Resources for Pastors – How To Do Church in Light of COVID-19?

Posted On March 18, 2020 By Peter In Leadership

As many of you know, Substance is helping 100’s of churches respond to the Corona Crisis. We’ve been flooded with hundreds of questions (from church tech to church legal issues). SO, I created this page as a resource for pastors. Keep in mind, I modify this almost every week! (And things change fast). So, take some time to go through the following videos and pdfs.

Case Study: How are Churches prepping to Reopen? – Case Studies Reopening Churches COVID19

Description: How can we prep for reopening? How do we keep our church members safe? What are churches doing around the world to do physical church in light of government regulations?

VIDEO – Backstage Tour of Substance’s Digital Church – [Click Here]

Description: From Virtual Foyers to Virtual Growth Tracks: With the Corona virus affecting services, Peter explains how Substance is going way beyond simple live-streaming. Here’s how to integrate people into your digital church! From how they’re rethinking worship (for a distracting living room) and reorganizing their church around “Micro-campuses” (a.k.a. Zoom Small Groups.)

For the Nerdy Technological description of how we do digital church, click Substance-Church-Online-Streaming-101.pdf

To get the LifeChurch software platform (to stream your church service) click here

Video: How to Think differently during COVID-19 – Philosophical shifts for Pastors – [Click Here]

Description: With the Corona Virus Bans on gatherings, how can we lead differently? What are some basic philosophical shifts we can make during this season that will keep our churches strong. Pastor Peter introduces the basic concept of Micro-campuses and how they can function as a place-holder until the meeting ban lifts. – Transcript Version Here: PastoralShifts_COVID19

Video: How We’re Communicating to Our People about “Digital Church” – [Click Here]

Description: Pastor Peter explains to Substance many of the upgrades they’re making to the website this weekend and how church members can prepare for this mega-shift right now. From virtual foyers to virtual small groups – how fast can we reinvent ourselves as a digital church?

Additional Worship Resources: Feel free to use worship videos from “Substance I/O” – Dozens more coming that are designed for your living room! But here’s a start:

Video: Preach from your Kitchen table: Essential video tech toys to improve your media – [Click Here]

Description: With the Corona virus bans on gatherings, pastors need to turn to video preaching. But, we may not even be able to have a video team to help us. So, Pastor Peter explains how to have a bug-out bag filled with video tech. What the basic equipment that every pastor needs to preach anywhere at any time? From microphones to Iphone lenses, get ready for cheap solutions that work without a tech genius. For extended Printable Gear List: Equipment List for Video Bag

Kids Media Resources — Pastor your Kids while They’re at Home – [Here]

Description: In the coming days, there will be a lot of extra family time at home. So here are some spiritually enriching things to READ, WATCH and DO. These are some of our favorite resources for scripture engagement, Bible story videos & some encouragement for mom & dad too!

How to Facilitate Small Groups on “Zoom” Teleconferencing Platform: [Here]

Description: Teach your small group leaders the basics on using this powerful platform. Social distancing doesn’t have to mean, “social isolating!”

“Micro-campus” Leadership Training – Week 1 – Establish a New Habit: [Here]

Description: Micro-campuses are basically “digital small groups” that meet on Zoom two times a week: (1). 45 min. Before church; and (2). Wednesday Nights (after I give my “Wednesday Briefing” (a state of the church talk). In this video, Pastor Peter gives tips to their new Micro-campus leaders on how to “Get a win” in the first couple weeks of these new groups.

Here is the FAQ document on our “Micro-campus” Strategy that we give to our leaders: [Here]

Here is the FAQ document on our “Micro-campus” Strategy that we give to our attendees: [Here]

Substance Church Online Streaming 101 [Here]

Description: As we navigate this era of an all digital church, there have been lots of questions on how Substance has set up online streaming. Many churches are experiencing “streaming fails” because they aren’t setting up the “back-end” aspects of their digital church. Above is a document put together by one of our IT staff members.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Want to know how to communicate this to your church? Want to know about legal and financial ideas? How about copywrite laws for streaming? Or Kids or teleconferencing software? See Below!

Check out the Association of Related Churches Resource Page here: https://www.arcchurches.com/covid19

My mentor Chris Hodges has some incredible Resources on COVID-19 at GROW LEADER.com

Lastly, my friend Marc Estes pastors an incredible church with thoughtful resources here: https://mannahouse.church/resources

How to Create a Quarantine Routine – a Peter Haas blog filled with Advice for Church Members