Reimagining Church in the Coronavirus Crisis
The wilderness of Lent has proven to be more treacherous than we’d like. With the pandemic global outbreak of COVID-19, we are faced with the unique challenge of being church to one another beyond the church walls. In a time of fear and panic, we have to show up for one another. We cannot survive this wilderness alone.
As many of us find ourselves walking an unmarked way, it can be easy to focus on the constraints of our conditions. However, these circumstances also allow us to try new things, get creative, and focus on what matters when everything else is stripped away. The church is precisely called to such a time as this.
We’ve brainstormed some ideas that we hope are helpful to you as you find your way through this season of uncertainty.
Embrace creative possibilities for home-based, virtual, or outdoor worship:
Let’s be real: live streaming worship certainly has its drawbacks. Not everyone has the technology to access it, tech problems are bound to occur, the organ is NOT going to sound very good piped in via an iphone, and, realistically, some folks will opt out. But there are some unique opportunities to worship and pray together in new ways.
Provide printed materials to members worshiping from home.
If you’re using our resources this season, you are welcome to print and distribute poems, liturgy, hymns, visual art, coloring pages, devotionals, etc. to members so they have something tangible to connect with. Encourage families to use these materials for spiritual nourishment—reading, singing, and praying together.
Utilize technology—thoughtfully.
If you don’t already have live streaming for worship set up, consider some other options: go live from your church Facebook page or post pre-recorded videos to Youtube. Schedule worship via video conferencing technology such as Zoom. Discern the best way to make worship accessible online for your community. If you are using our resources, you are welcome to use them in live streaming and online worship. We just ask that you not make our actual resource files available publicly online for non-patrons to access. However, we trust you to adapt how you use our resources to best serve your church during this time.
Encourage kinesthetic, tangible engagement with worship.
Take advantage of the fact that people will be tuning into worship from home—where they are comfortable and have access to materials they might not have in your worship space. Lead a centering prayer with prompts for simple movements such as: take a deep breath, clench your fists, open your hands, shrug then relax your shoulders, wiggle your toes, etc. In response to a scripture reading, prompt worshipers to write or draw. For a prayer of confession, invite them to write their prayer on a piece of paper and then tear the page as a reminder that God’s grace releases us from all brokenness. For the prayers of the people, invite them to hold a photo or an item that reminds them of someone they are praying for.
Feature the unique gifts of your community.
If you live stream from your church sanctuary and are comfortable inviting a small group of worship leaders to join you in the space, encourage different members to share their gifts. A child may be more willing to sing “Jesus Loves Me” in front of a camera or phone than she would be standing in front of a sanctuary full of people. A budding musician might be willing to share their rendition of “Come Thou Fount” on guitar. A youth might be open to sharing about a piece of art they created inspired by a scripture story. Times like these remind us that worship is not a performance, but a practice—lean into that practice, seeking opportunities for different members of your community to share their voices and unique gifts.
Worship outdoors.
If spring brings warm weather to your area, consider hosting small worship gatherings or prayer services outdoors—while still practicing good hygiene and keeping a safe distance from one another. If you are panicked about how to approach Holy Week services, you could walk our Stations of the Cross series like this church did a few years ago.
Foster real connection, even if from afar:
While social distancing is great for preventing the spread of disease, it can also increase loneliness, isolation, and impact mental health. Use technology and modes of communication to build webs of connection throughout your faith community so that clergy are not the only ones carrying the weight of pastoral care.
Use online/tech platforms to encourage dialogue and conversation.
Utilize Facebook groups, Slack threads, WhatsApp, or other messaging platforms to stay connected and encourage discussion. Use our Wilderness Lent devotional booklet or our Words for the Wilderness devotional cards as a guide to prompt daily/weekly conversations online. Or, offer recorded conversations (perhaps between pastoral staff) discussing scriptures and devotions (this group of pastors recorded a podcast discussing our Advent devotional and it was awesome). With more folks working from home, they may have more time to tune into audio or watch short videos and engage in discussion online.
Create a web of support.
Consider playful ways to stay connected in the weeks ahead. Start a video tag game—invite members to record a video of themselves offering a hopeful message, or singing a song, or doing a silly dance. Share the videos via church emails or a church Facebook group. Start a call-a-friend or letter-writing campaign. Make cards for those in your congregation who are completely homebound or living in nursing homes. Meet for prayer walks outdoors.
Offer pastoral support via video conferencing or phone.
Advertise “office hours” each week to connect with church members. You could send out a Zoom link and allow online “drop ins.” This is a tough time for everyone and many in need of pastoral care may be too afraid to ask for it. Discern ways you can stay available and connected to your congregation.
Stay active, present, and responsive to the needs of your larger community:
In the midst of crisis, our instinct to hoard and self-preserve will be strong; however, this is precisely the time when we are called to counter scarcity mentality and show up for the most vulnerable in our communities.
Support those most vulnerable.
Shifting our habits and daily practices will be inconvenient for some, but devastating for many. If schools are cancelled in your area, seek out ways to help feed children who rely on school meals. Provide support for healthcare practitioners who are working overtime. Check in with local organizations who provide direct services to see what support they need. Partner with local non-profits to meet the unique needs emerging in the midst of this pandemic.
Channel unused resources into supporting those in need.
Cancelled programmatic events, lower utility bills, less bulletins printed, etc. means you may have lots of unused funds that accumulate during this season. Funnel those unused funds and resources into supporting local food pantries, health care workers, un-housed neighbors, and elderly members. While you may have the instinct to save and hoard, remind your community that giving can be the best way to counter fear and uncertainty.
Practice economic justice with your church staff.
If you have part-time, unsalaried employees in your congregation, look for ways they can remain paid and employed during this time. If workers get quarantined, establish paid sick leave (if this is not already in place). If you have hired speakers or special leaders for cancelled events, consider having them teach sessions online—or pay them upfront and reschedule the event to make sure they don’t see a loss in income.
Additional resources:
Ways to practice a “Culture of Connection” developed by Duke Memorial UMC, NC.
This Facebook group: Clergy & Spiritual Communal Responses to Covid-19
“Ten Guidelines for Pastoral Care During the Coronavirus Outbreak,” from The Christian Century.
“Coronavirus and Congregational Song,” from Sing! The Center for Congregational Song
Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity
Founder, Creative Director of A Sanctified Art
Lisle Gwynn Garrity (she/her/hers) is a Pastorist (pastor + artist), retreat leader, and creative entrepreneur seeking to fill the church with more color, paint, mystery, and creativity. Serving the church at-large, Lisle travels widely to share her gifts as an artist and pastor. She founded A Sanctified Art with the conviction that, in order to thrive, the church needs more creative expression and art-filled freedom.