mission & ministry in the middle of the coronavirus...

Mission&MinistryintheMiddleoftheCoronavirusPandemic

SoutheasternDistrictWebcastMarch30,202010:00AM

Mission&MinistryintheMiddleoftheCoronavirusPandemic

“Youarethelightoftheworld."Jesus

WebcastAgenda

• UpdatingparticipantsonmissionandministryhappeningacrosstheSED

• HighlightguidancefromDistrictPresident’sMarch26th letter

• DevelopingTemporarySystemstoEngagetheWorldwiththeGospel

• Resources

• AWordfromtheLord

GlobalPandemicInfected 677,622Recovered 141,698Deaths 31,750

UnitedStatesInfected 124,697Recovered 3,231Deaths 2,227

Asof03-29-20209:25AM

• AsofFriday,03272020– UpdatedSunday,03292020

• 2pastorswhohavebeentestedforcoronavirus

• 1pastorbelieveshehadcoronavirusbutwasnottested

• 1pastor’swifeisshowingsymptomssotheentirefamilyisquarantined

Atthistimewedonothaveactualinformationaboutmembersofourchurchesthatareinfectedorwaitingfortesting

“In1527,astheBlackDeathshooktheveryfoundationsofsociety,MartinLutherwrotealetterentitledWhetherOneMayFleeFromaDeadlyPlague.Init,hestates,“IshallaskGodmercifullytoprotectus.ThenIshallfumigate,helppurifytheair,administermedicineandtakeit.Ishallavoidplacesandpersonswheremypresenceisnotneededinordernottobecomecontaminatedandthusperchanceinflictandpolluteothersandsocausetheirdeathasaresultofmynegligence.”Hegoesontoemphasizethedutytocarefortheneighbor,theresponsibilityofgovernmenttoprotectandprovideservicestoitscitizens,acautionaboutrecklessness,andtheimportanceofscience,medicine,andcommonsense.”

QuestionsweaskedtheCircuitVisitors

• Howareyourcircuit’spastorsandcongregationsrespondingandreactingtotheCoronavirusguidanceandrestrictions?

• Howmanyofthechurchesinyourcircuithadworshipperusualthislastweekend?Cancelled?Transitionedtoon-lineservices?

• Toyourknowledgeisthereanyoneinyourcircuitthathasbeeninfected?Orareself-quarantined?

• Whatconcernsyouthemostatthistime?

FromtheCircuitVisitors:

o Congregationsarecomplyingwiththemorphinglawsoftheirstate,county,ormunicipality

o Atthattimeestimatethat90%(probablycloseto100%now)ofourchurchesaremeetingthroughphoneorvideotechnology.

o CongregationsareputtingplansintoplaceforHolyWeek,andEasterthroughphoneandvideotechnology

o AnumberofCircuitVisitorsreportedattendanceatmanychurchesexceededtheaverageSundayworshipattendance

MarchMadness– LeadersNeedtobeAnticipatingtheFutureNeeds

March23WillweneedtocancelHolyWeek

andEasterservices?

March29Ifthis

continueshowwillwepayourchurchandschoolstaff?March22

Whatonlinetoolscanwe

use?

March15Worship???Yesorno

March29Whatifthis

doesnotpeakuntilJune?

March30Whatcontingencyplandowehaveif

ourpastorisinfected

March18Dothelawsofgatheringapplytous?

TopicsAddressedintheMarch25thNewsletter

MutualRegardforCongregationsandChurchWorkers

GuidelinesforCongregationsinaCallProcess

DecisionsregardingCongregationGatherings

duringtheCoronavirusPandemic

Communionand

Coronavirus

DecisionsAboutWorshipGatheringsofAnySize(asof03272020)

State Gatherings Schools Childcare

Delaware PublicHealthEmergency CloseduntilMay15 StategovernmentcandesignatePublictostayathomeuntilMay15 emergencycaresites

Maryland Publictostayathome CloseduntilApril24 AllChildCareProvidersclosedexceptthoseservingessentialpersonal

NorthCarolina Stayathomeandshelterinplace SchoolsclosedtoMay15 Careprovidersurgednottoclosetoprovideforessentialworkers

Pennsylvania Shelterinplace– allgatheringprohibited Schoolscloseduntil2nd week Waiversforcareprovidersservingoutsideofprivateresidences ofApril essentialworkers

SouthCarolina Preventingpublicgatheringsof3ormore SchoolscloseduntilApril30 Provisionforcareforessentialworkersatlicensedcenters

Virginia Gatheringsof10ormorebanned Closedthroughtheacademic Newguidelinesforcenterstohaveyear lessthan10inroom.Reportnew

casesimmediately

DC Prohibitonmassgatheringsuntil CloseduntilApril24.Using ChildcareunderDisasterApril25 distancelearning Responseplan

Communionand

Coronavirus

AHistoricalPerspective

TheologyandPractice Solutions

Communionand

Coronavirus

AHistoricalPerspective

CircuitRidingPastors

CommunionPracticesof

VariousChurches

LessonsoftheEarlyChristian

Church

TheGreatInfluenzaEpidemic1918-1919

Communionand

Coronavirus

TheologyandPractice

ThreeMeansofGrace

TheWordSpokeninthe

UpperRoom

TheWordSpokentotheThiefon

theCross

ThePracticeofNotCommuningPre-Confirmed

ThePracticeoftheEarlyChristian

Church

CommunionandCoronavirus

CTCRGuidance LookingforSolutions

FastingfromHolyCommuion

Drive-bycommunioninparkinglot

10orlessatatimeatchurch

Familycommunionwithwordsspokenbypastoronvideo

Eldersconsecrateelementsin

housechurchs

DevelopingTemporarySystemstoEngagetheWorldwiththeGospel

LowTechConferenceCall

ChurchFamilyChurch

SmallGroup/HouseChurchZoomChurch

WorshipLife

SinglePointofDeliveryLeadstoAddition

MultiplePointofDeliveryLeadstoMultiplication

ExamplesofPastoralCareQuestionsforEachMinistry

• Whatspecificactionswillyourchurchneedtotakeifanindividualwhowasinyourchurchatagatheringofunder10peopletestspositivewithinacoupledaysofbeinginthechurch?Whatifthepastorwasoneofthetenpeoplepresent?

• Whatisourplantohandlepastoralcareinsituationsofhospitalizationswhenfamilymembers,pastorsandothersareprohibitedfromvisitingpatientsinthehospital?

• Howarefuneralhomesinourareapreparingtohandlefunerals?Howdowehandlefunerals?Multiplefunerals?Pastoralcareforfamily?

• Whatspecificprovisionsarewemakingthosewhodonothaveordonotknowhowtousevideotechnology?

SinglePointPastoralCare

DeliverySystems

Youcouldhaveachurchwhereonepastorcaresforallthepeople....or

DevelopingTemporarySystemsforEffectiveMissionandMinistry

MultipointPastoralCare

DeliverySystems

SinglePointPastoralCare

DeliverySystemsEldercaringfor

12people

Eldercaringfor12people

Eldercaringfor12people

Eldercaringfor12people

Eldercaringfor12people

Eldercaringfor12people

Eldercaringfor12people

DevelopingTemporarySystemsforEffectiveMissionandMinistry

MultipointPastoralCare

DeliverySystems

Eldercaringfor12people

Eldercaringfor12people

Eldercaringfor12people

Eldercaringfor12people

Eldercaringfor12people

Eldercaringfor12people

Eldercaringfor12people

CommunicationsSystems

CareSystemsforQuarantined

Howmightthedevelopmentoflayministerstoworkoversmallgroupsenable:• ContingencyPlans• Abettercommunicationsystem• Providecareforthosequarantined

• Providecareinthecommunity• Leadtochurchmultiplication

DevelopingTemporarySystemsforEffectiveMissionandMinistry

Resources

TheFinancialChallengeOurcongregationsarefinanciallychallengedduetothecoronavirus,cancellationofworshipservices,theclosingofschools,andtheconcernforLCMScongregantswhomaybeunemployedorinafinanciallychallenged.Questionsrangefrom:

• Whatareon-linegivingresources

• Howdowetakecareofourcalledchurchandschoolworkers?Howdowecareforourcontractedworkers?

• Gatheringinformationfromthenewlegislationsthatcanassistourministries

• InformationfromLCEFforcongregations

• InformationfromConcordiaPlanServices

• OnebigprovisionistheavailabilityofSmallBusinessAdministrationloans.Therewillbeloansavailable—andnonprofitsareincludedinthecurrentlanguage—tocoverpayroll,benefitandotherexpenses.Thecurrentlyproposedloanamountisfor8weeksofqualifyingexpenses,upto$10,000,000.Mostimportantofall,loanpaymentscanbeforgiveniftheproceedsareusedforpayrollandotherrelatedexpenses.Thisisagreatincentivetokeeppeopleemployedandcovered(employeesneedtheirbenefitsnowmorethanever),atleastforthenextfewmonths!

AMessagefromJimSanft,PresidentandCEOConcordiaPlanServices

March 25th, 2020 Update on

Newly PassedLegislation

Resources

• ConcordiaPlanServiceswww.concordiaplans.org

• LutheranChurchExtensionFundwww.lcef.org

• TheSoutheasternDistrictOfficewww.se.lcms.org

AWordfromtheLord