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Blog — COVID-19

Two Questions: Andrew Root

Posted by Tracey Daniels at Nov 06, 2021

Andrew RootAuthorProfessor, Youth and Family MinistryLuther Seminary, USA In each edition of IG Mix, we ask a guest writer two questions about serving in ministry. What keeps you up at night? I’m sure I’m not alone, but I’ve found it harder to sleep during the pandemic. I suppose I could have (maybe even should have) treated the lockdowns as an opportunity to hibernate. Unable to control the crisis, I should have controlled what I could and caught up, even stored up, on sleep. But the crisis throbbed with an anxiety that kept me from rest and peace. I couldn’t...

Regathering and Reconnecting Your Church Community

Posted by Liz Perraud at Jul 10, 2021

Liz PerraudExecutive DirectorGenOn Ministries It’s the summer of 2021, and we’re gazing ahead to fall. How are you doing? Can we help? Recently, GenOn hosted an online Round Table to discuss Sunday morning intergenerational faith formation. We Zoomed and all shared ideas, benefits, and how to make potential hybrid settings work. One participant observed that people have become comfortable worshipping from home (good!), Sunday mornings are more relaxed (awesome!), but that maybe people need motivation to return to in-person church community (aha!). A bit of inertia has settled in after more than a year of being home....

Time to Rekindle Relationships

Posted by Liz Perraud at May 10, 2021

Relationships and community require care and feeding. Congregations all over the world are facing this same challenge—of starting to gather again in person (or soon!). And we are out of practice. We’ve been Zooming, doing the masked-and-distanced thing, and lots of other creative solutions, but we must admit, it’s been a strange and awkward year, and it’s time to rekindle relationships.

Moving Intergenerational Ministry Outdoors

Posted by Liz Perraud at Mar 20, 2021

Church leaders are pondering a different kind of spring and summer in 2021. Restrictions, vaccine limitations (especially for younger people), and comfort levels are still impacting “ministry as usual” even as our lives seem to be emerging from COVID-19 and hope is springing forth. Holding intergenerational ministry outside allows for safe gatherings and more movement after a very long winter. But what? And how? We surveyed some church leaders we know about their plans and thoughts, and what they were still wondering about—particularly concerning the “norm” of Vacation Bible School. We received some great feedback. They shared a variety of...

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Tags: COVID ministry, COVID-19, LIFT, ministry outdoors, outdoor ministry, summer, summer church, Vacation Bible School, VBS

Look! I’m Doing a New Thing.

Posted by Liz Perraud at Jan 25, 2021

Liz PerraudExecutive DirectorGenOn Ministries Most days when I talk with my mom, she wraps up the call with, “Well, we’re coming along.” Even if she’s just shared something not-so-great about how she or my dad are feeling or how one is recovering from a fall, it’s still an encouraging tone and “we’re coming along” as she signs off. “Coming along” is an informal way of saying making progress and moving forward, which is exactly what she means. We’re doing better today than yesterday. Or better this afternoon than this morning. And the expectation is that tomorrow will...