One Thing Your Church Should Know Before the Election

Updated Oct. 26, 2020

Americans are gearing up for the 2020 presidential election on November 3, which means there’s one more weekend of church services between now and voting day.

Your attenders may be feeling angry, anxious, apathetic, or excited. And depending on whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden wins the election, your attenders may face even more emotions the weekend following the election.

Use the next couple of weeks to remind your attenders that what dominates the headlines doesn’t have to dominate their hearts.

There’s only one name that can bring the world together, and you won’t find it on a ballot. His name is Jesus.

And no matter the outcome of the election, He remains King. This is true in every country of the world, no matter the political season or ruling party.

As you communicate this important truth, use these four steps to refine your stage communication during the U.S. election season:

1. Lead by example. In a time when news pundits, TV ads, and Facebook posts can be so divisive, you can be an example of what a compassionate Christian sounds like. Let your attenders hear grace, understanding, and faith in how you speak, and they’ll have an excellent role model to follow in their personal mission fields.
2. Use your ‘resource of influence’ wisely. As a pastor or leader, you have influence in your church and community, but remember that your influence is a finite resource that you can decide how to ‘spend.’ Choose to talk about things that bring glory to God.
3. Be warm, humble, and authentic. Remember to be warm and positive; as a representative of your church, you want attenders to feel that your church (and the body of Christ) is a place people can belong—even if they disagree about political matters. Talk about what you stand for, rather than what you stand against.
4. Practice. Here at Life.Church, we do something we call ‘stage time drills.’ Focus on the one or two goals you have for a certain communication piece, and practice it in front of your staff. Take their feedback in areas like clarity, passion, and authenticity, and work on it until you feel really comfortable with how you’re communicating. We don’t all start out as great communicators, but we can all become great communicators. Want more communication tips? Check out the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast.

We’re walking through a series called “In God We Trust” that focuses on ending the cycle of the distrust and division we’ve encountered this year. If you’d like to show the series in your church, too, or watch Pastor Craig Groeschel put some of these communication tips into action as he preaches, you can check out the entire “In God We Trust” series for free on the Life.Church Open Network.