Resources for Your Church Amid COVID-19

Drive-in Church and Virginia’s Executive Order

• Re-gathering Resources for Your Church
• Guidance for Faith Communities from the Office of the Governor of Virginia, updated April 10, 2020
• Stay-at-Home Executive Orders: What Do They Mean and Don’t Mean for Your Church, Non-profit, and Business
• Executive Order 55, Drive-In Church, and the CARES Act – a webinar that took place 4/3/20 but can be viewed on demand

Giving Online to Your Church

• BGAV Church Donation Link (give now to your church through BGAV)
• 5 of the Best Church Online Giving Platforms (if you want to establish this for your church)

Leading in Crisis: Resources for Pastors and Church Leaders

• Town Hall Meeting Regarding Phase One and Beyond – an online town hall meeting that took place 5/19/20 now available to view on demand
• Virtual Church? How to Establish Your Congregation’s Online Presence  – webinar held May 20, 2020 now available to view on demand
• Reset: Start Your Church Again After the Quarantine, a Fresh Expressions webinar that took place on 4/22/20 but can be viewed on demand
• Impending Doom? How to Prepare for the Coming Economic Challenge, a Fresh Expressions webinar that took place on 4/15/20 but can be viewed on demand
• Town Hall Meeting for BGAV Church Leadership – an online town hall meeting that took place 4/6/20 (view presentation slides)
• Light in Dark Times: Healing Souls During the Pandemic and Beyond – a webinar offered by Fresh Expressions US took place on 4/8/20 but can be viewed on demand
• Two Churches at Once: How to Create the Next Version of Your Congregation Without Destroying the One You Love, a Fresh Expressions webinar that took place on 4/1/20 but can be viewed on demand

Connecting Non-digitally in Crisis: We Don’t All Need/Have Online Technology

• Care Calls: Tips for Providing Meaningful Help to Others in Crisis, an article adapted by Kristen Curtis, DR Training and Chaplaincy Coordinator
• Simple Conference Calls and Other Non-Internet Solutions, a short video by Sterling Severns, pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church (Richmond)

Connecting in Crisis: Using Technology During Social Distancing

• LifeWay is providing free digital Bible study curriculum to churches during April
• BaptistWay Press is offering a free downloadable adult study (Faith > Fear) 
• LifeWay Worship provides a way to get a CCLI license
• How to Take Your Church Virtual (Fast): The Ultimate Guide to Church Live-Streaming During Crisis (note that if you choose to do this, you’ll need to be sure your church’s copyright license includes the necessary provisions for live streaming)
• Zoom Liturgy: How to Move from Broadcasting to Interacting, an article by April Karli via Fresh Expressions
• Using Facebook Groups to Help Church Members Interact More Intentionally

Serving in Crisis: Being Faithful as the Church 

• Soul-Care Amidst a Pandemic: A 6-Week Coaching Experience, hosted by V3 Church Movement, beginning April 9
• Becoming a Distributed Church: Why It’s Worth the Shift, an article by JR Briggs via Fresh Expressions
• Help! We Have To Become a Distributed Church Overnight!, a Fresh Expressions webinar that took place on 3/26/20 but can be viewed on demand
• Epidemics: How the Church Has Responded Throughout History featuring Dr. Philip Jenkins, a Fresh Expressions webinar that took place 3/24/20 but can be viewed on demand
• How Your Church Can Be Faithful During Coronavirus, a Fresh Expressions webinar that took place 3/18/20 but can be viewed on demand
• Standing the Tables Back Up, an article by Ann Marie Carley via Fresh Expressions

COVID-19 Financial Resources for Your BGAV Church

Resources for Age-Specific Ministries

Children’s Ministry Resources

Ways You Can Respond and/or Request Help

Complete any or all of the forms below as indicated, and we will respond as is appropriate.

My church would like to apply for a BGAV grant of up to $1,000 to help our community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Apply Now

I have a story to share about how we are responding in our church/community to the COVID-19 pandemic. Share a Story

Can your church facility function as a small scale feeding site? Share information about your church kitchen and resources. Share Church Resources

I would like to request prayer and/or a personal contact from a chaplain. Submit a Request

Donate to Our COVID-19 Response! Give to help BGAV volunteers and churches responding to COVID-19 with grants to support local church ministries and with other response-related ministry opportunities as they arise. Donate Now

I would like to add my name/my church to the list of state volunteers and/or sites willing and able to respond to COVID-19-related needs in my community. Add My Name

About this Resource Page

In the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic, churches around the world are having to step back and rethink how “church” can be done. Whether your church is tech-savvy or doesn’t even have an email address, there are resources to help you and your congregation navigate this unprecedented time as a family of faith. There are many, many more available than what you see here, and you can find them yourself using online search engines. We are simply wanting to provide you with a place to start—an abbreviated, categorized list of helpful articles and videos that you may find helpful—all on one web page.

Be sure to bookmark this page and visit it frequently, as we will update it regularly with new resources as they become available.