Managing a crowd is no easy task, especially when it comes to something as essential as feeding a large group of people or sharing relief materials such food stuff, clothings and other essentials.
In the Bible, there is a famous example of managing a crowd effectively, and that is the story of Jesus feeding five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish.
In the book of Matthew 14:13-21, Jesus and his disciples were in a remote place when a large crowd gathered around them. It was getting late, and the people were hungry. The disciples suggested sending the crowd away to get food for themselves, but Jesus had a different plan. He asked the disciples to bring him the food they had, the five loaves and two fish. With that meager amount of food, Jesus miraculously fed the entire crowd of five thousand people until they were all satisfied. This is nothing short of a miracle and supernatural intervention. The focus here is not on the miracle of surplus and multiplication but on the process and procedure employed by Jesus Christ, given to His disciples as instructions.
So, what can we learn from this experience?
1. Good Intentions: You should ensure that it is not a “showmanship.” You should ensure that it is not a propaganda or a PR stunt targeted at boosting your image and ego. Jesus genuinely wanted to deal with the hunger around Him without ulterior motive.
2. Trained Personnel: You should ensure that the Officials are well trained and guided on modus operandi before the D-Day. Jesus instructed His disciples on how to carry out the operation at hand.
3. Effective Groupings: You should ensure that participants and beneficiaries are sorted and distributed into proper and appropriate groups for effective management. For example, create sections for women, children and men separately. Also attend to women and children first, then followed by men.
4. Have the Environment in Mind: Ensure that the environment is thoroughly cleaned of waste and left overs, as Jesus’ disciples did. According to the Bible, they got 12 baskets from the cleaning exercise.
Overall, the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand people serves as a powerful example of effective crowd management. By being resourceful, prioritising needs, showing compassion, and trusting in the supernatural power of God, we can successfully manage and provide for the needs of large groups of people.
Dr. Segun Alabi is a public relations expert and a minister of the gospel.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
