10 Tools to Help Your Church Navigate the Covid-19 Pandemic

Pastors all over the globe are being faced with an enormous challenge. How do we navigate the Covid-19 pandemic in a way that we can continue reaching out to those who don’t yet know Jesus and continue discipling and caring for our flock?

I see three core challenges that we are all trying to navigate right now:

1. How can we communicate effectively?
2. What can we do to keep our people connected?
3. How can we make a difference?

In an effort to help you meet these core challenges head-on, I want to offer you some tools that will help.

10 Tools to Help Your Church Navigate the Covid-19 Pandemic

1. Text in Church // This is a fantastic communication tool that will help you communicate effectively to your church family both during this pandemic and after it’s all over. It integrates with many CMS systems (including Planning Center which is what we use) and has proven to be our most effective tool of communication at FCC where I serve. You can send text messages or emails to large groups, small groups, or your entire church. *They are currently offering a 60-day free membership to help you during this time.*
2. Live Reacting // If you would like to be able to broadcast live without buying a lot of expensive hardware and software, then consider Live Reacting. This affordable software allows you to take pre-recorded video and broadcast it live on Facebook and YouTube. This is what we are using and it has worked well.
3. Zoom // This is a video conferencing tool that can be used in a variety of ways. It has a lot of features and a lot of potential uses. You can use this to conduct staff meetings, group leaders can use it to get their group together, youth ministries can get teens together, and Zoom’s webinar feature could be used to provide additional teaching throughout the week. They have a free version and paid versions.
4. Nucleus // I’ve held to the opinion that most churches are terrible at communication, especially digitally. That’s why most readers of this article need to invest in the full suite of Nucleus. From Brady Shearer and the team at Pro Church Tools, Nucleus offers (1) a simple website builder, (2) a sermon engine that organizes and displays all sermons on your newly designed site, (3) daily, done for you social media posts, and (4) unlimited video media that you can use to enhance your media. Every church should have already fully embraced the possibilities of the internet. Nucleus will help you begin or enhance what you’re already doing.
5. RebelGive // RebelGive is the most affordable online giving platform available on the market. Not surprisingly, it’s another amazing tool from Brady Shearer and the team at Pro Church Tools. The monthly price for the platform is amazingly affordable and they don’t take any cut out of donations and the church doesn’t pay for card processing fees and it’s just a no-brainer. I highly recommend RebelGive.
6. Canva // You don’t need to be an Adobe Suite pro to make graphics for social media. Canva has a lot of templates that you can use as starting points, especially if you don’t have an eye for good design. Utilize Canva so that you can encourage and inspire your church through social media.
7. Buffer // The amount of content your church is producing for social media should be increasing throughout the week, not just on Sundays (hint: this should continue far beyond the Covid-19 Pandemic). And to make sure that your content is getting out to your Facebook page, your Instagram account, and whatever other social channels you utilize, Buffer is a great tool for scheduling it all. They have a free version that will suffice for most churches.
8. YouTube // Odds are, there are some things you’re going to need to learn how to do and for that, YouTube is a great resource. You may need to learn how to make videos, how to go live with your phone to deliver a short devotional, how to create graphics, how to update your website, how to get your church on YouTube, how to get a podcast started, what video camera your church should invest in, what lighting kit your church should get, what microphone would be best to go with your video-making trifecta, and so much more. Make a list of what you don’t know how to do but need to know how to do and then start with one thing and learn from those on YouTube.
9. Your Local Chamber of Commerce Website and Phone Number // With the number of businesses and individuals being negatively impacted by Covid-19 continuing to rise, the church has an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people who are both in and outside of the body. Odds are, your local Chamber of Commerce has a pulse on the needs within the businesses in your community. Reach out to them and see how your church can help.
10. Your Local Government Website and Phone Number // In the same way that you’ll want to reach out to the local Chamber of Commerce, your mayor’s office and city council members would be another good call to make.

Leader, please know that I am praying for you as you lead through uncharted waters. May God lead you and your team to trust Him fully and lead with courage, creativity, diligence, and wisdom.

This is the time for the Church to rise up and flex her faith.

It starts with you.

Let’s do this!

What would you add to this list of tools for navigating the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Leave a comment below, send us a tweet, or join the conversation in our Facebook group for pastors.

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