18 minute read
COVID-19 Resources
COVID-19 changes methods but not need for ministry
On Feb. 25, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged businesses, hospitals and communities to plan for the possibility of community spread and significant disruption by the spread of COVID-19. Over the following weeks, local, state and federal mandates have changed the way churches and people are allowed to gather together. The virus poses an obvious health risk and has the
potential to significantly impact the day-to-day operations of Texas Baptist churches, ministry partners, and staff. As a convention of churches, we continue to be committed to sharing Christ and showing love, even in the midst of this challenging situation. The following articles are resources for churches as you minister during these unprecedented days. Read more at txb.org/covid19.
BSM staff and students at the University of Texas
Arlington (UTA) are providing free, hot, grab-and-go lunches for the international students still living on the campus. Most American students returned home after the announcement that classes would
“Knock, Drop and Go” is a new ministry that Higher Expectations Church in
Humble launched in March to deliver meals on the doorsteps of families in need. Pastor Bryant Lee shared that the church has coordinated with local restaurants in the area to donate a freshly cooked meal for families of 4-6 people on Friday nights. Church members will pick up the meal from the restaurant and deliver it to a family, along with a box of groceries. They knock on the door, drop the food off and go, to minimize contact. In each box also is enclosed a note of encouragement from the church. Many of those whom the church is serving have recently lost jobs in the restaurant, hotel and retail industries and have become food insecure.
As of April 7, staff and volunteers from Under Over Fellowship in Conroe
delivered over 6,000 pounds of food in low-income housing. Jerry Vineyard, lead pastor at Under Over Fellowship, explained that many of the people they minister to are either living on disability checks or participate in government work-programs, most of which have been halted as a result of the virus. The church has also expanded their ministry into more rural areas outside the city of Conroe,
be online for the remainder of the semester, but many international students were unable to return home, either because of travel restrictions or financial reasons. Because the UTA BSM has engaged with international students all year, they have a large network connected to their ministry. The BSM asks the students to preregister for lunch the night before so they have adequate supplies the next day when the students pick up their lunches. Meals are available Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and local churches have volunteered their help as the needs continue.
At Shearer Hills Baptist
Church in San Antonio, the children’s ministry team is focused on making sure the kids are engaged and the parents are not overwhelmed. Stephanie Litzler, the kids’ minister, has sent out lesson videos, increased Facebook groups and utilized Facebook Live to ensure that families have easy access to Bible study content online. Looking ahead, Litzler hopes to put together activity bags and drop them off at their kids’ houses, waving at the kids through doors and windows to avoid any close contact while still making the children in her ministry feel loved. In order to help parents engage their kids in spiritual activities, Litzler has partnered with the church’s youth minister to create a family Bible study video series.
as people in poor, rural communities often have difficulties accessing fresh foods. Whether it be through food delivery or providing a safe place for the homeless, Under Over Fellowship’s main objective is to share the Gospel with as many people as they can. Vineyard explained that providing these essential services gives the church an opening to speak to many people who normally would not be open to Gospel conversations.
Serving up sermons on social all week
By Seth Muse, Contributing Writer
In Acts 2, we see a church whose services lasted all week long.
“They met every day in the Temple courts,” Acts 2:42 says, and I wonder what our churches would call us if we suggested going to church every single day?
Fanatics? Nuts? Weirdos?
But what if you could make the sermon last all week long? Wouldn’t it be great if we could cut it up into small, digestible parts, and send it out all week long to your people? It would be like going to church every day without all the logistical gymnastics it takes to physically show up at the building (even if you could right now).
With the communication tools available to us today through social media, email and other digital avenues, we can. And it’s not expensive or terribly difficult, but it does take some intentionality.
I’m going to give you some ideas on how to do this and ask you to schedule some time with your communications volunteer or staff member and work out how you can make it happen together. Here we go!
Scripture
are for your the sermon, see if you can grab these graphics, or make your own, and post them throughout the week.
Ask questions when you post, like “What does this verse mean to you?” and “What do you not like about this passage?” Basically, if you ask an “I Am Second” question, you’ll get a pretty great discussion going. (What do we learn about God or man in this passage? What do you like or not like about this passage? What needs to change in your life because of this passage?)
Sermon Quotes
If you will prepare your notes ahead of time, it really helps make these graphics in time. When you send those notes ahead of time to your communications person, they are able to post graphics in a more timely manner, when the content of those graphics are fresh on the minds of your people and feel more relevant. It’s low-hanging fruit to pull out the quotable messages pastors say on Sunday and turn them into graphics. Reminding people of what was said Sunday helps them put it into practice on Monday. That’s why we have the phrase “Monday see, Monday do.” (That’s the phrase, right?)
Video Clips
Remember to ask a question when you post video clips so that you’re fostering discussion, not just consumerism. What do you want them to do with the clip? You may also want to invest in captions for your video so your followers can watch it with the sound off. Facebook and YouTube both have tools for creating captions on videos you upload natively. Kapwing is also a good free tool to create captions.
Pastor + FB Live + Sermon Recap = Magic*
*Sorry, I mean “illusion.”
Going live on Facebook (or Periscope or Instagram, or whatever) and recapping your message from the weekend is a really great way to connect with people at home. Try to stay under 3 minutes if you can, and try to think about what’s going on in their schedule at the time.
Are they sitting down to dinner? Putting little kids to bed? Are they at work? At lunch? When will they most likely be able to watch and interact with you?
This is a great opportunity to throw in the things you didn’t have time for, go a little deeper, or offer stories and illustrations that you didn’t use in your sermon to reinforce your points. It’s also a great opportunity for reminders for application during the week.
Distance Discipleship: Facilitating virtual group connections
By David Adams, Discipleship Team Lead
“Social distancing” has to be the phrase of the month! Yet we all really need social and spiritual connection throughout the current COVID-19 event. Many churches are using online tools to maintain vibrant discipleship ministries that provide meaningful connections.
One idea that’s taking off is moving Sunday School and other discipleship groups to virtual meeting spaces. This can be done at no cost and just takes a little practice with whatever app you use (Zoom, Skype, Google, or others).
The “first-time parents” group my wife and I lead met on Sunday, March 15 using Zoom. With 16 adults, 8 babies, 2 three-year-olds and several dogs, we:
• had the normal Sunday morning chit-chat over coffee
• took a quiz on the apostle John with PowerPoint
• shared an outline for prayer during the COVID-19 event
• laughed at verbal “input” from babies. (Parents used their mute button during prayer time. Most of them. A few. But it was all good.)
Here are some tips for a good group video conference:
1. Practice. Get comfortable well ahead of time with the app in a practice meeting.
• Prepare to help participants find settings for video, sound, chatbox, etc.
• If the app you are using allows screen sharing, only incorporate PowerPoint and other graphics after you are comfortable with the format and controls.
2. If you are not tech-savvy, let someone else in your group serve by setting up and running the meeting for you. You can still teach/lead.
3. Be OK with a different “feel” as you lead. 4. Share the time.
• Ahead of time, assign others to lead parts of the lesson. This works well in an online format. Lengthy lecture by one person typically does not work as well.
• Give time to your prayer, fellowship and mission leaders to guide the group in those areas.
5. Personally invite people who have not “been to class” in a while (or ever) to join you online. The new environment may help them reconnect.
Remember that God is still at work in your group. The format may be unfamiliar to some, but the connections you make are just as real—and possibly even more important during these weeks of social distancing.
• Take time at the beginning to put people at ease with the format.
• Physical/visual cues between people are not as obvious as face-to-face. Acknowledge it will be different, but do not let this dampen discussion.
• Larger classes should consider keeping everyone on mute except for the person leading. The chat feature can be used for asking questions or making comments. Finally, scripture provides this example: Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. (Acts 5:42, NIV)
During some particularly stressful days, the apostles “never stopped” their mission of making disciples. We don’t need to either. Even when government recommendations and good judgment makes meeting in “the temple courts” inadvisable, discipleship can still be vibrant “from house to house.”
5 simple activities the church can engage in while the doors are closed
By Ronald Session, Pastor of Shiloh Church in Garland
As the news about the global pandemic continues to change, we are seeing an increase in restrictions related to crowd sizes. Every church has been affected. How can the Church be effective when they are prohibited from gathering? The faith community has a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ in one of the most trying times in recent history. Let us consider how we might be impactful in this season of fear and hopelessness.
1. MAINTAIN A FAITHFUL WITNESS
One of the first things we can do is to maintain a faithful witness within our communities. Church members can follow the mandates and recommendations of our governmental officials without grumbling or being critical. They have set restrictions in place for the welfare of our families and our neighbors. Christians should set the standard for cooperation with our civil authorities. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 13:1-2, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” Being cooperative in this season will help us authenticate our claim as Christians.
2. MEET BASIC NEEDS
Secondly, churches can lead by serving. Several people in nearly every community still have unmet basic needs. During this time of uncertainty and panic shopping, there are those among us who cannot get the basic necessities to survive the outbreak. In many cases, people are having to do without because of scarcity or their employment has suddenly ended without warning. This is a golden opportunity for the church to meet basic needs to burdened neighbors. By feeding them and providing groceries, toiletries and other scarcities, the church extends the love of Christ in very meaningful ways at a time when people need to be reassured that God has not forsaken them.
3. SHARE CHRIST
Another thing that our churches can do is lead others to a saving faith in a loving Christ. Because of the social distancing measures, people will have more time to contemplate their lives and will undoubtedly have many questions. Churches who have been trained and prepared for an opportunity to share their faith, now have a captive audience. Having a plan and being intentional may yield fruit for the kingdom. Even this is a part of God’s providence at work, giving the Church a chance to share Christ with people who are not certain about their destiny.
4. ENCOURAGE BY EMPOWERING
Churches can also be the voice of encouragement by providing pertinent information in creative ways. Taking time to add helpful tips, current available resources and creative ideas to help parents manage the task of educating their kids may be the very thing that someone will need to feel empowered during this time. You are already on the internet, carve out a little time to share helpful information that might alleviate undue stress. It also gives the community a reason to check out your platforms where they may find other things of interest and give you an inroad to share with them in the future.
5. DISCIPLE FAMILIES
Perhaps the most exciting prospect of ministry during this time does not take place in the community but rather in the home. Churches can be strategic when planning while the gathered community becomes the scattered community. Having materials for the entire family to study and engage in will help them place an emphasis on family discipleship. Each head of household can lead their family into focused prayer and Bible study, complete with fun games and activities that encourage total participation. Families can also share this information with others who are new to the area, looking for a faith family to unite with or have no relationship with Christ at all.
These are just a few things that we have suggested to get your creative energies flowing. You can find many ways to continue the work of Christ even when you cannot meet. God has given us incredible resources and access in our generation to meet a desperate world with a word of hope.
Help, hope and healing in the midst of a pandemic
By John Hall, TBM Director of Communications
A disaster unlike any other in our lifetimes requires a response unlike any other.
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Texas Baptist Men (TBM) has repurposed its equipment and supplies to support and protect medical professionals and first responders on the frontlines of the fight against the disease as well as help churches meet physical needs in the wake of record unemployment. in the United States and many overseas. It has delivered help, hope and healing in the name of Christ to millions through mass feeding, chainsaw crews, cleaning out homes and sharing the gospel after tornados, hurricanes, windstorms, floods and more. The ministry is well known for its trailers of equipment and work ethic.
At first glance, some of those tools may not seem helpful in the battle against COVID-19, but God had other plans, according to Dwain Carter, director of TBM Disaster Relief. Some of the personal protective equipment that is difficult to find, including masks, are the same ones TBM volunteers use when they clean out mold-filled homes after floods and hurricanes.
TBM pulled the masks off of units across the state and cleaned out its warehouse of the N-95 masks. In all, TBM donated 15,000 masks to doctors, nurses, hospitals, police officers and firefighters across the state as well as 2,000 biohazard suits and four decontamination tents.
TBM also had 1,200 pairs of protective glasses and four pallets of plastic protective sheeting, which it donated to Baylor Scott & White Health Faith in Action Initiatives, which distributed them throughout the health system.
“This is an all-hands-on-deck situa- tion,” Carter said. “We need to give everything we have. We happened to have masks, plastic sheeting and glasses. We pray these donations protect medical professionals and save lives.” grants to five churches that have seen drastic increases in the number of people who are coming to their food pantries after losing their jobs as a result of the social distancing and shelter at home policies to stop the spread of the virus.
TBM also is using its equipment to transport supplies to help meet the demand. Just this week, we helped Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mans- field triple its hunger outreach to meet the growing need in its community.
In Central Texas, leaders needed help distributing donated supplies. TBM stepped up to provide nearly 300 boxes that would make the distribu- tion easier.
“We are in extraordinary times,” TBM Unit Leader Charles Baker said. “This disaster is so different than anything we’ve responded to. We have resourc- es. Now we have to be creative to respond in ways we’ve never thought about before. We’re actively looking for ways to do that.”
In the wake of furloughs and layoffs, thousands of people are lining up at food banks and churches ministries across the state, significantly increas- ing the demand for food in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.
This has created immense challenges for ministries and food banks alike. Food banks are struggling to find volunteers to serve. Ministries are having trouble transporting enough food to their distribution points.
TBM is stepping up to fill the need. Every person deserves to have a warm meal in their stomach and hope in their hearts, said Rand Jenkins, director of TBM Ministry Advance- ment. It’s even more crucial during such a time as this.
To help make that happen, TBM volunteers are sorting and distrib- uting meals at food banks. They are preparing food boxes for those who most need it. TBM has awarded “By working with an amazing congre- gation like Bethlehem Baptist Church, we are helping God’s people meet the needs of their community,” Jenkins said. “People are hurting right now, and we’re helping churches deliver help, hope and healing in the midst of these uncertain times.”
To learn more about TBM, visit tbmtx.org.
Behold, God is doing a new thing
President Michael Evans reflects on how churches can take the opportunity to use this present crisis to our evangelistic advantage.
Read More
Loving your teens well during a time of physical distancing
Youth Discipleship Specialist Jane Wilson helps leaders think more deeply about our teenagers’ realities during this time of disruption.
Read More
Coping with COVID-19 Stress
Director of Counseling Services Katie Swafford provides resources for coping with stress and points to scripture to relieve anxieties and fears.
Read More
What will Vacation Bible School look like in 2020?
Childhood Discipleship Specialist Diane Lane helps reimagine what Vacation Bible School could look like this summer at your church.
Read More
AU G U S T , 1 6 , 2 0 2 0 TBM DAY
Even in the hardest times, God is still working through TBM. Celebrate all He has done through your church and the ministry.
ARE YOUR SAILS UP?
God commands us to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. In fact, it has been said that the filling of the Holy Spirit is like the wind filling the sail on a boat. God wants to fill you - do you have your sails up?
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