By Drake Hoffman
Doing church outdoors is not as easy as just transitioning to being outside. It takes planning, communication, and a lot of grace. Hopefully, as church leaders, you can work together with your staff and team of volunteers to make the outdoor worship experience the best it can be.
Involve Others
As the pastor or the main ministry leader, don’t try to organize the outdoor services yourself. Gather your staff and volunteers together and divvy out the work that needs to be done to make your outdoor programming most meaningful.
Match people to assignments consistent with their skills, giftings, and passions, setting them up for success. Show them you appreciate them by thanking them often, recognizing them publicly when possible, and perhaps giving out gift cards as a token of your appreciation for their help.
Make a Plan
With your service ministry team, brainstorm ideas and then make a plan of action. Consider all the components of the worship service from parking, greeting, worship, the sermon, and the offering. You may need to add a component that would make the outdoor service more compelling.
Similarly, you may need to remove something from the service that’s been standard for your indoor services for years. Don’t be afraid to change it up and try something new. Plan everything out, have a dry run, and then welcome your congregation with open arms into a new expression of this time with Jesus.
Make a Backup Plan
Needless to say, things will likely go wrong when holding worship services outside. During your planning process, be sure to make a backup plan. This is likely most important regarding the weather. What will happen if it rains? Will you have a tent? An awning?
Discuss all the contingencies and then make sure your entire staff and volunteer team know how to communicate changes to the congregation in a timely manner.
Include the Kids
Children are an essential part of the church. Think intentionally about what kids will do during the outdoor services. Can you offer coloring/activity sheets? Will there be a children’s sermon? Will there be treats for children after the service? Be sure the children feel valued, seen, and understood.
Communicate the Details
Perhaps nothing will be more important than communicating all the plans and instructions for your outdoor worship service. Use all the technology at your disposal to make sure everyone will know about changes to the typical service.
Send emails and text messages. Post on social media. Make phone calls if necessary. Make announcements in the outdoor service itself, as well as during any online streaming services that are continuing.
By allowing for just a few simple yet intentional considerations, your church can make the outdoor experience an unforgettable one.
This information is courtesy of ACS Technologies, a leading provider of information management software and service solutions to nearly 50,000 churches, schools, and organizational offices, www.acstechnologies.com.
