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
TCT Roundtable Discussion: Pastoring Well in Uncertain Times
TCT Roundtable Discussion: Pastoring Well in Uncertain Times
00:00: Introductions
07:30: Keeping Our Eyes Fixed on Jesus in the Midst of COVID19: Meditations from Hebrews 12:1-2 by Jordan Thomas
23:06: Resources available for shepherding well at tctnetwork.org
24:58: Q&A across the regions on practical ways to shepherd well
26:25: Are you continuing to preach through your current sermon series or have you placed your current book or series on pause and started something new in this time?
28:19: Are you live streaming only the sermon or the whole service? Are you administering the Lord’s Supper over live stream, and if so, how?
32:04: Video conferencing vs live streaming services
33:33: Ways to strategically offer soul care; plans in place regionally
44:44: Ideas for evangelism or Easter Service
50:55: Has Shelter-in-Place changed your ability to live stream?
53:08: Weddings and Funerals
56:34: Where are you meeting for Counseling conversations?
58:27: Further thoughts on “repeated weddings” at a later time
1:02:57: Feeding the homeless
Additional Resources
Five Thoughts from Quarantine
Five Thoughts From Quarantine
Author: Paul Tripp
Published: March 25, 2020 at Paul Tripp Ministries.
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
3 Things to Remember When You're Feeling Anxious
3 Things to Remember When You're Feeling Anxious
Author: David Powlison, Crossway.org
Additional Resources
Letters to Congregations
The following letters were sent by some of our network churches to their members. We are sharing them here to be a help for other teams of pastors as they communicate care and leadership to their flocks.
The following letters were sent by some of our network churches to their members. We are sharing them here to be a help for other teams of pastors as they communicate care and leadership to their flocks.
Treasuring Christ Church
Raleigh, NC
March 18, 2020
Christ Redeemer Church
Woodbury, MN
March 14, 2020
Grace Church
Memphis, TN
March 19, 2020
Kaleo Church
El Cajon, CA
March 13 & 19, 2020
Covenant Life Church
Tampa, FL
March 18, 2020
Additional Resources
How Can I Avoid the Temptation to Isolate Myself in Suffering?
How can I avoid the temptation to isolate myself in suffering? answered by Director of Counseling Ministries Cecelia Bernhardt at CCEF.
Additional Resources
Anxiety, Waiting and the Coronavirus
Anxiety, Waiting and the Coronavirus
Author: Alasdair Groves
Published: March 11, 2020 at The Christian Counseling and Education Foundation.
Additional Resources
Serious Joy in our Suffering
Serious Joy in our Suffering
2019 Eternal Joy Conference, Memphis Session 12
Speakers: Dr. Phil Newton
Additional Sessions
Treasuring Jesus in our Counseling
Treasuring Jesus in our Counseling
2019 Eternal Joy Conference, Memphis Session 3
Speakers: Nathan Sawyer and Ben Williams
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
TCT National Call with John Piper
On September 4, 2019, we sat with Pastor John via video conference call and he shared some thoughts on maintaining wonder in pastoral ministry and answered a variety of personal questions from TCT pastors and planters.
An Hour with Pastor John
For the video and audio versions of this resource, click on the image below.
Members Only Content. This resource is only available to TCT Members. If you are a member and experiencing difficulty accessing the resource, please view this help.
On September 4, 2019, we sat with Pastor John via video conference call and he shared some thoughts on maintaining wonder in pastoral ministry and answered a variety of personal questions from TCT pastors and planters.
John Piper is known as founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary; however, he’s affectionately known among the network as “Pastor John” who in many ways is the “grandfather” of our network.
For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most recently Why I Love the Apostle Paul: 30 Reasons.
TCT National Calls are hour-long video chats / webinars during which TCT features guest speakers who will share wisdom and focused content from their experience as pastors, planters, or ministry component strategists.
2018 P&W Retreat: The Glory of God in Listening
The Glory of God in Listening | Kenny Stokes
2018 P&W Retreat: Resting in Christ
Resting in Christ in Disappointment and Discouragement | Justin Perry
Post Traumatic Stress: 9 of 9
STEWARD all of my life for God’s glory
This seminar is one of nine sessions. Select additional sessions below
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Brad serves as the Pastor of Counseling at The Summit Church in Durham, NC. He also serves as Instructor of Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, a council member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, and has authored several books including Do Ask, Do Tell, Let’s Talk: Why and How Christians Should Have Gay Friends and God’s Attributes: Rest for Life’s Struggles.
Watch all nine seminars at the author's website: http://bradhambrick.com The “Post-Traumatic Stress” seminar is also available there in podcast format.
Author: Brad Hambrick
Post Traumatic Stress: 8 of 9
PERSEVERE in the new life and identity to which God has called me
This seminar is one of nine sessions. Select additional sessions below
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Brad serves as the Pastor of Counseling at The Summit Church in Durham, NC. He also serves as Instructor of Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, a council member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, and has authored several books including Do Ask, Do Tell, Let’s Talk: Why and How Christians Should Have Gay Friends and God’s Attributes: Rest for Life’s Struggles.
Watch all nine seminars at the author's website: http://bradhambrick.com The “Post-Traumatic Stress” seminar is also available there in podcast format.
Author: Brad Hambrick
Post Traumatic Stress: 7 of 9
IDENTIFY GOALS that allow me to combat the impact of my suffering
This seminar is one of nine sessions. Select additional sessions below
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Brad serves as the Pastor of Counseling at The Summit Church in Durham, NC. He also serves as Instructor of Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, a council member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, and has authored several books including Do Ask, Do Tell, Let’s Talk: Why and How Christians Should Have Gay Friends and God’s Attributes: Rest for Life’s Struggles.
Watch all nine seminars at the author's website: http://bradhambrick.com The “Post-Traumatic Stress” seminar is also available there in podcast format.
Author: Brad Hambrick
Post Traumatic Stress: 6 of 9
LEARN MY GOSPEL STORY by which God gives meaning to my experience
This seminar is one of nine sessions. Select additional sessions below
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Brad serves as the Pastor of Counseling at The Summit Church in Durham, NC. He also serves as Instructor of Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, a council member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, and has authored several books including Do Ask, Do Tell, Let’s Talk: Why and How Christians Should Have Gay Friends and God’s Attributes: Rest for Life’s Struggles.
Watch all nine seminars at the author's website: http://bradhambrick.com The “Post-Traumatic Stress” seminar is also available there in podcast format.
Author: Brad Hambrick
Post Traumatic Stress: 5 of 9
MOURN the wrongness of what happened and receive God’s comfort
This seminar is one of nine sessions. Select additional sessions below
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Brad serves as the Pastor of Counseling at The Summit Church in Durham, NC. He also serves as Instructor of Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, a council member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, and has authored several books including Do Ask, Do Tell, Let’s Talk: Why and How Christians Should Have Gay Friends and God’s Attributes: Rest for Life’s Struggles.
Watch all nine seminars at the author's website: http://bradhambrick.com The “Post-Traumatic Stress” seminar is also available there in podcast format.
Author: Brad Hambrick
Post Traumatic Stress: 4 of 9
LEARN MY SUFFERING STORY which I used to make sense of my experience
This seminar is one of nine sessions. Select additional sessions below
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Brad serves as the Pastor of Counseling at The Summit Church in Durham, NC. He also serves as Instructor of Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, a council member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, and has authored several books including Do Ask, Do Tell, Let’s Talk: Why and How Christians Should Have Gay Friends and God’s Attributes: Rest for Life’s Struggles.
Watch all nine seminars at the author's website: http://bradhambrick.com The “Post-Traumatic Stress” seminar is also available there in podcast format.
Author: Brad Hambrick