COVID-19 Resources
As CBF/GA partner congregations and pastors continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in their communities, the staff of CBF/GA is compiling and vetting resources from trusted government and Christian sources. This page will be updated as often as possible, but if you have any suggestions, please send them to Jody Long, Executive Coordinator, at [email protected]. Please check this page regularly for updates.
Congregational Resources:
Government:
- World Health Organization COVID-19 Information
- CDC Main Resources Page
- CDC Resources for Community and Faith-Based Leaders
- Recommended Practices for Faith Communities – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- State of Georgia Department of Public Health
- Carrot Health COVID-19 Dashboard
Technological:
- How To Do Church Online webinar
- ZOOM online conference call/meeting platform – If your church does not have an online meeting software/service and is interested in trying ZOOM, please contact Jody Long, Executive Coordinator – [email protected] – for more information about receiving a technology grant to defray some costs.
- The Church.Digital – excellent collection of resources and weblinks for congregations who are engaging the world through a digital presence.
- A Comparison of 5 Different Church Online Giving Platforms
- Christian Witness in a Technological Age – YouTube lecture by Dr. Angela Gorrell, Assistant Professor of Practical Theology, Truett Seminary, Baylor University. Good academic lecture about the role of Christians in the technological world that we are inhabiting, especially during this season of physical distancing and isolation.
Ministry Resources:
- CBF Global COVID-19 Resources
- CBF Global Podcasts concerning COVID-19 – featuring Carol McEntyre, current CBF-Global Moderator, and Roger Jasper, pastor of Living Faith Baptist Fellowship in Kentucky
- CBF Global’s Prayers of the People
- Preparing Your Church for Coronavirus
- A Concise Coronavirus Guide for Churches – from Christianity Today
- “Embracing the Grace of COVID-19” – Opinion article by Kathleen Parker, The Washington Post
- Ten Guidelines for Pastoral Care During the Coronavirus Outbreak – by Eileen Campbell-Reed, in The Christian Century
- Emerging Church Practices webinars, hosted by Pinnacle Leadership Associates, each Tuesday, at 11:00 am for FREE
- Public Health Emergency Continuity Planning for Congregations
- Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty
- Resources for Christian Leaders During the COVID-19 Crisis – from Faith and Leadership, a publication of Duke University
- The Ultimate Coronavirus Guide for Congregations – a wonderful collection of good ideas and suggestions for congregations
- No Kid Hungry Coronavirus Grant Request – No Kid Hungry helps provide food for at-risk children through school and community partners. This grant opportunity is for those whose ministry of providing food security is threatened because of COVID-19.
- Church Mutual’s Coronavirus Information Page – If your church uses Church Mutual for its property, worker’s compensation, and other insurance needs, this is a good resource as you deal issues that may arise.
- All January – April 2020 Smyth and Helwys’ Formations, Connections, and Reflections online Bible Study and Sunday school e-books are FREE
- Intergenerational Bible Study sessions based upon the work of Mr. Rogers – www.thethoughtfulchristian.com is providing this free resource for congregations. In late summer 2019, CBF/GA and partner congregation, Smoke Rise Baptist in Stone Mountain, hosted a Sunday school training event based upon the work of Fred Rogers. This is an excellent resource that could be adapted for distance learning and engagement.
- www.thethoughtfulchristian.com is providing its annual downloadable Lenten study pack for FREE – Adult Participant Handouts and Adult Leader Guides
- Christianity Offers No Answers About the Coronavirus. It’s Not Supposed To. – Great read by New Testament theologian and author, Dr. N.T. Wright, about the need for lament during this season of grief and isolation.
- A Public Service Announcement filmed by CBF/GA partner pastor, Dr. Tony Lankford, FBC St. Simons Island, and his ecumenical Peer Learning Group.
Youth Ministry Resources
- CBF Youth Ministry Network Facebook Group – membership fee applies to join the CBFYMN but well worth the investment, even beyond this crisis!
- Doing Youth Ministry During a Pandemic – from Fuller Youth Institute of Fuller Seminary
- 5 Ways to Help Teens Manage Anxiety About the Coronavirus – Opinion by Lisa Damour, in The New York Times
- Notes from CBFYMN Zoom Conversation on March 17, 2020
- www.thethoughtfulchristian.com is providing its annual downloadable Lenten study pack for FREE – Youth Participant Handouts and Youth Leader Guides
- Naming Loss and Gratitude With Young People in These Uncertain Times – good article from Fuller Youth Institute of Fuller Seminary
Children’s Ministry Resources
- CBF Children’s Ministry Network Facebook Group – FREE resource that is well worth your time to explore and join, even beyond this crisis!
- Illustrated Ministry – FREE weekly faith formation resources
- Flyaway Books has a full list of free and downloadable activities like an origami butterfly, a paper airplane, parable-themed coloring pages, and more. Also, if you have some of their children’s books, there are discussion guides you can use with children at home.
- Each week, www.thethoughtfulchristian.com will be providing, via email, a free story with corresponding activities and a pack of five coloring pages from the children’s curriculum, Growing in Grace and Gratitude.
Online Giving
CBF/GA recognizes that some of our partner congregations currently do not have the capability to offer online giving, which can be vital to ongoing ministries during this season of physical separation due to COVID-19. CBF/GA, in consultation and agreement with some of our partner congregations, is offering our online donation platform as a vehicle to receive gifts, tithes, and offerings from individual church members and distribute them back to these partner congregations. If your congregation does not currently have an online giving platform, and would like for CBF/GA to assist you in this process, please contact Rachel Greco, [email protected], for more information.