Mission in the midst of lockdown

Written by Kez Nightingale, Students and Outreach Intern

Lockdown might look like a wilderness for many of us at the moment. Loneliness, fear or lack of motivation are common experiences from the past ten months. Now more than ever, it is so important for us to look after our wellbeing. However, this does not necessarily mean retreating from the world. It can be tempting to postpone our participation in God’s kingdom work until life feels easier. Yet, God is still at work in this wilderness, and he is inviting us to get involved!

Since the first lockdown in March, I have found myself getting outside for walks more regularly. The local woods have become a good place for exploring and pondering. During my walks, I have started to notice the trees a lot more. Some branches are beginning to grow new buds while simultaneously holding onto a few stubborn, decaying leaves. I find it encouraging seeing the earliest traces of spring, even while surrounded by wintery decay!

This reminded me of a passage in Isaiah:

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
 and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19

God can bring new life out of the most barren places.

Lockdown is no exception. God is at work right now – in this seemingly dark and wintery season, there is new life coming through. If you can’t see it yet, don’t worry! We can continually ask God to give us his perspective, to show us where he is at work in the lives of people around us. Let’s keep asking God to pour out his Holy Spirit on neighbours, family and friends, that he would stir in them a desire to seek God. Let’s ask God to show us what he is up to. Where is he already at work? How can I bless what he is doing and get involved?

We need God’s perspective to see the new things that he is doing in the midst of lockdown.

During the autumn term a few of us from different churches in Nottingham embarked on a new adventure called Knock and Pray. It’s pretty simple: we knock on doors and offer to pray for people! This has been a lot of fun, as well as slightly scary, but it has been a joy to see where God is at work. I was overwhelmed by the encouraging responses we received. While a number of people said no, and some seemed quite apprehensive, at least (if not more than) half of the people we chatted with were happy for us to pray a blessing over their household and some shared specific prayer requests. One time, a student even said she had been hoping to get involved in a church while at university, but never had. She asked if she could stay in touch with us and come along to a church service. This was such an encouragement, and a reminder that God is at work even behind closed doors!

Although door knocking may not be possible while we are all under ‘stay at home’ rules, there are still plenty of ways to reach out to our friends, family and neighbours during this season. Our first reaction to lockdown may be to retreat and choose what is comfortable, but if we ask God for his perspective in this, we might discover some brilliant opportunities to be a blessing to those around us. 

Where we may be retreating, God might be asking us to advance.

Where is God bringing streams in the wasteland? Whether it’s in a growing sense of community in the local area or in a conversation with a friend, there may be surprising places where we start to notice evidence of God stirring something new. We might have to knock on a few doors or ask a few questions to spot it, but there are people that God is drawing to himself even in the midst of lockdown. There are so many ways to step out, to look at how God is working and get involved in his kingdom work. Let’s bless the small buds we begin to see, even in the midst of a wintery season.

Why not pick one of the following ideas for prayer & mission in lockdown?  

·       Commit to praying weekly for 3 friends

·       Invite a friend or family member to Alpha Online (starting 20th Jan) Sign up here

·       ‘Testimony Tuesdays’ or ‘Story Sundays’ (Share a testimony/faith story on Instagram)

·       Have a zoom games sesh involving a DMC deck (from Fusion)

·       Ask for prayer requests on your Instagram story

·       Use your social media to spread encouragement and hope

·       Share about church services on your social media

·       Ask God to pour out his Spirit in our neighbourhoods & stir hearts to seek him

·       Message a friend and ask how you can pray for them

·       Offer practical support to neighbours (within the restrictions!)

·       Prayer walk around your area