Cokesbury Kids Blog

The eggs are found. The chocolate bunnies are eaten. The tomb is empty. Now what? This year was different. Likely one of the most memorable Easters our families will remember. For better or worse, here we are. 

If your congregation is anything like ours, nothing went as we would have imagined. We had overflow seating planned. Special worship kits for the kids picked out. A vibrant orchestra had been rehearsing the ever-popular “Christ our Lord has Risen today!” And now, quarantine. Isolation. Social-distancing. COVID-19.

Let’s be real. Let’s be authentic. 

Acknowledging the loss of normalcy is real. Being vulnerable to our congregations that we wished things were different is real. This year unlike any other before we are all able to truly feel that isolation. We may be struggling ourselves to even have any kind of Easter joy within us. Let’s face it, we bought special outfits that we did not wear in public. There was not a family photo in front of a flowered cross. We did not get that special meal with our extended family like we have always had. All our normal traditions were far from normal.

If we have these feelings, we can only imagine that most around us feel the same as well. Lost. Confused. Wondering what to do next. Acknowledging these feelings will only help us connect with those around us. Our community. Our congregations. 

Easter is a significant season within the church. Jesus’ last words on earth were to “go and make disciples.” - Matthew 28:19. A verse many churches and denominations across the globe use as their mission statement. 

How we follow up with families after they’ve come to our church is crucial to their continued relationship in our congregation.

How do we reach out to new families when we may not even know who the new families are?
 

BACK TO THE BASICS

• Pen and paper. I still appreciate and even cherish hand-written letters. In our world right now, going to check the mail can be viewed by some as the “highlight of my day”. So imagine going to check the mails and amongst the past-due bills (sorry student-loans), here is a hand-written note…..from my church! The thoughtful nature of a hand-written note goes a long way. During this time of isolation, consider your membership roster and develop a plan of action.

Look over your church roster and send them a cheerful greeting. Focus on members who are single. Recently divorced. Widowed. Residents of nursing homes. It does not need to be long. The most simple phrases can mean the world to someone. 

• Phone calls. Our families and especially children love to get a short and simple phone call from someone at their church. I can remember being a kid and my parents saying the phone was for me. That burst of excitement that I felt was enough to get me through the day. Someone was thinking of me. Someone wanted to hear my voice, and I was able to hear their voice. Again, look to your rosters…set a goal to call a certain number of families each week. 
   
• Drive-by parade. In our state of isolation, these are becoming more popular and the kids love it! A mom in our congregation posted that they would be outside in the front yard between 11-11:30 on a specific day. If anyone wanted to come and drive by to wish her son a happy birthday. Kid’s birthdays (or…all birthdays) are now strictly small family celebrations only. Which to some people causes quite a bit of grief. Of course this takes a bit of preparation. Check out the birthdays in your congregation. Make contact prior to driving by. Make a banner, poster or sign that wishes the person well on their special day. 

GETTING TECHNOLOGICAL

• Email- An older church member who does not have small children emailed me. Pre-Quarantine, she did not go to the worship service that had a children’s time. She told me that she had really enjoyed seeing the children’s time in our virtual service. It was a simple email. Just four short sentences. Yet, it brightened my day. How easy would that be for us to reach out to families in that way? Again. Set a goal. Work through your church directory. 
   
• Texting- I’m a big fan of a good text. “Thinking of you” *insert heart emoji here*. Makes my day! Throw in a funny gif (soundless videos or a series of images that continuously loop) and you’ve hit the next level. These simple statements go a long way to let the congregation know you care. 
   
• Social media- During this time I have “friended” more people in our congregation than ever before. I am striving for that deeper connection. (The irony does not surpass me that I am looking to social media now for deeper connections.) I want to know how my church families are. Quite frankly, I am getting to know some families more than I probably ever would have seeing them for 45 minutes 2-3 times a month. If your church does not have a social media account, now is the time to create one. I even suggest creating accounts for the various ministries within your church. This will allow you to connect and serve the exact people you are looking to target. 
   
• Video Calls- Facetime, Google Duo, Zoom, Skype . . . This method could be listed with social media. But because of its vast complexity, I’ll give it its own bullet. Seeing people face to face is valued now more than ever. While I am very much introverted and do not have as much of a problem being secluded, I still long for outside contact. To be face to face with someone creates a special bond and intimacy that cannot be replicated. 

We may not know who all worshipped virtually with us. We may not know which families are in need. But we have to start somewhere. 

The women finding the empty tomb was really only the beginning of the story. The report they made to the disciples. Jesus is alive! Thomas’ doubting touch. The beginning of Christianity. The spread of Christianity. To where we are today. We are very much where the women were, all those years ago. Where do we go from here? We connect. We continue to spread the good news. We love one another. We look for new and meaningful ways to make disciples just as we were commanded. Just right now, we do it at a distance. 

Lauren Bedevian has been in full-time children’s ministry for 10 years. She graduated from Pfeiffer University in 2010 with a degree in Christian Education and is certified by the United Methodist Church in Christian Education. She currently serves as a children’s director at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas. She is a single foster-mom that has fostered over 10 babies in just four years. She has 2 cats: Olive roo and Roofus. She enjoys writing and sharing her knowledge and experiences both with fostering infants and children’s ministry.