In the midst of a pandemic, an economic recession is not just a distant concern for many people, but rather an imminent reality. Unfortunately, just as social distancing can lead to economic recession, it can also lead to a “social recession.” As our governments debate drastic measures to curb an economic recession, how can we as a church family fight to keep the necessary social distancing measures from leading to a “social recession” in our community?
1. Make a Plan
It can be easy in this season to drift into isolation. To fight our natural inclination towards apathy, it’s important to make a social plan for your day. If you haven’t yet, check out our “Developing a Rule of Life” resource to help get you started. Some things to make a plan for include:
Who will I reach out to daily? (coworkers, LifeGroup, family members, missional friends)
How can I regularly spend time with Jesus? (reading Scripture, listening to worship music, journaling, prayer)
How can I use my time well? (going on walks, activities with children, cleaning, virtual hang outs)
You and your LifeGroup might also use this time to make a plan to check in on one another. Ideas can include:
Ask LifeGroup members to call two people in the group per day
You or a core group member could set up assigned dates and people or the members can develop their own system
Alternatively, create “check in” partners so everyone is connecting with someone on a daily basis
Mix them up on a weekly or half-weekly basis so your group gets to know each other better
2. Get Creative with Technology
Social distancing is hard, but today we have the unprecedented advantage of technology. Here are some ways to use technology to continue to gather with your community.
Video Chat Software: There are several great video chat softwares available, including Zoom, Facetime, Google Hangouts, Marco Polo and Skype. You can play a board game, have a children’s play date, do an exercise video, or even have a virtual coffee date with friends all over video chat.
Rhythm Substitutes: Even though we can’t physically be together, here are some current ways you may substitute your time together. (If you have more ideas, we’d love to hear them.)
Netflix Party Extension: This browser extension allows you to watch Netflix together with a group chat.
House Party App and JackBox: You can video chat with a group while playing a variety of games, including trivia and a game similar to “Apples to Apples.”
Be Tech Support for the Vulnerable: The truth is that some of the most vulnerable people in our community are also the least technologically savvy. The poor and the elderly are statistically less likely to have internet at all, much less have experience using apps or software. Reach out to the vulnerable people in your life and offer to walk them through how to use the technology available to us, including everything from video chat to online food and grocery delivery.
3. Be Honest with God and Others
Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together talks about the danger of misplaced, uncommunicated expectations in community: "Every human wish dream that is injected into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community and must be banished if genuine community is to survive. He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial." [1]
In other words, we are wired to be relational creatures and sin can easily have us drift into unspoken expectations that can easily fester into resentment, bitterness, and social isolation. If you feel loneliness creep in ask yourself, “Am I taking my relational needs to God first?” “Are my relational expectations I have on others biblical, realistic, and has been previously communicated to them?” “Am I doing my part to actively engage with others as well?” “Is there any resentment that I need to repent to God before I communicate my relational need to LifeGroup?”0
As we struggle in the fight against loneliness, the Lord promises us that he not only sees our sorrow, but that he is there with us in the midst of pain and suffering (Psalm 56:8). We also know that whatever happens in this broken world, one day we will spend eternity in a place with no suffering, loneliness, or depression. Right now we’re running the race and encouraging others to run with us (Hebrews 12:1), but our victory is already won. By being “alone together,” we can not only prevent the spread of disease, but also prevent the spread of social isolation in our church family and community.
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[1] - For more on this, check out our resource “The Five Stages of Community (or Why the Unicorn Must Die)” at FollowingJesusTogether.com