Corona Virus Resources For Churches
The Renovate Team is committed to helping you and your church to continue fulfilling your God-given mission during this challenging time. Be sure and visit this page often and subscribe to our updates for the most recent information and resources available to help your church and your community.
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Take Your Church Online
- Record your sermons
- Publish your sermons to your website and social media
- Build a free streaming TV channel for your recorded sermons and other video
- Enable mobile and online giving for your church in minutes
- Provide a safe online community for your church to share prayer requests, facilitate small group discussion, and more
- Attend a live Q&A webinar with church tech experts
Help People Deal With Coronavirus Anxiety
This article will give you real, reliable ways to gain peace in the face of the Coronavirus outbreak or other anxious-causing circumstances. Please share and post this link on social media:
How to Be a Light in Your Neighborhood
For the Lord has commanded us,
"I have placed you as a Light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth." - Acts 13:47
It starts with praying for your neighbors by name, sending them and inspirational card with encouraging words from you, letting them know that you prayed for them. Then looking for opportunities to engage in spiritual conversations over the phone, social media, or in person (in a safe manner). Click the button below for more information.
Be A LightCOVID Pandemic Phase III Stimulus Package Relief for Churches
According to GuideStone, churches may qualify for Covid Pandemic Phase III Stimulus Package Relief"
“Churches and pastors have options available to them depending on their own situations and convictions,” GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said. “While we would never tell a pastor what he must do, it is good that the options are available for pastors and churches who may wish to avail themselves of the options available through this legislation.”
For more information, visit this GuideStone web page:
Lifestream Your Services Using Free OBS Studio
Gerald Brown, pastor of LifeWay Church shows you how to live stream your church worship service using OBS Studio at a very low cost. Watch this short video and then click the button below to see the resources that Gerald talks about.
See ResourcesOnline Evangelism Made Easy
Many people are hesitant to talk candidly about their personal beliefs or questions about God. But give them a well-written, respectful site that they can go to on their own, and defenses come down.
Online is comfortable, familiar for them. It feels safe. They are in control. No one is challenging them. It’s just them and their computer/phone. They are quiet. And they can really focus. It is the perfect environment for God to speak to them.
Many see who God is and are drawn by God into a relationship with him. You can encourage someone to visit the site, then ask them about it later.
Learn More
Ministry from a Distance
Pivots during COVID-19
The global spread of COVID-19 has required ministries and churches to change the way we operate. Many conferences, trainings, meetings, worship services, Bible studies, and other in-person gatherings are being canceled. Some churches have stopped meeting face to face altogether. Many ministries are no longer sending missionaries onto campuses and some entire nations have gone into lockdown.
But the mission God has called us to hasn’t changed. Jesus Christ offers life and peace in a world consumed with fear and death. Andy Crouch gives vision and instruction for us as Christians in his article “Love in the Time of Coronavirus.” How can we as the Church go from a reactive response to a proactive ministering? In this rapidly changing environment, we need to be able to pivot our ministry strategies.
Here are some ways that digital strategies can be used to accomplish the mission in new ways. Read More...
Live Stream Guest Follow-up Plan
With this influx of online and live streamed services, there is still a way your church can connect with viewers in a simple, meaningful way.
This free PDF download has done-for-you messages so you can connect with all of the individuals who “attend” your church for the first time while you’re hosting online services and includes...
- A welcome script to capture your viewers' contact information
- 4 tools to effectively launch this plan
- A 6 week calendar to deploy
- PLUS... 14 copy and paste messages to send to your viewers
A Guide To Being The Church In The Digital Age
Fishing On The Other Side is about following Jesus and obeying His command to make disciples. Jesus told His first disciples that if they were to follow Him, He would teach them how to fish for people. They already knew how to catch fish, but now they would be catching people with the gospel.
This book has a particular focus on utilizing the technological tools available to churches today to reach people whose lives are shaped by those same tools. In a time when the majority of churches are in a state of decline all over North America and the old tools and techniques of evangelism do not seem to be working as well, it is time that we adjust our techniques and start fishing on the other side. Available at Amazon.com.
Ideas for Social Media Posts
Conversation prompts. This type of post would produce engagement, allow people in our community to share what's on their mind, and allow us to control the conversation/topic.
Examples:
- What are you most afraid of right now?
- What are you praying about today?
- What do you see as the greatest need in our community?
- Name a worship song that helps get you through the day.
Prayer prompts
This type of post would produce engagement, give people who don't know how to pray some extra help, and encourage more people to pray more proactively during this coronavirus season. Examples:
Father, I rejoice in You today because ______.
I praise You that Your peace helps me ________.
Give us grace to live as members of Your family, especial when ______.
When we face the trials of life, Father, speak to us through your Word and remind us that _______.
Worship Song prayer prompts. This type of post would focus on posting one of our worship songs and then providing some prayer prompts. Prayer prompts:
I praise You Lord, that because You gave me life I…
I praise You Lord that You gave me Your love even though…
I praise You Lord that You brought light to my darkness when…
I praise You Lord that You gave me hope when…
I praise You Lord that You have restored my heart when it was broken over…
Lord, You are great because…
Live VideoHave your Pastor go live – all that’s necessary is a phone and admin access on the Facebook page – and provide a devotional/prayer. Offer to pray for anyone who would like prayer by leaving a comment in the video. The live video could occur from the pastor's home which might help people to relate better (?).
Kids Pastor video
Kids, especially right now, are feeling bored and probably isolated. Many are used to going to school with a large classroom filled with kids their age. Read a bible story, do an object lesson, play some kids worship songs, and then offer a follow-up, like a YouTube playlist of the worship songs your kids sing in church each week, so the kids can worship at home, and have a familiar experience to what they’re used to on Sunday.
Have your band/worship leader to a mid-week worship.
You don’t have to go overboard on multiple camera angles, lighting production, audio remixing and lyric overlays. Take the pressure off, and just go live with a guitar or keyboard and a singer. Sing familiar songs that you’ve sung recently.
Bottom line: Every time you’re ready to communicate something, be sure you’re asking yourself if your motivation is to help people or to help your church. In a time of emergency, or crisis, or isolation, people’s sensitivity is at an all-time high. Instead of saying “Share this so we can get more views” consider “Do you know a friend this could help?”