ChurchHacks.com

‘Tis the season to be infectious. Since we’re approaching that time of year when your health can fluctuate as often and severe as the price of a gallon of gas, it’s time to consider the ramifications of you, the pastor, getting sick and having to attend Bedside Baptist instead of preaching on a Sunday morning. What do you do when you wake up on Sunday morning as sick as a dog?

1. Establish a plan and procedure ahead of time and discuss it with those involved.
   We often think clearer when we don’t have the pressures of a crisis breathing down our necks. The military has operation procedures and football teams have play books. They execute strategies and plays that have been predetermined for every scenario. Take the time to develop a contingency plan in advance so you’re not dumping responsibility on someone at the last minute.
2. If there is another pastor on staff or church leader who is able to preach, make sure he has a message prepared for this purpose.
   Football teams have second- and third-string quarterbacks and the military has a chain of command so if someone gets taken out, another can step in to take their place. I was the second-string preacherman at a previous church. Shortly after I had taken this ministry, the senior pastor instructed me to have a message waiting in the wings in case he was ill. I never received the early Sunday morning call but I was ready, nonetheless.
3. Designate a point man to make a final decision about what will take place.
   Your plan may work 95% of the time but it’s possible that you’ll be sick on a Sunday when your plan won’t work. You may need to call an audible. For example, your plan is to have a fellow pastor preach a message from Genesis 3 that he already has prepared. However, it’s Mother’s Day and it’s probably not a good time to talk about the whole ordeal with Eve and the Serpent. Have your point man call an audible and put an alternate play into motion.
4. Strip out elements for that day’s service that are unique to your message (drama, special music, videos, etc.).
   If you have music or other aspects to your service that are closely tied to your sermon, put those on hold until you preach that message. People are pretty flexible and I’m sure soloists and those involved in drama will appreciate an extra week of preparation.
5. Early the next week, think of the impact it will make on your sermon schedule and adjust accordingly.
   Changing this week’s plans might have implications for future weeks. You may be in the middle of a series that needs to end on a certain week or you might be approaching a holiday or another event. Look ahead on your message planning sheet and figure out where you need to make adjustments in the schedule.

Here are some specific ideas to include in your plan.

• Have a fellow staff member or qualified member preach.
• Show a short film or video.
• Have an extended worship time with a short devotional.
• Allow people to share testimonies.
• Spend time in prayer corporately or in small groups.
• Have individuals publically read large portions of Scripture
• If you’ve been video taping messages for a long time, show a re-run.
• Do a Bible trivia game show.
• Hold a large group interactive Bible study.
• Two words: open mic.
• Sing Christmas carols… any time of year.
• Do a combination of any of the above.

Do you have other ideas or tips if the pastor is laid up in bed with a bottle of Nyquil and a bowl of chicken soup? Share them in the comments below.

Tags: Pastor