In Acts 9 we read of Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road, and his sudden and unexpected experience of being rendered blind. Done to him, it plunged him into darkness and removed from him every confidence, certainty, and comfort that he was previously used to, and made him dependent upon others. His subsequent revelation of God brought about his restoration, followed by a time of eating food to recover and regain his strength. He spent time with the disciples, and then went on to preach boldly and confidently, becoming the Paul that we know through the rest of the New Testament.
Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.
Acts 9:18-20
For us in this season, God is speaking to us through this scripture.
Our relentless weekly programme of services and events has been rendered powerless by what the pandemic has wrought. For a period, we have been refused permission to meet or to enjoy communion and fellowship with others. But now, we are beginning to see God afresh – in what is emerging and appearing – both in a collective awakening of what is important and what is not, but also in the fresh expressions of church and the awareness of thousands who are discovering faith and reaching out to God and encountering church.
There is also an important warning for us – that in the trauma and inflicted blindness that we have undergone, that recovery through rest and sustenance is vital. For many in church administration, there has been no break as we have been handling the aftermath and complexities of furlough, moving content and provision online, and navigating the deconstruction of much of what was part of our daily reality.
The 5 stages of surviving a pandemic
Despite the busyness, looking after your own wellbeing and rest is vital. Even if circumstances will not permit travel away, please do take time away from work over the summer. Significant periods of time with no work for the church, no checking emails and no completing checklists or risk assessments. If you currently have a home office setup, this means dismantling it for the time or forgetting the room exists. After all, you would not (or should not) go into the on-site church office during your holiday!
If you have a management role with influence over others in the team, please insist they also have a break for their own wellbeing. Think through carefully what it looks like to be a good employer at this time. On this topic you may need to address what policy your church has for rolling forward any unused holiday this year. It is both important to ensure people use the right amount now to have a proper break, but also to have it for the future when they can rebook some of the travel opportunities they may have lost this year. Caring for the wellbeing of your staff and helping them to thrive in their role is biblical, morale and good management. Do visit churchadministrators.net/covid to hear Rachel Slough talk on the subject and download a template for a Wellbeing action plan (see article below).
Let us therefore re-group, counselled with the guidance of others and venture forwards carefully. We can trust and rely upon God that the church He is building is not the one that existed up until March 2020, but one that emerges with a fresh revelation of who He is and with a boldness and certainty of His power – and His ability to disrupt and dismantle just as much as He can create anew and build His kingdom. God is the God of transformation, and when we find ourselves as the recipient, who can resist?
Julian Mander
Executive Director of UCAN