Together Alone
Just a quick note and encouragement for this week's Inklings.
I have written before about the modern phenomenon of being alone together—a phrase coined by Sherry Turkle in her book by that same name. The idea being that, while we are more connected than ever before via our technology, we're also lonelier than ever before.
That challenge will still be waiting for us once this pandemic has all blown over. For the time being, though, we have a new one: finding ways to be together alone. What does it look like for us to be a community of belonging in a time of social distancing? How can we strengthen our bonds while we are apart?
One practical idea comes from Pastor Greg Finke, whom I've mentioned previously (and who is a past dean at Camp Arcadia). In a recent blog post, Pastor Finke has this suggestion:
"Your Church is not a building and it is not an organization. It is people. Now is an opportune time to help them get to know each other like never before… even though they can’t be with each other. How? Map out where your members live using Google mapping software. Then recruit members who live in the midst of other members to start making phone calls once a week to 5-10 member households who live nearby. They can use the following questions to get to know each other better:
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How are you doing?
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Do you need anything?
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Do you have internet access? (So they can receive content from the Church. If not, what can be a Plan B?)
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What is your story? (Let’s get to know each other a little better.)
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Do you mind if I call you again next week?
Your church could come out on the other end of this pandemic being relationally closer than ever before. And all because you became more intentional about talking together over the phone! (One more idea: after we are past this pandemic, people can have what we call Connect-the-Dots parties with the people they had been calling.)"
This is just one idea; perhaps one of you would like to take it and run with it (I'd be happy to help). But it's also an example of the creative thinking that we are going to need in order to be the church in this season. So what ideas do you have? Let's prayerfully and intentionally seek to stay together—even when we have to be alone.
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