Survival Guide to Raising Support During the Coronavirus – Part 5

(This is part 5 in our series as we look at heart postures and strategies for connecting with ministry partners during the coronavirus pandemic.)

As you are scheduling appointments you may have to consider alternate ways to meet face-to-face. As public gathering places are not recommended and social distancing is the buzzword of the day, how can you meet with someone in a relational way?

1. Explore Options. Simply ask when you are setting up the appointment if they would like to meet in person at their home (or yours) or if they would be more comfortable using a tech-based solution. They might be very open to meeting face-to-face in an acceptable setting.
   
2. Use Video. Phone is an option but it is not ideal, you want to gather the nuances of expression and body language. This will take some extra work to determine what video platform would be best (FaceTime, Google Chat, Skype, WhatsApp, etc.) and be sure you have a strong internet connection. You’ll need to factor in some extra time in case there is difficulty connecting and you have to troubleshoot on the fly.
   
3. Be Conversational. This is harder when you aren’t face-to-face so make it a point to invite them to interrupt you and make sure your presentation has questions built in that you ask. Be comfortable with the silence as there might be a bit of lag that causes a pause in conversation to sound longer than it is.
   
4. Set the Setting. Be as intentional in setting up a video chat as you would with an actual appointment, clarifying the time and logistics. Invite them to grab a cup of tea or coffee so the atmosphere is more relaxed and less “video conference”.
   
5. Use Visuals. Most people have some visual aids that they use when they talk about their ministry, so find a way to share those. It should be the simplest version without a lot of distracting text. Your ministry might have a digital form for materials, or you might have to create them. Send these to them ahead of time instead of trying to use screen-share as there is no guarantee their internet connection will be able to handle the strain. As you present, check in with them to be sure you are looking at the same thing, “I want to share the story of Jake and Kristen, it’s the photo of the cute couple outside a college campus, are you on that page?”.

Survival Guide to Raising Support During the Coronavirus – Part 1

Should I Even Be Raising Support Right Now? – Part 2

How Do I Raise Support Right Now? – Part 3

Communication – Part 4

How Do You Meet Face-to-Face? – Part 5