Oldal 21 [21]
OCR
LEADERSHIP DURING A LOCKDOWN (Abu Sefein and Martyr Wanas Church, Madinat Al Salam, Cairo; interview, July, 2020). Case studies abound with similar guotes of church leaders who leveraged technology to continue the service. Ihis, however, was not an option in villages where internet access is not commonly available, particularly to poor congregants. The second highlighted issue was labeled as discovering new talent, which referred to efforts to increase the pool of servants to include unconventional groups. The two key groups were primarily drawn from the youth. The first was composed of those who could help with ICT training and support and the second included youth who could help in the delivery of food and basic necessities for those locked down due to illness or need. The third highlighted opportunity was the updating of the congregation database. Updating the roster of families is a common concern of church leaders given the fact that some families can move in or out of the community. Generally, family registration is made using a paper-based method. A few churches, mainly those in upper-middle-class-areas, could have systems for online registration as shown by the data. a Use of technology in service = Discovering new talents aUpdating the Congregation Database a New services and activities all week long Figure 1. Opportunities Created During Lockdown Figure 1 indicates that church leaders were keen to highlight the introduction of new services into the congregation. A follow-up question highlights the key newly introduced services. These are shown in Table 1. As multiple answers were allowed, Table 1 shows that 64% highlighted the introduction of remote medical services through volunteer doctors. These doctors provided multiple services that are further highlighted in Table 2. Other newly introduced services included reliance on ICT-savvy youth who could help in setting up new systems (selected by 34% of respondents) or training others (highlighted by 15% of respondents); reliance on youth to take part in the delivery of meals to the sick (selected by 32% of respondents) or to drive sick people to clinics (highlighted by 18% of respondents). Additionally, a quarter of the respondents (26%) viewed meal preparation as a key service for the sick. s 19 c
