Living the Connection: The Continuing United Methodist Church

COVID-19 Resources

 

Resources for Local Congregations - COVID-19

Updated Google Doc of this information that you can download, click here

Conference and District Staffs are working remotely now. The best way to reach out to our Northern Piedmont District staff is by email, or by calling our main office number. Click here for all of our staff contact information.

Websites:

These sites are constantly being updated...check them out regularly.


Messages from Bishop Leeland and Other Resources for Preparedness

 

Greetings from Bev Coppley, District Superintendent:

 

Conference Financial Responses to COVID-19:

Check out information on our conference website about our financial responses to COVID-19. Responses include:

  • A three-month waiver of the local church component of pension and health benefit premiums.

  • The establishment of the WNC Connexion Fund to help our WNC congregations support clergy and their families as they continue to lead our ministries.

  • Interpretation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

  • United Methodist Foundation Offers Grants and Financial Aid During COVID-19

 

State of North Carolina:

 

Conference and District Event Cancellations:

 

Virtual / Online / Live-Streaming / Communication Resources:

 

Online Giving Resources:

  • Getting Started with Online Giving: Resources from WNCC Treasury Services and WNCC United Methodist Foundation - As churches continue to meet online, WNCC Treasury Services and the United Methodist Foundation have produced this resource that provides several options for online giving.  While many of our churches already have online giving procedures in place, we know many do not. We hope these options will prove helpful for you.

  • Electronic Recurring Giving: Needed Now More Than Ever! - An EXCELLENT recorded webinar by Discipleship Ministries done on March 19, 2020. Slides & downloadable resources are available to help you move your church forward on electronic recurring giving.

  • GCFA Provides Training and Resources for Local Churches - The Communications, Connectional Relations, and IT teams of the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) will offer several resources to local churches and church leadership on both live streaming and giving at the local church level during these times of quarantine and confinement.

  • Five Tips for Managing Your Church Budget During the COVID-19 Crisis - Helpful advice and suggestions from Ken Sloane, Director of Stewardship & Generosity for Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church.

  • Giving Beyond the Offering Plate - 9 Ways to Give Beyond the Offering Plate & 5 Things You Should Do When You Use Them

  • Horizons Stewardship - Giving365 - LOTS of great financial resources for your local church! Check them out, and join their email list! Also, Horizons has a COVID-19 Resources page

 

Missional Network / Community Resources:

  • Worshiping Apart: Rural Churches in COVID-19

  • How to talk to your kids about Coronavirus

  • Things WE can do - Video series from Discipleship Ministries - Chuck Knows Church is back! He’s teaming up with #SeeAllThePeople to share a few simple ideas that your church can do to help your community during this time of crisis. During these uncertain times, we may feel isolated from one another and experiencing a sense of aloneness, but we can still provide community in Christ and fellowship in the spirit. Watch as Chuck shows us how your congregation can turn isolation into engagement with our community.

  • Small churches undaunted by virus challenges - United Methodist News

  • Free Online Food Safety Classes - SERVSAFE - ServSafe Takeout and Delivery: COVID-19 Precautions. If your church has any kind of food or meal ministry, now is a great time for volunteers to take FREE online ServSafe training.

 

Bible Study / Additional Resources:

  • The Passions of Jesus, a six-week, video-driven Lenten study developed by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, is now available for download.

  • Amplify Media: Amplify is a streaming service from UMPH/Cokesbury that offers resources for all ages. They offer a free 14--day trial for their full library, but everyone can view a limited library of free resources right now. Included are Adam Hamilton's Unafraid, Deep Blue Spring 2020, Adult Bible Studies Spring 2020 and selections from their Lent 2020 catalog. Read more here.

  • Cokesbury Kids - Free Resources: From Cokesbury - "We want to make sure we're doing everything we can to support you and your church communities. That's why we've created a page called "Church at Home" on our site. This is where we will share links to live-streamed worship events for kids, free Sunday school lessons, free videos, and more. Check in regularly, as we will be adding new content daily."

  • Virtual Small Group Activities for Youth: WNCC Resource Center has compiled some activities that you can use to conduct virtual small group meetings:

  • A Coronavirus Prayer - Beautiful prayer shared by Kerry Weber.

  • Finding Peace in an Anxious World - 2020 Bible Study resource from United Methodist Women

  • Adapting Safe Sanctuaries® guidelines and applying them online...Eleven Online Gathering Suggestions - Discipleship Ministries

 

Thoughts for Leaders:

 

United Methodist Church Resources:

 

Other Organizations Providing Resources:

 

Use of Church Facilities by Outside Groups during COVID-19:

 

Who Do You Want to Be During COVID-19?