Coronavirus: Faith, not fear
Leaders from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Presbyterian Office of Theology and Worship continue to stress that while it’s important to remain vigilant and alert to potential dangers from this virus, we must continue to trust in God through all developments, “remaining calm in a time of distress, extending compassion to those who are suffering, and praying for the healing of the world.”
Commonsense measures churches can take now
The Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) urges congregations to make decisions about worshiping in person based on what’s best for their community and for the people gathered for worship. The decision on whether church services should be canceled “is between each congregation and their presbytery leaders,” the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, said. “They need to determine what is best for their community and the individuals who gather for worship.”
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has released a “Preparedness for Pandemics” guide that contains commonsense measures that churches and individuals can take to keep themselves and their communities safe. Some of those measures include:
Churches:
- Encourage members to stay home if they are sick.
- In addition to encouraging members to wash their hands, have alcohol-based hand sanitizers (containing at least 60% alcohol) in easily accessible areas, like outside of bathrooms or at entrances.
- In church chapels or other publicly used spaces, increase diligence around cleaning and sanitizing.
- Possible modifications to church services, which are up to the discretion of the pastor and other church leaders:
- During communion, avoiding the shared loaf of bread and common cup.
- Fist-bumping, waving or nodding during the passing of the peace.
- Consider providing education resources for members that encourage best health practices.
- Reinforce to worshipers that whether they participate in any part of the life of the church is up to them and that other worshipers should honor those decisions and avoid making judgements.
Worshipers:
- Participate in worship and other church activities to your own level of comfort.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Wash your hands regularly and supplement with alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
- Avoid touching your face.
The Preparedness for Pandemics guide can be found here in English, Spanish and Korean languages.
Stay informed
As the status of COVID-19 changes, it is important to stay up to date on the latest information from the following organizations:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov
- The World Health Organization: www.who.int
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: www.hhs.gov
Meeting Virtually
Depending on the needs and context of the community, pastors and other congregational leaders may consider worshiping virtually. The following is an excerpt from the Presbyterian News Service. The full article, which includes additional resources, can be read here.
Hybrid Gatherings. Many congregations will begin to experiment with live-streaming by providing a way for some people (particularly those who are home- or hospital-bound) to join an existing public gathering by viewing the video feed. In these cases, the order of worship may remain the same for those gathered in person (with the exception of new practices around passing the peace and communion). Leaders should find ways to acknowledge and connect with online participants before, during and after the service, so they don’t feel isolated from the community. Musical selections that will appear in the video should be in the public domain (see below) or must be omitted from the live-streaming portion of the service.
Daily Prayer. Services of daily prayer — such as those found in the “Book of Common Worship” (WJKP, 2018) or “Glory to God” (WJKP, 2013), or in the PC(USA) Daily Prayer app — are good options for the order of worship when a congregation is gathering primarily or only in virtual space. The primary ingredients of such services are psalms, other Scriptures, and prayers of thanksgiving and intercession. A sermon or meditation may be included after the reading of Scripture.
Platforms for Streaming. Commonly used and widely accessible platforms for video-conferencing and live-streaming include Facebook Live, Google Hangout, Periscope, Skype, YouTube and Zoom.
Copyright Permission. Be advised that a standard license for congregational songs from OneLicense or CCLI will not cover rights and permissions to live-stream the words or music of copyrighted hymns/songs; a special broadcast/streaming license must be purchased. Additionally, anthems, hymn arrangements, and other musical offerings under copyright are not covered by such licenses. These require further permission to broadcast. For this reason, leaders just beginning to explore live-streaming are advised to select hymns and songs in the public domain. For service music and anthems that will be live-streamed, consider using a hymn in the public domain.
Gratis streaming licenses are now available from OneLicense through April 15. This will cover a great deal of the copyrighted material in Glory to God. (You can search here to find out what is covered: https://www.onelicense.net.)
[Please note that the above guidelines are provided to assist pastors and other leaders in offering services of worship in a faithful and effective way. These suggestions are offered with temporary or emergency situations in mind, not for long-term use in live-streaming worship services. Also be aware that this document is not intended as medical or legal advice; consult a doctor or attorney as needed.]
Additional Resources
- Preparedness for Pandemics by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
- Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of Theology and Worship Pastoral Statement on the Coronavirus/COVID-19.
- Light Our Way, an ecumenical guidebook provided by the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters.
- Stated Clerk’s advisory opinion about the pandemic as it relates to the Constitution of the church
- News:
- "Church Attendance is an Individual Choice”
- Coronavirus: Faith not fear
- Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Releases pandemic preparedness guide
- A Call to Prayer from the Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
- Presbyterian seminaries respond to COVID-19 with caution, preparation » Korean | Spanish
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