Incorporating the unexpected

My home church, for a matter of months, had a possum periodically enter the sanctuary and waltz across a support-beam.

From memory, it was first discovered when the marsupial was pointed out mid-sermon by the preacher. 

Needless to say, the critter was unexpected.

Last week at church, so I was later informed (we didn’t attend because we were away), there was a fire evacuation mid-sermon.

Again, this was unexpected.

Given enough time in church, you’ll encounter any number of church interruptions.

Maybe someone collapses.

Perhaps someone turns up drunk.

(I’ve been in both situations above)

But, a quality of a good church will be the way they respond to the interruption.

Do they respond well in the moment?

Do they respond well in the follow up?

Are they capable to, reasonably, fold the incident into something going forward?

While I would hope that most churches have contingency plans in place for the regular or predictable interruptions, it’s the ability for a church to utilise the unexpected which makes for a powerful connection with the gospel.