The Impact of Relationships

What are you reading and hearing about the importance of relationships in our churches and synagogues? Seems like that is a no-brainer question due to our COVID situation. But does “no-brainer” mean we should accept the obvious as well? Right now kids and youth ministries are moving a way from building programs and keeping attendance to focusing on building connections that result in relationships. If COVID is changing our longtime ministry models,you and I who serve in our churches’ libraries need to give some serious thought to how our library ministries need to adjust and align to the new models. Have you had a serious conversation with age group ministers/leaders in your church/synagogue? Does not matter what other churches are doing. Each of us need to find out what is happening in our own churches/synagogues.

In the comments, let's grapple with the impact of shifts in our churches and synagogues on our library ministries.

Libraries can be so crucial in relationship building and keeping people connected. Our church is doing a Winter Reading Challenge. Last year, because of COVID, we allowed for books from wherever our readers could get them as long as they fit the criteria. We did quarterly bookmarks and offered spiritual challenges to keep people focused on growth. This year we are doing a winter challenge for some of our patrons and are offering to bring the books to their homes. We are also writing to new members (PTL, we are still getting new members) and inviting them to view our online presence and request books. We just put a display up that will feature books our librarians have appreciated and will be including this list in our monthly online newsletter. We are also sending a hardcopy out through the church office to shut-ins that would use the library if they could get out. I just met with our CE (Christian Education) pastor on ways to help teachers work through our library's technology for topics and materials they want to use for their classes. Even if they are done on zoom, offering the materials and doing delivery will bring a connection that might not otherwise happen. Finally, we are going through our library selection and tagging all the topics gleaned from our books to make it easier for people looking for help to find what they need. Sometimes it isn't a whole book, but rather a chapter or two that will give the answers they need. I think we will be continuing to adjust and create ways to connect, but these are a few ways we are working to unite our goals in serving our members.

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Comments

Denise A Roberts January 18, 2021 13:18

Libraries can be so crucial in relationship building and keeping people connected. Our church is doing a Winter Reading Challenge. Last year, because of COVID, we allowed for books from wherever our readers could get them as long as they fit the criteria. We did quarterly bookmarks and offered spiritual challenges to keep people focused on growth. This year we are doing a winter challenge for some of our patrons and are offering to bring the books to their homes. We are also writing to new members (PTL, we are still getting new members) and inviting them to view our online presence and request books. We just put a display up that will feature books our librarians have appreciated and will be including this list in our monthly online newsletter. We are also sending a hardcopy out through the church office to shut-ins that would use the library if they could get out. I just met with our CE (Christian Education) pastor on ways to help teachers work through our library's technology for topics and materials they want to use for their classes. Even if they are done on zoom, offering the materials and doing delivery will bring a connection that might not otherwise happen. Finally, we are going through our library selection and tagging all the topics gleaned from our books to make it easier for people looking for help to find what they need. Sometimes it isn't a whole book, but rather a chapter or two that will give the answers they need. I think we will be continuing to adjust and create ways to connect, but these are a few ways we are working to unite our goals in serving our members.

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