How is our church going to thrive in the post-COVID world? With churches starting to re-open in July 2020, Chris & Lee spoke with Dale Sellers of the 95 Network about what to do, and what not to do, when re-opening your church buildings. With the U.S.A. a few weeks ahead of the U.K. Dale has priceless wisdom to share with you from his work helping churches all across the U.S.A. 

About our Guest
Dale Sellers is the Executive Director of the 95 Network, an organisation that exists to help the 95% of churches in the U.S.A. - small to mid-size churches. Dale has been in ministry for almost 40 years and is dedicated to helping small and mid-size churches get healthy. He launched Dale Sellers Leadership, Inc. in March 2014 to assist organisations in the areas of leadership, inspiration and evangelism. Since then, he's had a wide variety of coaching and consulting experience. He and his wife Gina have been married for 37 years. They have three daughters and two sons-in-law, and one grandchild!

Key Points

1. Dale, thanks so much for coming on our podcast. How have you found church during COVID-19?
2. I heard you recently say that re-opening services are more of a Sunrise than flipping a light switch. What did you mean by that?
3. In the U.K. churches are able to start services of up to 30 people from the 4th July with no singing, and I know that in the USA, in-person gatherings have already re-started. What should someone be thinking about when approaching re-opening?
4. I’ve heard a lot of people advocate for opening in-person gatherings as soon as possible on theological grounds. What are your thoughts on this?
5. And on a similar vein, I’m sure that you’ve found some really great hints and tips for people to do. What are some ways that churches can make the most of Socially Distanced Services?
6. House Watch Parties starting to be talked about, especially with Churchome in Seattle starting down this route. Is an online service with watch parties the new future of church?
7. Many churches have started to see a decline in online service attendance in recent weeks, as the novelty factor wears off. How should we think about positioning our online services post-COVID?
8. What should churches NOT do when conducting Socially Distanced services?
9. And finally, you’ve recently finished writing your new book, called Stalled. Could you tell us about that book and why you wrote it?

Key Resources
Stalled: Hope & Help For Pastors Who Thought They'd Be There By Now by Dale Sellers
Why Our Churches Can't Go Back To Normal by Chris Bright for Premier Christianity Blog