Elders from two churches have generously agreed to share questions that helped them talk through the COVID-19 Protection Framework and concerns with members.
Example #1
Our eldership divided the church family into five groups and each elder was responsible for phoning or visiting those on their list.
As an eldership we are wanted to gauge where our church family is at the moment and to help us in our decision making with the public health changes and so we can pastorally lead them and the church family more effectively. We did so through a conversation rather than a ‘questionnaire’ approach. There was no pressure to answer and anything said was confidential to the eldership. Our guiding questions were…
- How’s the current covid situation affecting you at the moment?
- How are you feeling about church life at the moment?
- Do you have any concerns or questions about vaccinations? How are you feeling about vaccinations?
We then gathered the responses to develop a clearer picture of where our church family is and also an unofficial vaccine register.
Example #2
Dear Church Family,
I’m quite sure that when Jesus said he would be with us even to the end of the age, his promise extended through the Covid-19 Pandemic.
As a church, our heart is to put our arms around every member and move forward together. This is a commitment we make as we move into New Zealand’s new Traffic Light System. This new system creates some difficult decisions about how we hold our gatherings – and every person is important to us.
Our DNA is to prioritise the reputation of Jesus in our community, the unity of the Spirit amongst us, the opportunity we have to care for others (not just ourselves), and the need to show grace, patience and kindness to all – especially those who see things differently.
The purpose of this questionnaire is to hear from you as a member of our church family, and then help the Elders to make the best – albeit imperfect – decision for the church family going forward. We will all feel tension in whatever decisions are made going forward, and this will call for extra grace and love.
We want to hear from you as an individual. Your personal details will remain confidential to the Elders. Some of the questions are personal. If you’d prefer not to include your name, that is fine, but we would love to hear from as many of you as possible. Please fill in this questionnaire by (DATE, TIME.)
May this be a moment when we all choose to step in, with love and commitment to the body of Christ. It’s just like the Lord to use a time of crisis and disruption to bring about something new, wonderful, and good. We need each other more than ever – you are needed, and the Lord Jesus is calling us together.
With Christian love
The Elders
