Readiness In The Face of Uncertainty: What You Can Learn From The Parable of the 10 Virgins
If you have ever caught an animal in your headlights, you would know that the first reaction would be to freeze.
Freezing at that point is the safest situation from which to assess. However, you don’t stay frozen for more than milliseconds if you don’t want to get arrested for the unlawful killing of wildlife. That means that we should be ready for uncertainty at all times.
Remember the parable of the ten virgins. How can people who claim to be expecting a very crucial visitor not have the means to keep the house lit up? If I could air my opinion about the situation, I would say they waited because it was routine. Maybe they did not care about him at all, but that’s only an opinion. On the other hand, I think that they were probably just mediocre that got blown by the tide. They were not conscious of change or spontaneity, so they did not prepare for such. That was the case of the foolish virgins. The visitor was not with them yet, so they did not think it was necessary to go the extra mile.
It happens to a lot of us. We love to tell ourselves the lie that we are selflessly serving God, but are we? Even though selfless service is a paradox, we still need to understand that loving someone goes beyond being nice whether the person is looking or not. That oil in the virgins’ lamps is a symbol of preparation for what is to come.
The Church of Christ globally is like those virgins. We have a lamp filled with oil, but how do we replenish it when the oil goes down? How do we make sure that we don’t run out of oil for the continuous propagation of the gospel?
Many businesses were cut short by the pandemic. Those that survived had to work out a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to ensure their continuity. The same goes for churches. The leaders had to think on their toes and leverage workable tools such as ChurchPad to get back on their feet and move forward. Those that did this were able to sustain the running of the Church all through last year. I like to call these churches the wise virgins.
Some of us are probably having faith that the pandemic will go under and that Churches will reopen physically with full force. It is not impossible, but it is another year, and that has not happened yet. In fact, in some parts of the world, cases are altogether rising quickly. If the world death toll from Covid-19 rose to 90,708,118 as of Jan 11, 2021, then as a people, we need to take extra measures to make sure that we are all safe regardless. I am not mentioning this to scare you, but only to let you know the factual situation.
I think the year 2021 is offering us another chance at preparation if we will make a landmark in the propagation of the gospel. Let me show you how you can make the Church shine bright in this looming cloud of the second wave of the pandemic.
Put In The Extra Work
The ten virgins all anticipated the coming of their guest; they all had lamps, of which none was faulty. Everyone did a check to be sure they had all they needed, but some did an extra. There is one lesson right there- the universe only rewards the extra work you put in to be successful.
Most people have to worship from their houses now, so learn to modernize your worship services. There is a calling upon you to shepherd God’s flock, and you must not fail at it. As a leader, you are prone to making decisions that will impact the lives of others. Therefore, you must walk in total humility and sound wisdom. I heard of some Pastors in Africa who tell their members to defy the lockdown procedure and attend Church physically during the first lockdown in their state. That must have contributed to rising cases at the time.
When we put the right systems in place, the Church will run effectively without the leader’s physical presence. I understand that having a website doesn’t mean members will click on it; however, there are other viable ways to keep a congregation connected to the Church digitally. If you continue to read this piece till the end, I will introduce you to one great tool that helped my Church last year. We even got more members who signed up for my church workforce without opening for one day during the pandemic.
Social Media Is Not Enough!
Churches have successfully grown and adapted to the era of social media, which is one of the most efficient and necessary ways to reach new members. Let me ask you a question: Is Reach the target of your evangelism? I do not think so. You want conversions, and for you to get people to take action on social media, you need to do more- employing the use of ads, generating leads, and so forth. That is a longer process than is necessary.
I have heard that some leaders are still reluctant to welcome digital technology into their Church for some sanctity reasons. It is more important now than ever to include ChMS into the church operations if you don’t want your members switching churches. People want to feel safe while they serve God. It is okay to preach faith, but we need to understand the times and fill our jar with the oil of preparation for future eventualities. I am not saying Covid-19 will continue forever; all I am saying is that we must not be left hanging like the other five virgins.
The Church is an organization. I am sure that you will have a team working tirelessly to update your measures as new situations arise. What would you say if I introduce you to a tool that can deliver multiple times more efficiently than your team of experts? This tool will make your Church operate effectively in the digital space even without a website. Oh, it does sound too good. Well, maybe because it is true.
ChurchPad empowers your church culture to create an ultimate experience by deepening engagement within your church community. It can achieve this by creating channels for outreach, generosity, and an overall feedback system.
It is the best I have ever encountered; I think you should try it out today.
By Temitayo Badewole
