Laura Stephens-Reed
Clergy & Congregational Coach
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Helping clergy and congregations navigate transitions with faithfulness and curiosity

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Re-gathering and re-introductions, part 1

When social distancing is finally in the rearview mirror, it will feel both joyful and strange. And once that novelty wears off, at church we could be looking at one another like we're semi-strangers.

Yes, we’ve found ways to stay connected during the pandemic. But those means have not fully captured the range of our experiences or the significant changes we’ve undergone. We will need to get to know one another all over again, and we'll have an opportunity to know and be known by one another more deeply than we did pre-pandemic.

Covid wasn't and isn't a laughing matter. But I think we can re-acquaint and challenge the pandemic’s lingering power over us by getting playful with the absurdity and isolation of the past year. Here are some ideas:

Mask fashion show. Who has the most bedazzled or unusual mask? Roll out a runway and let your people strut, showing off their face coverings.

Whose eyes? In person we’ve mostly just seen a 1/3 of one another’s faces for the past 16 months. Ask people to submit close-up photos of the top third of their faces (remove hair and other identifying features from the pictures as much as possible) and find out who can identify the greatest number of fellow church members.

Virtual background matching game. Request individuals to take a photo of what’s been behind them for Zoom calls during the pandemic. Print two copies of each photo and create a giant memory matching game.

What I did during lockdown. Think, “What I did during summer vacation,” but for Covid. You can encourage serious or light-hearted responses. Share in a storytelling session, or print a few responses in each upcoming church newsletter.

Drawing or Play-Doh symbols. Have each person sketch or shape a symbol about what the past year-plus has been like. Have them explain it, or have others guess what the symbols represent.

Old school get-to-know you icebreakers (or as they’re called in some spaces, “energizers”). You have likely been at a church or work event that kicked off with games to help those present meet one another. Use one or more standard icebreakers to deepen knowledge of one another.

Having fun together makes it possible for us to tackle the tough stuff we’ve dealt - and will deal - with. Next week I’ll share some thoughts on how to get into that.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash.