Key Lessons from Growing a Church During Lockdown

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How To Shepherd Your Church in Times of Crisis

The Bible has a lot to say about the pastor's role as a shepherd.

“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” 1 Peter 5:2-3

To be a shepherd means that, as a pastor, you are responsible for guiding your flock, feeding the sheep God has given you, and tending to the needs of the people under your care.

How do you manage to carry out all of these responsibilities when everything seems so overwhelming due to the many changes brought about by the pandemic? 

Will you still be able to grow and carry out the church’s mission in spite of all the things that have changed? How can your congregation survive and thrive amid all these drastic changes?

Undoubtedly, these are challenging times for all leaders, but as we enter the post-pandemic world, leaders who see opportunities will thrive.

Regardless of whether COVID-19 and lockdown are beneficial or detrimental, the mission remains the same: to preach the gospel at all costs. You have an essential role to play in serving and addressing the needs of the community, especially now.

Take some inspiration from our guest today, who is well-known for taking a stand. He didn't shirk responsibility when the pandemic started; instead, he developed plans to ensure that he would continue caring for the flock entrusted to him.

Take advantage of this opportunity to hear from Jeremy McGarity about their ministry strategies and how they continue to thrive in a post-pandemic era.

“It's up to the Lord; it's His harvest. We just want to be people that have the framework built so that we're ready to receive that harvest.”
-Jeremy McGarity

Jeremy McGarity is the senior pastor of Skyline Church and Seven Church. Skyline Church has locations in Lakeside, Rancho San Diego, and Kansas, among other places. He is also the father of three kids, in addition to being a pastor and a spouse.

Jeremy shares insights that are applicable, beneficial, and significant for growing your relationship with Jesus. He teaches life-changing insights that will help you deepen your connection with Jesus. He is no stranger to willpower, having formerly been a professional athlete himself. It is the focus of his ministry to assist others in discovering the same kind of connection with Jesus that he had as a teen. 

It takes a lot of strength and perseverance to be a shepherd, to take a stand on God's Word. As a pastor, your role is to be faithful, persevere, continue shepherding, and place your confidence in him no matter how difficult the route may be at the moment.

You should not give up hope or try to carry the burden on your own. While you may think of yourself as a shepherd, the truth is that our Good Shepherd loves His church much more than you do. 

By the end of this episode, you will learn:

• The ways your church can thrive in the face of a pandemic
• Opportunities to strengthen the church’s mission
• The importance of each team member’s contribution
• How to adapt to technology to reach more people
• How to support or strengthen the principles of those new in the Christian faith
  

Take the time to listen, learn, and be inspired!

Here’s a glance at this episode…

[15:35] I didn't call you for comfort; I called you for a mission.

[23:41] The church is essential. 

[28:02] We're going to do things normally, you're going to have an hour a Sunday of normalcy, and that's our big pitch.

[29:28] We're going to serve our community. We want to make sure we minister to our community, and from that point, we haven't stopped. We just kept growing and growing and growing.

[36:23] We just started this campaign, 10-10-10 we're calling it, and we want to see ten churches reaching 10,000 people within ten years.

[39:01]  My passion is the kingdom. I don't want to lose that kingdom footprint.

[40:05] It's His harvest; we just want to be people that have the framework built that we're ready to receive that harvest. If He decides to do that, we want to be ready for it.

[42:54] Part of our mandate as pastors and churches is to help alleviate the suffering in the world.

[45:32] One thing we have to do is meet needs. We have to meet needs in our community, or we're irrelevant.