Email can be encouraging

As a pastor, I’m always looking for ways to shape and grow the culture of my church family around the gospel. A small but important part of what I’m doing at the moment is sending out email encouragements to everyone. It's proving to be a very effective tool.

Generally I send out two emails each week.

The first is a summary of the news from the last Sunday’s bulletin and a short reflection from me on the Bible talk and the gathering as a whole. At one level its administrative, but at a deeper level it provides me with an opportunity to train my people in their thinking and choosing and prioritising.

I try to make the emails personal and I share my convictions about things.

For example, one of our recent Sunday night gatherings was marked by technological failure resulting in a lot of careful planning being abandoned and replaced by decision-making on the run about songs and program and so forth. For me it was exhausting and exasperating, but as I reflected on it later I realised how many people had gladly jumped in to serve and help and make things work. That Monday, I composed an email confessing my exasperation, and sharing my thanksgiving to God for our church family. And then I tried to list as much as I could of all the contributions I had observed, and all the people who had served in so many wonderful practical ways. I shared how the servant love of Jesus had been so evident throughout our gathering. What looked messy was in fact beautiful.

The emails are also an opportunity to remind people of upcoming events—but more than simply repeating details I try to briefly point out why the events matter and how they fit into our mission within Albury Presbyterian Churches (of growing followers of Jesus). In short, I view the emails as training moments.

In recent weeks, though, I’ve begun sending a second weekly email, which is very exciting! Near the end of our Sunday gatherings we now give people time to reflect and  write down thoughts, prayer points, and questions that have arisen for them. These are collected and collated, and where it is appropriate are emailed around to the whole church family. It has proven to be a really wonderful avenue for people to strengthen, encourage and comfort one another beyond Sundays. People report how much they love receiving these emails mid-week to spur them on, and to remind them of what we learned and shared together on Sunday night.

None of this of course replaces the need for face-to-face relating. But it is simple and effective, and I believe the Lord is using it to grow people in gospel-shaped thinking. It's certainly helping me!