Implications for Christian Ministers
The way in which technology is advancing creates new opportunities for ministry that churches have not even remotely tapped. Ministers looking for places to advance the Kingdom of God should consider this rich soil just waiting to be harvested.
This is all the more true since the globe has been forced into quarantines, isolations, and social distancing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the year 2020 the world was voluntarily embracing many of the opportunities made available for communications via the Internet, computers, tablets, and apps for smart phones. Now this technology is becoming a necessity!
Virtual teams in ministry are an excellent way to support teams in the body of Christ
both during the event of a widespread flu or contagious disease outbreak, as well as after.
Often, smaller teams have limited resources and can function at a slower pace without the help of a larger group. Being able to work together with virtual teams not only helps those individual teams cope with the crisis, but it also provides a valuable resource for the entire body of Christ. As the global community and our individual bodies of Christ struggle through this troublesome time, many have called upon the Lord to strengthen and gather His forces to respond to the ever-present need of Christ in the world.
Through the use of virtual teams in ministry, those working within various ministries can get together online in real-time to share resources and work toward common goals. This is very beneficial because one team does not need to be located in the area where another team is located. By being able to work together, ministries can more effectively provide care for those suffering and can more readily communicate between team members. It can also be much easier to coordinate between various ministries because of the ability to work together in a virtual manner.
Working in this way helps to strengthen the body of Christ. It allows ministries and churches to reach out and minister to those who have been affected by the flu and can bring healing to their homes and families. By getting more virtual teams to join in the battle against the flu this season, the body of Christ will be stronger and more able to fight off any virus that might sweep across our nations. It is truly an opportunity of a lifetime, so it is imperative that those ministries which are called upon to provide assistance to begin working now to strengthen and grow the body of Christ.
In most instances, churches/ministries should anticipate they will not be able to establish the same teams in all of their departments throughout the organization. The important thing is to begin with the resources available right away. Over time complications will surface (primarily due to technical difficulties), communication gaps will be identified, and organizational learning will occur. It is by means of insight that leaders may begin the development of training programs aimed at orienting and optimizing team effectiveness. In such cases, the first steps should be creating an awareness among all participants of the important roles they play, and that roles are equally vital success.
1. Working on virtual teams offers fresh perspectives to ministry (or church ministries), develops new communication skills, technical knowledge, and experience which is valued by contemporary employers.
2. The National Association of Christian Ministers values the ministerial training opportunities made available by virtual ministry teams using online collaboration (weather ministry or church ministries). For these reasons, we offer online theology courses that require participation on virtual teams; thereby, developing skills to face modern needs in ministry.
Thinking Outside the Box
This ministry is called the #Worship Mob. They all come together remotely via the Internet to worship together in real time!