With more than 35 years of experience in management, Russell Helwig knows more than a little bit about encouragement and how important it is for leaders—especially church leaders—to provide that in times of crises.
He knows just how crucial it is for leaders to provide hope for their employees—but more importantly, Christlike hope. And with the COVID-19 pandemic that has struck worldwide, he also knows there isn’t a better time to do it.
“As leaders, we need to stand up and offer people the security, the hope and the understanding that we will get through this,” Helwig told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of Greenelines on the Charisma Podcast Network. “Somewhere down the road, we’re going to reach back and realize that this is going to develop us, make us more mature and help us understand how to appreciate what we have in the moment.
“When we look back in history, when we look back even in the Bible, there were periods when people cried out to God and they asked God for help. They wanted to see the miracles, they wanted to understand where God was in this moment. I believe we’re in a moment like that right now. And I believe it’s deepening the faith of so many people. I hope that people can really connect with Jesus in a unique, fresh way. We all need that.
“I think there is going to be a lot of new, deeper, fresh sermons that come out of this. I really believe that this is a time of spiritual awakening in such a powerful way. I have prayed that the Holy Spirit will come in a fresh, new way into the church, into worship and into our lives so that we have a deeper, more trusting relationship with God, knowing that the Holy Spirit is here every day and is our comforter. … Holy Spirit is coming. It is the presence of the Lord. It’s powerful. You can’t describe it with words.”
For more about how you can provide hope and encouragement to lead through this COVID-19 crisis, listen to the entire podcast with Russell Helwig.
Stephen Strang 
Charisma Media Staff 
CBN News