COVID-19 Resources for Churches

Do you have resources to add here? Let us know.

 

Discussion forums and upcoming events

• A group of churches in Vancouver have set aside Wednesdays each week as days of prayer and fasting, according to a report from ChurchforVancouver.ca.
• COVID-19 Prayer Hub from 24-7 Prayer Canada
• From March 28 to April 4: COVID Hackathon hosted by FaithTech. “We will build technological solutions to the problems local churches across the world are now facing. And you can be a part of it. Sign up to join a virtual team. Or link up with some friends and form a team.”
• Friday webinars series: Preparing your church for coronavirus. Join Jamie Aten and Kent Annan from the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College, in partnership with the National Association of Evangelicals (USA), each Friday at noon Central time (= 1:00 p.m. Eastern) starting March 27.
• Auxano is a ministry with headquarters in Texas that supports church growth, leadership development, discipleship, etc. It offers a free webinar every weekday at 11:00 a.m. Eastern to address a variety of questions local churches face. Preregistration is not required. See the two links at auxano.com/betterfuture, the first for joining their daily call and the second for archived recordings.
• The UnStuck Group is another American church consulting ministry. It offers webinars (next on April 2: Finances and Giving) and viewable recordings of past coronavirus-related webinars (such as Re-imagining Easter Gatherings) at theunstuckgroup.com/coronavirus.
• Canadian Council of Christian Charities members also have access to a special COVID-19 Response Room in the organization’s online community, The Green.
• Many Canadian churches which have bells they are able to ring are planning to do so on Easter Day at 11 a.m., and leading up to then every Sunday at noon, for ten minutes, according to several ecumenical groups.

Recorded video and audio

• EFC Podcasts and Webinars
  • Being Church and Neighbour During COVID-19: Crowdsourcing Great Ideas, webinar recorded March 30. Audience ideas and tips on how you have been church and neighbour during this challenging time. Co-hosted by Faith Today editors Karen Stiller and Bill Fledderus.
  • Peace in the Pandemic (March 24 podcast) Registered therapist Sharon Ramsay offers tips on mental and spiritual health in a challenging time.
  • COVID-19 Is Impacting Church Life (March 11 podcast) Features Dr. Ted Fenske (physician and professor in Edmonton), Robert Du Broy (director of communications of the R.C. Archdiocese of Ottawa) and Merle Doherty (Rapid Response Team manager for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association of Canada). All three speak about how to protect ourselves, our churches and still love our neighbours as ourselves during a time of alarm.
• Ministry from a Distance webinar, recorded March 26, "designed to give you practical steps for doing ministry at a time when you can’t meet face to face." Hosted by Indigitous.
• Online interactive conversation recorded March 18 on Mobilizing Our Churches Amidst COVID-19, hosted by Jesus Collective. Notes from event and links to audiorecording are posted at FaithToday.ca.
• Navigating Turbulent Times: COVID-19 Help for Christian Businesses. Workshop series from DeliberateU (Guelph, Ont.)
• COVID-19 Church Survey Summary Report: How Church Leaders are Responding to the Challenges of COVID-19, recorded March 27 by Ed Stetzer of Wheaton College and Daniel Yang of the Billy Graham Center’s Send Institute in partnership with Exponential and other organizations.
• From March 26 & 27, 2020: Two-day digital summit to learn from leaders around the world about how your church can respond well to the coronavirus outbreak. Hosted by the National Association of Evangelicals (USA) and the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College: www.covid19churchsummit.com
• From March 28: Virtual Solemn Assembly organized by TheCRY Movement in Canada, events from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
• From March 29: Global Day of Prayer and Fasting (COVID-19). The EFC and the World Evangelical Alliance are inviting Canadians and churches to this reponse to the COVID-19 pandemic. Resources available in French, English and Spanish.

Other collections of Christian resources

• Coronavirus response and resources from the National Association of Evangelicals (USA), including links to resources from member groups and friends
• Leadership in the Time of COVID resources from Arrow Leadership
• Resource collections from Citizens for Public Justice, including (1) community-based resources in Canada helping most vulnerable groups gain have access to food, healthcare, housing, and other necessities and (2) an inventory of spiritual resources compiled by The Canadian Poverty Institute that can help people struggling to maintain faith and hope.
• Wheaton College resource page to help churches better prepare for responding to the coronavirus. From the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College, a major evangelical school in Illinois. Regularly updated with essential tools, resources and information.
• coronavirusandthechurch.com by Rick Warren and Billy Graham Centre
• COVID-19 resource hub from The Wesleyan Church, including a special section on Church Multiplication and Discipleship
• Mennonite Church Canada outbreak resources
• COVID-19 and Worship: Resources for Churches Adapting to Social Isolation, from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
• Crisis Toolkit for Churches from Church Pulse Weekly, a joint effort of David Kinnaman of the Barna Group and Carey Nieuwhof
• Two relevant older articles from Faith Today: The Pandemic Challenge (2009, with links updated in 2020) and Are Churches Ready for the Next Pandemic? (2006)
• AM I SAFE? Exploring Fear and Anxiety with Children by Tim Huff at compassionseries.com/amisafe (Youth Unlimited’s Compassion Series, in partnership with Castle Quay Books).
• Various resources from the United Church of Canada

Tech advice and training

• COVID-19: Digital tools for discipleship in the local church. By Craig Philbrick
• How to use Zoom with your small group. 4-min video from Saddleback church
• Indigitous blog tackles topics such as How to stream a church service, Doing evangelism at a distance, etc.

General statements, advice and news for Christians

• Hope, Gratitude and Solidarity is a March 30 ecumenical and interfaith message signed by more than 80 religious leaders across Canada, including the EFC and many of our affiliates
• Tips for Small Church Pastors During the Pandemic, Based on EFC Research, by EFC research assistant Lindsay Callaway
• Canadian Council of Churches call for compassion and community in response to the worldwide coronavirus outbreak
• Canadian Council of Christian Charities on informing and preparing your organization
• Christian Century article on 10 guidelines for pastoral care during the coronavirus outbreak
• Anglican Journal parish nurses' advice for congregations
• Global Family and the Coronavirus online article by Sadiri "Joy" Tira for Christianity Today. Author is a Canadian diaspora church expert
• A Christian Response and Witness in the time of COVID-19. Annette Brownlee of Wycliffe College, Toronto, says Christians must refuse to let fear turn us inward, away from our suffering neighbours
• Responding to COVID-19/ Coronavirus and the Church, 7-min video message from The Meeting House
• ChurchForVancouver summary of British Columbia church involvement in the early responses to the coronavirus outbreak
• Lutheran Church-Canada statement on public worship and the Coronavirus
• BridgesOfLove.net is the home of an Alberta charity encouraging church pandemic preparedness resources
  • Page 1 includes a 70-page discussion paper on church pandemic preparedness (2007)
  • Page 2 includes a helpful set of resource links

From health authorities

• Health Canada: Homepage on the pandemic including printable resources
• Health Canada: Community-based measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
• Health Canada: Risk-informed decision making for mass gatherings during the global outbreak
• Centers for Disease Control (USA): Guidelines for faith-based orgs
• World Health Organization: Guidance for schools, workplaces and organizations
• World Health Organization: Advice for the public (videos)

Please email or phone us to suggest additional resources we should share on this page. You can also share them at Facebook.com/TheEFC (look for our March 16 post, pinned at the top of the page).