As we face the coronavirus (COVID-19) challenge, our NewThing team leaders are tracking news of the virus both locally and globally. Uncertainty surrounding this virus is causing much fear and anxiety. We are taking the challenges posed by this virus seriously, but we also must remember that God is our ever-present help in times of trouble; therefore, we do not need to live in fear (Psalm 46:1-2). We can move forward in confident trust that God is at work and that God can use even this season to help more people find their way back to Him.
3 Questions You Probably Have:
1. How Can Our People Still Gather?
Social Media platforms, FREE resources from Life.church and a great article from them on how to do it.
AND here are some links to NewThing Church live streaming services you can share:
Facebook Live: If you have a Facebook account you can simply stream whatever your gathering becomes. This might be a ‘stripped down’ service that you do from a living room or coffee shop.
2. How Do Small Groups Still Meet?
Here is a great article from Saddleback about launching 1,000 online small groups from 2015 – if it worked then, it will work even more today!
Google Hangouts is a great FREE TOOL for you to use.
Did you know ZOOM offers a FREE service?
Also, RightNow Media is a fabulous resource for online curriculum.
3. How Do People Keep Giving?
We knew you wanted to know the answer to that question 🙂 This requires intentional conversations with your staff, leaders, and then your attenders.
Encourage them to set up a recurring gift online through your online portal. Don’t have one? Google it. You will find dozens of resources.
What if you simply sent an email with links to your giving platform? You can also post the link to your social media channels.
Other Resources
In addition, I want to pass along several resources we’ve compiled to help you lead your church through this season:
Here is some really great perspective from the global church and what is being learned from this pandemic.
Here’s something from SEND Network on how to prepare for the crisis.
This post from Mike Frost is inspiring!
Our friends at Stadia hosted a webinar and shared some helpful resources too.
If there’s anything the NewThing team can do for you, please let us know! Also, we’d love resources you’ve gathered (especially from a non-North American context) – please send them on to us (stefcoleman@newthing.org)!
One last thing: During a rather challenging season of ministry several years ago, a dear friend of mine reminded me that: “God’s Got This.” What was true in my life during that season is also true of what is happening in the world today. I urge you not to forget it: “God’s Got This!” (Hebrews 13:2).
Praying for you, your families, your teams, and churches,
Patrick O’Connell
Global Director, NewThing
