that keeps you nourished during this season of life.”