How Has Your Church Responded to the COVID-19 Crisis?
How Has Your Church Responded to the COVID-19 Crisis?
A Collection of Ideas and Tools from Member Churches
We asked TCT Member Churches how they have adjusted their approach to care, fellowship, and outreach during this time, and collated some of their responses below. We share them here in hopes they will either benefit your local church directly, or you may be inspired to create your own resources. Have questions on how to create your own versions? Share those questions in TCT’s Slack space!
Children’s Scripture Memory Videos, “Sermons for Saplings” Bible Story Videos. See also the Sermon Playlist for an example of sharing pre-recorded video sermons.
Example of sharing pre-recorded audio sermons, and a regular church elder podcast for the congregation.
Sample Family Worship Liturgy provided to congregation
Example Gospel presentation to provide congregation to share with friends
Two helpful articles for pastoral care: One Thing Every Church Can Do about Suffering and What Not to Say to Those Who Are Suffering by Ed Welch, CCEF.org
The Details
More Ideas
Additional Resources
Coronavirus and Christ: A New Book from Pastor John
From the publisher, Crossway:
In Coronavirus and Christ, John Piper invites readers around the world to stand on the solid Rock, who is Jesus Christ, in whom our souls can be sustained by the sovereign God who ordains, governs, and reigns over all things to accomplish his wise and good purposes for those who trust in him. What is God doing through the coronavirus? Piper offers six biblical answers to that question, showing us that God is at work in this moment in history.
Visit Crossway.org to download the free digital editions, including the audiobook (MP3 or podcast) and ebook (PDF, EPUB, or MOBI formats), or preorder the print edition.
Additional Resources
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and Small Business Paycheck Protection Program
As part of the federal government’s response to COVID-19, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed to financially help small businesses, including churches and nonprofits by means of one year forgivable loans. See the various resources below for aiding your church in considering whether or not this program is a wise path in your particular situation as you seek to faithfully steward resources.
Overview of the Paycheck Protection Program, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Accessed April 8, 2020. For more detailed information, see Assistance for Small Businesses
Webinar-On-Demand: The CARES Act—Key Impacts on Churches and Nonprofits by Michael Batts, CPA, and Frank Sommerville, JD, CPA, hosted by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA)
The webinar is free to view if you register a free user account with the ECFA.
See the outline from the webinar here.
Religious Liberty Concerns Resolved for Churches to Receive CARES Act Stimulus Funds by George Schroeder and Jonathan Howe, posted April 2, 2020, Baptist Press
Do SBA-backed Loans Violate the Separation of Church and State? by Russell Moore, posted March 31, 2020, RussellMoore.com
Additional Resources
Tools for Live Streaming Counseling, Small Groups or Corporate Gatherings
You have likely heard about instances of “Zoom-bombing” or hijacking Zoom meetings occurring to such a frequency that the FBI has gotten involved. The danger is largely related to how Zoom is being used more so than the security of the software itself. If your church is sharing your meeting links publicly such as on a website, then you will need to take a greater level of precaution and apply meeting controls which will eliminate the ability of attendees to share their screen or take control of the meeting. If you are keeping your meetings private to small gatherings, less precaution is required.
See here for an informative article written April 1, 2020 by Mike Snider at USA Today. We have copied tips from the article for using Zoom at the bottom of this resource page as well.
How to Livestream Your Sermon this Sunday Webinar hosted by Send Network. Download the slides to the webinar here.
Christ Redeemer Church Sample Livestream Instructions to Congregation
Want personalized help setting up a Zoom account for your TCT church? Contact our Director of Operations, and he will share insights from TCT’s use of video conferencing over the past five years and also help you setup your own account.
How to Livestream Your Church Service: A Practical Guide by Phil Thompson, TheGospelCoalition.org
These brief video tutorials will help you understand how to use Zoom, a reliable, affordable video conferencing software.
How To Join a Meeting (the download portion will only be required the very first time you use Zoom)
Tips to control your Zoom meetings¹
Don't make meetings or classes public. You can require participants to use a password, or the meeting manager can make participants first appear in the waiting room and be admitted individually.
Invite with care. Do not share links to your meeting on social media. Email or text them directly to participants.
Limit screen sharing. Hosts can prevent others from posting video by changing the screen sharing options to “Host Only.”
Lock the door. You can close your meeting to newcomers once everyone has arrived. Hosts can click the Participants tab at the bottom of the Zoom window to get a pop-up menu, then choose the Lock Meeting option.
Use your silencer features. You can disable video for participants and mute an individual or all attendees.
Cut out the chatter. The host can disable the ability to text chat during the session to prevent the delivery of unwanted messages.
Boot the uninvited. Hosts can remove a participant by putting the mouse over that name and choosing the Remove option. Allen says you can block people from rejoining meetings if they were removed.
Preparation. Make sure participants have the latest version of Zoom's software, which was updated in January. That update added meeting passwords by default and disabled a feature allowing users to randomly scan for meetings to join.
¹ Snider, Mike. “Zoom Issues: People Hijacking Streams, Possible Security Flaws.” USA Today, April 1, 2020. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/04/01/zoom-demand-zooms-but-problems-coronavirus-drives-stay-home-video-chats-zoom-has-issues-beyond-deman/5102150002/.
Additional Resources
A Mighty Fortress is Our God: A Reflection on Imminent Danger
The following originally appeared as a blog post written by TCT Member Pastor Coty Pinckney of Desiring God Community Church in Charlotte, NC on March 21, 2020.
“A mighty fortress is our God – a bulwark never failing.”
Martin Luther wrote those words (in German) as well as the tune we use around 1528. This was a time of great danger. It seemed as if the leaders of the Reformation could be killed at any moment – and what would happen to the cause then?
Luther’s partner, Philip Melanchthon, was particularly worried. Luther responded in a letter dated June 27, 1530:
With all my heart I hate those cares by which you state that you are consumed. They rule your heart . . . by reason of the greatness of your unbelief…. If our cause is false, let us recant. But if it is true, why should we make Him a liar who has given us such great promises and who commands us to be confident and undismayed?…
What good do you expect to accomplish by these vain worries of yours? What can the devil do more than slay us? Yes, what? …
I pray for you very earnestly, and I am deeply pained that you keep sucking up cares like a leech and thus rendering my prayers vain. Christ knows whether it comes from stupidity or the Spirit but I for my part am not very much troubled about our cause…. God who is able to raise the dead is also able to uphold his cause when it is falling or to raise it up again when it has fallen…. If we are not worthy instruments to accomplish his purpose, he will find others. If we are not strengthened by his promises, where in all the world are the people to whom these promises apply? But more of this at another time. After all, my writing this is like pouring water in to the sea.
We in the US do not face death for the Gospel. But life often does seem out of control – particularly today, with so much uncertainty about the spread of COVID-19, and the economic effects of the steps taken to limit its spread. It can seem as if random chance is harming those around us and taking aim at us – or even worse, as if Satan himself is advancing his cause and will overwhelm God’s people.
Psalm 46 is written for times like 1530 – and for times like 2020.
We don’t know when this psalm was first written and recited. Some have speculated that it was written after the Assyrian king Sennacharib besieged Jerusalem – and God slaughtered 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in their sleep. Whatever Whether the historical occasion, the Kingdom seemed to be in grave danger from a powerful military force – so powerful that there seemed to be no hope – and God delivered His people.
We’ll consider verses 1-7 together under two headings, and then verses 8-11 under a third.
Is Everything Falling Apart?
In 1530, Melanchthon worried that everything was falling apart. Today, the coronavirus leads to similar feelings.
The psalmist pictures those feelings. In verse 2 he speaks of “the earth giving way,” and “the mountains being moved into the sea.” Indeed, the waters of the sea roar and foam, and the mountains themselves are fearful, for they “tremble at its swelling.”
To understand these expressions, it’s helpful to remind ourselves of the creation account in Genesis 1. Before God works, darkness is over the face of the deep waters. There is nothing but water. On the third day, God gathers the waters into one place, the sea, and commands dry land to appear.
So note: in Psalm 46 God’s work is being reversed! The mountains – the dry land that looks most powerful, most secure – are moved back into the sea. God ordered creation; now disorder seems to reign.
That’s what’s happening with the natural order. What about the political order?
Verse 6 tells us, “The nations rage, the kingdoms totter.” In Hebrew, the word translated “totter” is the same word translated “moved” in verse 2. The physical order is being moved and shaken, and thus is falling apart; just so with the political order.
When things seem to fall apart, when all that we’ve thought firms, secure, rock-solid begins to shake and totter, when it seems as if no one is in control, that danger is all around, we are tempted to fear. Thus the psalmist exhorts us in verse 2, “We will not fear.”
He then grounds that exhortation in the character and promises of God.
God Secures His People
In the creation account, God imposed order on the chaotic world. In Psalm 46, God shows His people that while all may appear to be returning to chaos, He still rules. He still governs. And He secures His people
Verses 1-7 tell us of three ways that God secured His people at that time – ways that He continues to secure His people today:
First: God is with us!
This is the primary message of the entire psalm.
He is our refuge – that is, He shields us from danger.
He is our strength, empowering us in weakness.
He is not only a help, but a present help, right beside us, in our presence; He never leaves us nor forsakes us.
To underline this point, verse 11 repeats verse 7:
The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress.
With Him we are secure. No enemy can scale His walls. No danger can assault this fortress.
Verses 4 and following expand on this image:
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. (Psalm 46:4-5)
Picture a flourishing, vibrant city, surrounded by unassailable walls, with a river flowing through its midst so that there is a continual supply of water. God’s people are the city. God is both the walls surrounding the city and the Protector dwelling in its midst. He helps the city immediately – at the earliest time, at the crack of dawn.
So the first way that God secures His people: He is with us. He is always with us.
The second way that God secures His people: He stabilizes us.
Remember, verse 2 speaks of the mountains being moved into the sea, and verse 6 (literally) of the kingdoms being moved. But verse 5 tells us that since God is in the midst of the city, “she shall not be moved.”
Even if both the created order and the political order are falling apart – even if a new virus threatens our entire world – God stabilizes and secures His people. They do not slip, do not fall, do not stumble.
The third way that God secures His people: He controls the dangerous forces
Verse 6 is my favorite:
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter, he utters his voice, the earth melts (Psalm 46:6)
In the midst of chaos and political upheaval, in the midst of war and intrigue and betrayal and scheming, in the midst of disease and disorder and disarray, God speaks! And all falls before Him.
He doesn’t organize His people into an army to fight the enemy, though He could;
He doesn’t send lightning and wind and hail to destroy them, though He could.
Rather – just like during creation week – He speaks – and His will is done. His words all by themselves are mighty and powerful.
So you see: Though all around you may seem out of control, may seem to be falling apart, God is in control. He is never out of control. He only has to speak – and that chaos, that opposition, is over and done with. Thus, when we see chaos continuing, when God’s enemies thrive – this is happening only by His permission, in order to accomplish His good and wise purposes.
He is almighty, He is in control of all. As Luther wrote:
The prince of darkness grim,
We tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure,
For, lo, his doom is sure:
One little word shall fell him. (emphasis added)
With those three ways that God secures His people fresh in our minds, let’s return to the picture of God’s people as a city. The New Testament authors pick up on this idea. In Hebrews 11, the author tells us Abraham followed God’s call, not knowing where he was would lead, for “he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:10) Like Abraham, all followers of Jesus while in this world are strangers, exiles, refugees, seeking a homeland – and God has indeed prepared for us a city.
Revelation 21 then pictures this city that God has prepared:
I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:2-4)
So Psalm 46 tells us that today God’s people are His city, surrounded by His fortress. He is in their midst. Though powerful forces are arrayed against this city, attacking it, trying to undermine it, God is an impenetrable fortress, and we are secure.
Hebrews and Revelation then picture the future, the new heavens and new earth. God’s people are still a city – but now, God has spoken His word, He has felled the prince of darkness grim, and His enemies are no more. He is with us in the present, and He will be with us for eternity. But in eternity, in the new city, we no longer need His protection. The old order has passed away. He has wiped every tear from our eyes.
So when it seems as if everything is falling apart – from viruses, from wars, from natural disasters – know: God secures His people today, and in eternity He will rid creation of all that is opposed to Him and to His people.
“So Relax! I Am Exalting My Name!”
Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:8-11)
We’ll highlight three commands in this final stanza:
First: Look!
The people must come and behold God’s works. He utters His voice – and even the earth melts. So any enemy has no chance whatsoever. Look at His might. Look at His power. Look at how He has acted in the past.
That was encouraging in the psalmist’s day.
But today, when we look, we see God at work doing something much greater than a defeating a huge enemy army.
In Luke 10, Jesus sends the 72 out to proclaim the Gospel. Going in the power of Jesus, the see Him at work – even demons obey them! They return, excited about the authority they exercised.
Jesus responds:
Behold (Look!) I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:19-20).
Furthermore, Jesus says:
Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it (Luke 10:23-24).
We in our day are privileged to see what the people of God have longed to see for millennia: God using people like you and me to reach all the nations with the Gospel. We see peoples who have walked in darkness for thousands of years seeing the great light; we see a plentiful harvest – and so pray for more workers.
So look! Behold! Look at the great victories that God is forging by His Word! Pay attention! His Kingdom must come – and it is coming. The evidence is all around us. And all the seeming chaos in this world is working to bring that end about.
So that’s the first command: Look!
The second command: Recognize!
“Know that I am God” in verse 10 is translated in the NET, “Recognize that I am God.”
That is: “Draw the conclusion from what you see! Recognize who I am and what I am doing. Recognize my sovereign power. I am indeed almighty. I am indeed working for your good. Look – and then recognize Me in all that happens.”
The final command: Relax!
We read in verse 10, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Question: Is God speaking to the warring parties, saying: “Stop your fighting!” That’s what some translators think. But others – particularly the British translator and commentator Alec Motyer – think God is speaking these words to His people: “Be still – don’t be worried – relax – know that I am God.”
I think that’s more consistent with the rest of the psalm. God says, “I am with you. I love you. I am your fortress. I control all these forces arrayed against you. All may appear to be falling apart, but one word of mine will order the chaos and defeat the enemy. For I am doing a great work. My name must be hallowed. I must be exalted among the nations. I must be exalted in all the earth. I must bring those from every tribe, tongue, and nation to myself. And everything that happens is working to that end according to My plan. That is where all is heading, even though you can’t see it. So relax! Trust Me! I am for you! And I am glorifying My Name.”
Conclusion
What concerns you today? The virus? The economy? Your own health? The death of a loved one? The seeming chaos around us, and thus all aspects of the future?
However dark all may appear in your life, it cannot appear darker than the night our Lord was betrayed by a close friend, brought before a show trial, abused, whipped, mocked, and then nailed to a cross where He died.
For the disciples, that was the moment when all their hopes were dashed, when they were the most confused.
Yet: God utters His voice: And Christ conquers death.
He rises from the dead!
He sits at the right hand of the Father!
He reigns in power!
He will return with great glory!
Look! God was in control even at the crucifixion. And so: Recognize: He is in control in your darkest hour.
So be among His protected, secure people!
Trust that at that crucifixion Jesus paid the penalty for your sins!
Turn to Him and be saved!
Then: relax. Trust Him. God secures His people. He will be exalted in the earth. It is certain. That day will come – despite viruses, despite Satan, despite our own weakness.
Relax – and know that He is God.
Additional Resources
Saturating the World with Eternal Joy
Saturating the World with Eternal Joy
2019 Eternal Joy Conference, Memphis Keynote
Speakers: John Piper
Additional Sessions
Serious Joy in our Suffering
Serious Joy in our Suffering
2019 Eternal Joy Conference, Memphis Session 12
Speakers: Dr. Phil Newton
Additional Sessions
Serious Joy in Global Missions
Serious Joy in Global Missions
2019 Eternal Joy Conference, Memphis Session 11
Speakers: Dr. Doug Landrum
Additional Sessions
Serious Joy for Associate Pastors
Serious Joy for Associate Pastors
2019 Eternal Joy Conference, Memphis Session 10
Speakers: Dr. Matt Sliger
Additional Sessions
Serious Joy in our Preaching
Serious Joy in our Preaching
2019 Eternal Joy Conference, Memphis Session 9
Speakers: Dr. Rich Shadden
Additional Sessions
Serious Joy in our Disciple-Making
Serious Joy in our Disciple-Making
2019 Eternal Joy Conference, Memphis Session 8
Speakers: Dr. Rick Shenk
Additional Sessions
Serious Joy in our Biblical Theology
Serious Joy in our Biblical Theology
2019 Eternal Joy Conference, Memphis Session 7
Speakers: Tom Stellar
Additional Sessions
Hyper-Calvinism & Christian Hedonism
Hyper-Calvinism & Christian Hedonism
2019 Eternal Joy Luncheon Q&A with John Piper
Speakers: John Piper
Additional Sessions
2019 P&W Retreat: Joy in Loss
Treasuring Christ Together Network
Pastors and Wives Retreat 2019
Kenny Stokes: Joy in Loss
Additional Sessions
2018 P&W Retreat: The Glory of God in Listening
The Glory of God in Listening | Kenny Stokes
A Plea for Well Nourished Pastors | Justin Perry
We live in a time when industries are constantly changing, technologies are rapidly developing, and skills are continually in need of sharpening. To stay current with the latest advancements, skills, and technologies in their fields, many professionals utilize (and many companies require) continuing education to help stay competitive, relevant, and effective.
We live in a time when industries are constantly changing, technologies are rapidly developing, and skills are continually in need of sharpening. To stay current with the latest advancements, skills, and technologies in their fields, many professionals utilize (and many companies require) continuing education to help stay competitive, relevant, and effective. As a pastor to several professionals who are continuing education in their careers, I am aware that this pursuit is costly and is most often undertaken in the midst of an already full life, with real responsibilities and pressing demands. I look to the nurse who is administering a new medicine to my daughter and to the engineer using new technology to build a home for my friends, and say, “It is worth it…too much is at stake to not give yourself to continuing education!”
Likewise, God’s word reminds us that the churches we serve desperately cry out to us (regardless if they ever utter these words), “It is worth it to continue being educated on who God is and His glorious works…too much is at stake to not give yourself to continuing that education!” To be clear, this post isn’t about the need for formal certificates, classes, or degrees. Rather it is an encouragement for pastors to pursue personal efforts to grow and help each other grow in biblical truth, wisdom, faith, and love, which show Christ as our supreme treasure.
Writing to Timothy, a pastor of the church at Ephesus, Paul commands him: Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you (1 Timothy 4.16 NASB). Simply put, watching your life and doctrine is the ongoing, continual task of pastoral ministry. Whether that is informal venues or simply the disciplined pursuit of growth in knowledge of and love for God, pastors cannot afford to cease being learners of God. Congregations cannot afford this. The glory of God is too precious for pastors to ignore this. While we know these statements are true, the temptations to grow complacent in giving ourselves to the study of God are numerous: the degree has been completed, the shepherding tasks are overwhelming, sermon preparation is demanding, counseling load is great, or simply doesn’t seem to be enough time.
Paul’s words pierce the heart of the complacent pastor, motivate the will of the lazy pastor, and fan into flame the obedience of the faithful pastor: persevere in these things. These things don’t simply refer to verse sixteen but to what Paul has stated throughout 4:6-16, of particular interest in verse 6: being constantly nourished on the words of faith and of sound doctrine which you have been following.
Our souls are meant to feast on and be nourished by the words of faith and of sound doctrine. The healthiest of sheep are found following nourished and healthy shepherds. Malnourished shepherds do not inspire the flock to feast at the banquet of God’s sufficiency because it is exceedingly difficult to call others to places you are unwilling to go yourself. Emerging from the requirements for elders in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 is a man who is exemplary in his satisfaction in God and thus in how all aspects of his life are impacted by this satisfaction.
We have been entrusted to care for the souls of others yet are prone to allow our hearts to go unattended. We are tempted to give diligent attention to the life and doctrine of church members, all the while neglecting our continuing education of God Himself - both the knowledge of Him and right response of worship to Him. We fill our days with reading, studying, sermon preparation, sermon delivery, and counseling for the benefit of others yet we do not labor to experience the transforming effect that truth has on our own soul. We can so easily rely on yesterday’s (or sadly even last year’s) excitement for, knowledge of, and intimacy with the living God to carry us into the challenges and opportunities that we face today. We can unknowingly allow other theologians and pastors to drink deeply of God’s goodness and truth for us as we keep ourselves busy with ministry demands.
Brother pastors, fight for time to give a grace-motivated effort in and attention to your study to know more of God. Sound doctrine matters. If you have grown weary in the good work of pursuing more knowledge of God, the place to begin is on your face before the One who deserves your best. Confess your sin. Then, considering the grace awaiting you on the other side of confession, walk humbly in repentance. Practically, read of good books, listen to sermons, and/or attend a conference that requires you to think deeply about the things of God. After reading, listening, and attending…take time to meditate on truths learned so that God will be more greatly cherished. Encourage other elders or ministry leaders to labor with you in making time to continue in this education of God. Invite them in for purposes of accountability to this pursuit. Lead the church you shepherd into the needed discipline of giving themselves to studying doctrine. Don’t underestimate how impressionable this is in your preaching, congregational singing, and counseling ministries. For the glory of God, the good of the souls of those around you, and for your unceasing joy, give yourself to be a student in the classroom of sound doctrine, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. Paul isn’t teaching self-atonement or that salvation ultimately rests with man, but he is accentuating the God-ordained human agency in the accomplishment of salvation. As you watch your life and doctrine, be confident that you will see the Savior work.
I praise God for the sweet privilege of being part of this network where our shared mission and theology leads us to grow and help each other grow in biblical truth, wisdom, faith, and love, all of which shows Christ as our supreme treasure. I am thankful that this value doesn’t merely adorn a webpage but is shaped regularly by the brothers in this network. These brothers are giving themselves to learning more of God and intentionally encourage me to do the same. I also praise God that this network seeks to ensure that the end of doctrine is not simply the education itself. A head loaded with truth falls short of what sound doctrine is intended to accomplish. It not only fills one’s head with truth but also inflames one’s heart with affections for God. TCTN, excel still more at diligently ensuring that our right doctrine about God leads to greater enjoyment of Him
Justin Perry is Pastor at Covenant Life Church
Don't Waste Your Life
In this best-selling book, John Piper makes a passionate plea to the next generation to avoid the dangers of a wasted life, calling us to take risks and make sacrifices that matter for eternity — with a single, soul-satisfying passion for the glory of God that seeks to make much of him in every sphere of our lives.
Author: John Piper
Download or purchase at DesiringGod
The Message of the Bible
The Message of the Bible:
A brief, 6-week overview of the plan of redemption for unbelievers or new believers. Studies include: Creation, the Fall, God’s Promise of a Deliverer, Jesus and New Birth, the Death of Jesus, and the Resurrection.
Author: Coty Pinckney