Leading right now isn’t easy as leaders everywhere are trying to figure out what is coming next.

But if we aren’t careful, we will waste a crucial opportunity and moment right in front of us.

Yes, we need to pivot and make decisions to keep moving forward today, but this is a great opportunity to take a look under your church’s hood so that you come out of Covid stronger than when you went into this pandemic.

How do you do that?

By working on your church, not just in your church.

At my church, we have talked about three simple ideas. Three simple words to do this:

Simplify. Back when churches began pivoting to online, I saw Warren Bird say on twitter, “Insight: church leaders have a window of “permission” to make changes they’ve wanted to make for years. Example: Looking for an excuse to re-organize a ministry? Plan it now, and then roll it out when we’re able to meet again.” Right now, you have scaled back your ministries. You are doing less in your student ministry, kids ministry, small groups, classes, etc.

Here are some questions to ask with your team:

• The things we cut out, do we need them? Did they actually add the value that we thought they did?
• Does what we do, does it produce the kind of disciples and leaders we want to produce?
• Do we have the staff to do the things we used to do?

When your church regathers, it should not go back to business as usual and do what it used to do.

Rebuild. Many of your staff and ministries might be exhausted, run-down, not at full capacity. You may need to hire some people or develop new leaders for the future.

Here are some questions to ask:

• Are our tanks empty or full?
• How are we doing spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, and relationally? What can we do to improve those?
• What ministries need to be rebuilt?
• What ministries and processes need to be retooled or added to for the future?

Digitize. The digital church has been growing across America and the world for several years, but this crisis has sped it up. The digital church isn’t going away, so you must figure out what part it will play in your ministry as a church. These questions have enormous implications and are not simply philosophical but also theological.

Here are a few questions to work through with your team:

• What part will the digital church play for us?
• Is the digital church a front door to Sunday morning?
• Are we physical locations with a digital church, or are we a digital church with physical locations?
• Do we provide a digital option for every physical option? If not, what do we need to provide a digital option for?
• What staff do we need to provide more digital options?

This is a crucial moment for churches, not just in terms of changing what we do, but in coming out of this healthier and stronger than when it started back in March.

Don’t waste the opportunity in front of you!