18 things and counting churches can do to love and serve their community during Covid-10.

1. Zoom/Conference Call/youtube/facebook live recorded Bible Studies so that people continue to learn (especially while they may have more time and self-quarantining.) Dig deep into the scriptures. Take the time you don’t normally have to do an in depth Bible study.
2. Call the older people in your church and make sure they understand the HOW TO of connecting with technology. Can they find your live feed? Do they understand how to access the resources you are providing? Connect them with a teenager to be their “technology buddy.”
3. Individually call everyone in your congregation or has dropped a kid off at your church (assuming they need to register their name, phone, address, etc. to be in childcare). See how they are doing and how you can pray for them. Invite them to join your social media, youtube, zoom calls, etc.
4. Contact local nursing homes/hospitals/care facilities to see if you may speak to those who are living there. They likely have limited interaction with others there and their family because many of them are locked down due to many of them being high risk. A call, encouragement and prayer may go a long way. See when you can call them again to pray with them.
5. Offer to pick up groceries or other needs for people who cannot leave their homes. Have those individuals pay you the cost of the groceries/needs. This could be offered to families staying at home, at-risk individuals,
6. Use your social media channels to share ideas of what those you speak with are using to keep busy, sane, useful while in this season. Maybe have a games/puzzle exchange – drop off and pick up at the church, sidewalk chalk to help keep the kids active,
7. Utilize facebook ads to reach people who may be in need in your local community. Invite them to request help from your church, join in on zoom calls/conference calls/video/social media/etc. So that they received words of encouragement and don’t feel alone.
8. Idea sharing of what people are doing to entertain their kids. Simple games, entertainment, shows, arts and crafts, getting outside, etc. Post those ideas on your social media or record videos with those ideas – give credit to those who submitted the ideas. Add the ideas to your website, link from social media to that page. If more advanced, show video or still pictures of those ideas in practice. Additional opportunity, have designs on paper that people can cut out with the words of “thank you” “you rock!” “you are not alone” “in this together” and other encouraging words. You can also include the ability for your church name to be cut-out and chalked.
9. Hear and share how people are seeing God move, answers to prayers. Give people encouragement that in what may feel overwhelming, how is God moving and showing himself as greater than this (He’s greater than all things).
10. Let the community and your congregants share with you via social media or text messaging or email their prayer needs. Maybe even offer up corporate prayer time for others that want to join you on a conference call to pray over the requests for the day(s).
11. Drive by– parking lot prayers– sidewalk visitation (depending on stay at home or social distrancing orders locally)

1. Use your congregation leadership to help reach out to people. Focus on empowering leaderhsip, not on doing the ministry. BE Ephesians 5. There’s no need to do all of this yourself. Use your team. If you want to build your team, now is a great time to ask people to step up to help with some of these things. Engaged congregations are happier congregations and more impactful. They also tend to give and tithe more.
2. Are there homeless, single parents or others around town who may need help? Talk to the local police/politicians/fire/ambulance/hospitals to see what you can do or supplies that can be provided. Food delivery services are becoming very busy (think Meals on Wheels). If supplies are needed and your congregation can help, help them out. You could also provide a meal to the fire/nurses/drs/etc. as a way to thank them for their work.
3. Use facebook ads or door to door flyers to drop on people’s doors asking them if/how they need help or prayer and how to reach you or someone at the church. Maybe park a car with a sign that if someone needs help or prayer to contact you if you don’t want to go door to door.
4. Encourage and support local businesses so they can continue to have business/revenue. Maybe even have a way for people to put in orders and the church can deliver those meals to people in the congregation or in need.
5. If there are people who are truly at risk of losing their homes, apartments, etc. because of the job shut down, raising funds to help those people through or decreasing other costs (gift cards, food, electric/gas bills, etc.).
6. Do you have preferred children’s programming (youtube channels, large church websites, etc.) you like that you can recommend to parents so that they aren’t having their kids watch movies or TV. If someone doesn’t have the internet but has Veggie Tales DVDs/VHS they are willing to let others use, that may be a great way to share.
7. Wheaton College’s Humanitarian Disaster Institute has prepared an excellent strategic guide: “Preparing Your Church for Coronavirus (COVID-19): A Step-by-Step, Research-Informed and Faith-Based Planning Manual.” It’s a good resource beyond what is written here.
8. Post your recorded sermons online (facebook, youtube, etc.) online so that people can binge watch your sermons/teachings. If you don’t have them, offer up other sermons you like to help people stay engaged and encouraged. Or record some of your past sermons and post them online.
9. Send a note/postcard/letter to your congregation. Mail can be very nice to get when you are stuck inside. Encourage them. Thank them for being part of the church. Let them know how they can engage and be more engaged.
10. Post songs/youtube videos of songs that encourage and strengthen you. Let them watch and respond to the song via social media.
11. Encourage people to get out for walks and exercise. Share what they saw/heard while out there.
12. Provide daily, weekly prayer lists for what people can be praying for – i.e. local, state, national leadership, healing for people, to reach the lost, missions efforts, businesses to stay in business, rain and sun for farms, nurses, doctors, police, teachers, kids in schools, etc. If you can name specific people in the community, add those names to the prayer list. Include people in the congregation for prayer time – just that you are praying for them (not specific prayer needs unless they asked for them and want you to share.
13. Have children of your congregation visit other congregates and write chalk messages on their driveways/sidewalks with encouraging words. This can also be done for many other people in the neighborhoods.
14. Design a “Thank you!” that people can put in their windows to thank those driving by, their postal carrier, etc. Add your church logo to the design.
15. Have a “hang out” time, with coffee or tea. Do an open “Zoom” or Google Hangout room, and tell people that the leaders will be there. Have it a “come and go” situation.
16. Daily competitions: do a daily art challenge, clothing design, short story competition? run all sorts of daily competitions.
17. Memories of our elders: ask the older people in your church to share their best testimony. They can call it in to the church, or post it on facebook.
18. Neighborhood “bear hunt” for kids. People can put teddy bears in their windows and as people go for walks with kids they can be doing a bear hunt to keep the kids engaged and wanting to walk/bike further. It’s a reason to get out if people are going for walks/exercise.
19. Have staff members call not just adult members but talk to the children. Sunday school teachers call their kids, youth workers call young people.

Thanks Tom!

What are other things you are seeing people do?