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• 1 2020-11-09T21:05:17+00:00 Development of Leadership in Faith Based Philanthropy 10 image_header 2020-11-16T20:43:59+00:00 While the COVID-19 pandemic has presented many challenges to congregational budgets and missions, another challenge has risen from this global health crisis. Many churches often rely on their leadership in order to persevere through tough times as well as organize ways for their outreach programs to affect the communities around them. Without in-person service and activities at congregations, it has become increasingly difficult for these religious organizations to ensure that they will have reliable leadership secured for the future and beyond.
  
      As the pandemic has gone on, many churches have turned to small group sessions to abide by local pandemic guidelines while still trying to teach the rising leaders of their faith. According to an article on how church leaders are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, times like this pandemic are optimal for teaching new leadership because they placed an emphasis on ensuring the future of the organizations. 
  
  
  
      With this rise in new church leadership has come a new path that many faith-based groups have taken to ensure their mission lives on through this global health crisis: microchurches. 

  Microchurch: A faith-based organization that decentralizes leadership and focuses on smaller gatherings and their mission rather than budgets and administrative costs. Microchurches look to decentralize community and disciple-making which can more effective .

  These gatherings are much less regulated in the time of the pandemic and allow the faith based organizations to continue their mission without having to go through any red tape set forth by pandemic-related government restrictions. Having these smaller gatherings has also helped many organizations see greater community growth and depth as they foster a more local-connection with the congregation at hand.
  
      The pandemic has opened up the doors to many negative factors that are now influencing religious congregations in devastating ways. These congregations have had to resort to innovative and creative ways to continue to spread their faith and mission while abiding by stringent government guidelines to protect the health and safety of others. In an interview with Church leader Jeff Smith, he details how his church has relied on leadership during these challenging times: