VACCINATION INFORMATION

• Vaccine Information – TN.gov
• Vaccine Information – ENCORE Ministry

CONSIDERATIONS FOR CHURCH LEADERSHIP

Immediate Response

• Examine the sanitation of the church. What are some areas that may need additional cleaning? How can we help our community be more careful and aware?
• Provide alcohol-based hand sanitizer several locations, especially areas that see a lot of traffic.
• Encourage staff to work from home if they are sick or do not feel well.
• Establish wellness checks for your congregation.
• Read and complete the pandemic checklist
• Preparing Your Church for Coronavirus (Humanitarian Disaster Institute)
• A Concise Coronavirus Guide for Churches (Christianity Today)

Tools for Online Giving

• Local church learning sessions: Technology for worship, small groups and giving
• Understand Electronic Giving: A Tool for Your Church
• Live Stream Your Ministry
• Think Outside the Offering Toolkit – Free!
• ChurchTechToday
• Make Giving Easy (UMCOM)
• Ideas for Church Financial Leaders
• Fundraising Resources from the Association of Fundraising Professionals

Online Giving Opportunities

• The #IGiveUMC Campaign aims to inspire United Methodists, and others, to make donations to local UM churches in honor or in memory of someone who’s made a difference to them. Find out how your church can participate in this campaign. Learn More
• Stewardship Tips for Virtual Ministry
• Vanco Payments e-Giving
• EasyTithe Text Giving
• GivingFuel Text to Give 
• Text-to-Give Guide for Churches

Tools for Church at a Distance

• Turner Center Resources: The Turner Center has launched our new series, “Leading During COVID19.” Each episode features an interview with experts, thinking with churches on leading during challenging times. You can watch them on this youtube channel.
• Church Sound 101: Worship Streaming
• Legal Considrerations for Livestreaming
• “InstantConference” Conference Calling
• Gratis License for Worship
• Caring for Older Adults – From a Distance
• Webinars for Online Church – A Fresh Expression is offering several webinars addressing how to be the church in the pandemic. Topics vary from issues of faith and finances to caring for a congregation online and more. The videos are available online for anyone who wants to learn how to better navigate this time.
• COVID-19 Lockdown: Creating Livestreamed Worship in 3 Days (Hacking Christianity)
• What Your Church Can Do to Stay Connected During Coronavirus (Horizons Stewardship)

Resources for Individuals

• Mental Health: 5 Tips for Coping with COVID-19 Anxiety
• Coronavirus Sanity Guide – Ten Percent Happier
• Resources for Older Adults and Caregivers
• New Flier for Feeling Overwhelmed by SAMHSA
• Instant Conference – This is a basic conference call system that allows a group of participants to connect via telephone. The free option limits you to five participants per call. There is a paid option (personal level) that will allow calls with up to 150 participants with up to 2,000 minutes of conference call time each month. Find out more at www.instantconference.com.

TRANSITIONING

• Helping your church respond to the coronavirus (ResourceUMC)
• “Why Reopening a Church is Different” – FLUMC
• “What Relaunching the Church Might Look Like Over the Next 3 – 12 Months” – Christianity Today
• “12 Rules of Church from the CDC” -Resource UMC
• “Resuming Care-filled Worship and Sacramental Life” – Ministry Matters
• “When We Return” – Discipleship Ministries
• Free COVID-19 Testing – Mon/Wed/Fri @ Meharry Medical College
• The Road to Reopening the UMC – Webinar, Video Archvies
• “Encourage Guests to Return with Great Follow-Ups”  –  Resource UMC
• “Churches Have Much to Consider Before Reopening”  – UM News
• How Rural Churches Can Plan to Reopen – Ministry Matters

LICENSING

Churches using hymns or other copyrighted music in their online worship services must have a license to do so – just the same as is required for printed copies of protected music. Several services offer streaming licenses, ranging in price from around $100 for churches with attendance in the 1-25 range, to near $600 for churches with up to 1,100 in attendance. Here are links to the three prominent licensing companies’ tools:

• CCLI – us.ccli.com
• Christian Copyright Solutions – christiancopyrightsolutions.com/services/worshipcast
• One License – onelicense.net

To help churches in this period of coronavirus challenges, here are some special offers and prices:

• United Methodist Book of Worship and UM Hymnal Ritual Resources: United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH) announced it is granting permission to livestream and post online selected content from the United Methodist Book of Worship (BOW). The ritual resources in The United Methodist Hymnal (the standard Sunday service materials, Psalter (but not music), funeral, wedding, and morning and evening prayer) for which UMPH owns copyright are also approved for livestreaming and posting online for a limited time (until August 30).  Read more here.
• CCLI is offering a 10% discount on the first full year of a streaming license for any church wishing to add on to their existing CCLI Copyright License. This offer ends April 30. https:// mailchi.mp/ccli.com/need-to-stream-your-service-resend?e=ccd311dad6
• Hymnary provides the lyrics, full copyright information and real history of the hymns included there. View
• Copyrights and Licenses – see links below for licensing services and resources
  • ResourceUMC: Local Church Learning Session: Copyrights + Licenses

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & ARTICLES

• Tennessee Department of Health coronavirus page
• Tennessee Dept of Health Coronavirus Information Line: 877-857-2945 (10 a.m. to 10 a.m. CT daily)
• Center for Disease Control (CDC)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• Coronavirus: What to know, how to help (UMC.org)
• CDC Handwashing Videos
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): United Methodist updates and resources
• CDC Flier to post or print: Share Facts About COVID-19
• Coronavirus and the Elderly – Resources from ENCORE Ministries