A Letter To Clergy And Church Staff And Emerging Church Practice Webinars

Dear Clergy and Church Staff,

On this Monday right after the strangest Easter Sunday we have ever seen, we are reaching out to say that we see you.

We see you local church clergy and church staff. We see how you are reinventing church in light of pandemic—how many hours you’re putting in as you learn new skills and attempt to lead your people in worship while separated by a screen. We see you worry about the future of your church—whether diminished church finances means staff reductions, even job loss for you.

We see how much stress you’re carrying right now. Some of you are chaplains in hospitals and hospices—you’re not only dealing with a heightened death count, but with how to tell loved ones they cannot visit while their father, mother, son, daughter, spouse takes one final breath. All of this while terrified of what contracting COVID-19 might mean for you and your family.

We see your pastoral concern for the most vulnerable in your congregation, and how you’re making sure they have everything they need to survive.

We see you each Sunday offering hope and comfort to an empty sanctuary or a blank screen, sometimes for congregations who just don’t get how difficult it all is. We see your resilience, as well as how tired you are trying to lead a church while homeschooling your kids.

We see your creativity. We see how pandemic has forced you to do things in a new way, and how you have absolutely radiated the love of Christ through that screen as you offer good news to those who desperately need some light to shine in their darkness.

You may think you are alone in all of this. You are not. We see you.

And we are so very proud to partner in ministry with you through these challenging days.

Be blessed this Monday after Easter Sunday. May the risen Christ bring resurrection to your spirit, body, and mind as you follow this call to serve during this Coronavirus crisis.

We see you. We appreciate you.

With gratitude from the Team at Pinnacle Leadership Associates