Imagine this. Your radio station goes away. Protests flood social media. People start petitions to get your station back. And get this; the people who start this movement are people who DON’T even listen to your station.

In the book “Deep and Wide,” Andy Stanley shares his hope that the church’s presence be good for the community, even viewed that way by those who don’t attend. He shares his desire that the church is seen as such a good neighbor that people would miss it if wasn’t there.

There is no better time than this current coronavirus pandemic for Christian radio to be a good neighbor.

In his book “Know What You’re For,” Jeff Henderson shares that most businesses see their customers as fans in the stands rooting for the business. His suggestion is transformative. Imagine your customers are on the field and you’re rooting for them.

We’re really good at talking about ourselves, how “real” we are, and what we want from our listeners (“help keep us on the air”), but frankly, we often fall short in demonstrating what our listeners and our local community mean to us.

This past week I’ve seen some remarkable radio stations saluting businesses that are helping out during this crisis; restaurants that are giving free meals to health care workers, churches that offer free child care to those on the front lines, and shout outs to the restaurants offering take out. On The Fish in Atlanta you can hear GM Val Carolin saluting local businesses that are doing good for the community during this trying time.

Jeff Henderson’s Gwinnett County church has adjusted their social media strategy to focus more on the community they serve.

“We want to be known for being FOR Gwinnett County, but if all we’re doing is talking about Gwinnett Church, it rings hollow. An example of how we do this is by featuring local businesses in the community. It’s impossible to have a thriving community without thriving businesses. Supporting and cheering them on are ways to show we’re FOR Gwinnett.”

As the old song says, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.”