Our Church, Our Neighbors, & COVID-19

synod office hours

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays: 10 AM - 2 PM

Meetings with individuals on the synod staff will continue to be by-appointment, as not all staff may be on site during these hours. Please contact the staff member you wish to meet with directly.

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Reflections During Times Apart:

• “A Sermon for Those Who Missed Church This Weekend” Written by Bishop Kurt Kusserow

• “A Sermon for a Sequestered Synod” Written by Bishop Kurt Kusserow

• “A Brief Commentary on St. Matthew’s Passion as we Prepare to be Apart for Holy Week and Easter” Written by Bishop Kurt Kusserow

• “Holy Communion under Quarantine” by written by Tim Wengert

Best Practices For Safe Ministry Gatherings

• Guide to Online Congregation Meetings
  PDF | PowerPoint

• Guidance for Congregation Served by Interim Pastors

• CDC Resources for Community and Faith-Based Leaders

• EPA Registered Disinfectants for Use Against Covid-19

The Church's Response:

• Considerations for Returning to In-person Worship

• Worship Resource:
  Worship in Times of Public Health Concerns

• Worship Resource:
  Prayers for Times of Public Health Concern: COVID-19/Coronavirus

• Resources for Worship in the Home

• ELCA Considerations for Remote Council and Congregation Meetings During the COVID-19 Pandemic Document

• Guidance for Funeral Practices During a Health Crisis

Online Resources:

• Recorded Webinar from Practical Church Resources: "Getting Started with Church Online: Sharing what we know to help with online worship, Bible studies, and meetings"

• Metro New York Synod's Beginner’s Guide to Livestreaming for Church Leaders offers excellent step-by-step instructions

• Caffienated Church's Live Video article offers suggestions for equipment and which streaming platform to select

• Please note that your services or events may contain music that is copyright protected. In order to avoid any potential issues, Augsburg Fortress is temporarily expanding permission for all ELCA congregations and worshiping communities to include Augsburg Fortress administered liturgical text and liturgical music copyrights in a livestream or podcast through May 31, 2020. You have permission to livestream or podcast ALL liturgy and music content under copyright to or administered by Augsburg Fortress when that content is being used for worship. No reporting is required. You are also free to use any Public Domain Hymns.

• A more interactive alternative to live streaming is video conferencing. The Synod Office uses Zoom which has expanded it's free account features during the Covid19 Crisis. Get started with Zoom by reading this beginner's guide. You may share this video with your congregants for instructions on how to join a meeting.

• For meetings without the need for internet access, FreeConferenceCall.com allows you to create call-in conference call numbers at no charge. The administrator will need internet access to set up.

• To utilize text messaging, there are two good options: For one-way messaging, Remind is a free application. For text conversations, GroupMe is also free but more interactive.

• Congregations may be concerned about how to support the work of their ministries if in-person gathering is paused. For congregations looking for online giving, the ELCA has negotiated with preferred vendors who can quickly respond with options

Public Information:

• From the Pennsylvania Department of Health:
  Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Updates

• From Allegheny County:
  Information for Residents