COVID-19 Faith Resources

Resources and responses from a faith perspective to help provide spiritual centering, updated information and suggestions on what you can do in these times to practice community and keep each other safe.

 
 

PEACEMAKING IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

AN ARTICLE SERIES FROM BPFNA

Click here to access what has been submitted so far. If you have something to submit, please send that to allison@bpfna.org.

RESOURCES FOR REOPENING

PRAYERS

HYMNS

ARTICLES

GUIDES

STATEMENTS

PLEDGES & PETITIONS

From Auburn Seminary

FROM FAITH IN ACTION

  • Sign this petition to demand equitable access to testing, treatment and financial support.

From Faith in Public Life

  • Sign this petition to tell President Trump that People of Faith rebuke a COVID-19 Easter Massacre.

From New Baptist Covenant

  • Sign onto this letter to tell President Trump that People of Faith denounce his use of racist language to describe COVID-19.

From the Poor Peoples’ Campaign

  • Sign this petition to tell US President Donald Trump to expand the emergency provisions to care for people in need.

OTHER ACTIONS

From the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship:

  • Call your legislators - demand they support a comprehensive response, including paid sick days

  • Support your local bail and bond funds - working to get people free from prisons and detention centers where the risk for infection is especially high.

  • Stop xenophobia and support small businesses - order from your local Chinese restaurant, shop from small businesses online, buy gift cards for future purchases. We know our response has to be greater than consumerism, but where possible, our dollars can support our neighbors' jobs and health care.

  • Let's get creative about connection - we are going to learn a lot together about how to connect in new ways during this time.

From The Resistance Prays:

  • In your faith community, organizing grocery delivery/drop off to anyone who needs it.

  • Creating phone trees to call isolated folks.

  • Setting up some videoconferences throughout the day to talk about other fun random things and take our minds off of virus talk for a moment. 

From the Fellowship of Reconciliation

  • Prayer Petition

    The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the fear and panic as well as the tragic suffering and death occurring around our planet. At the same time it is revealing the good will efforts of countless people and organizations in the world working to combat this invisible killer. At its core however, COVID-19 underscores more than ever that we are a world community that is profoundly connected across race, religion, geography and nationality. 

    The paradox at the heart of this crisis is that we are asked to help one another by not congregating together. The need to come together, to reconcile with one another is fundamentally human but in this unique moment the Fellowship of Reconciliation offers up the best alternative we know to encourage hope and solidarity…prayer. 

    We invite you to offer up prayers by sending them to us at prayers@forusa.org. We will be updating our webpage and our social media with the prayers submitted. When sending your prayer, if applicable, please include your organization name and title. Let us hold one another in prayer during this challenging time.

From Our Partner Congregations

  • Madison Avenue Baptist Church (New York, NY) has created a weekly schedule where there is something each day for people to look forward to and participate in. Click here for an example of what this looks like and think through ways to adapt for your own congregation or community.

  • Old Cambridge Baptist Church (Cambridge, MA): Maintaining community and avoiding social isolation

    • Host occasional All Church Check-ins over Zoom (or another platform) so congregants can drop in and share with each other how they’re doing during this time of social distancing.

    • Create a shared space (like a Google Photos page) where everyone can upload photos and messages to share what they are up to while at home.

  • University Baptist Church (Columbus, OH) has created a local community resource list. Click here to see what they included and think through ways to adapt for your own community.

  • Vienna Baptist Church (Vienna, VA) has some ideas around Practicing Community in the time of COVID-19 that can be adjusted to your own contexts.

From Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)

Other

  • Create your own hand sanitizer and combine this in packets with disinfecting wipes (if available), gloves, masks and acetaminophen to distribute to the unhoused. This will help save lives and hopefully slow the transmission of the virus among an extremely vulnerable population. As long as you have access to getting the supplies, it is relatively easy to make your own sanitizer (the recipe below creates a sanitizer at 70%). 

    • 700 mL of 100% isopropanol OR 860 mL of 190 Proof grain alcohol

    • Take it up to 1000 mL with Aloe vera, baby gel, or hair gel (for moisturizing)

    • Add a few drops of fragrance (optional)

    • Shake well

  • Practice Mutual Aid - Talk to your neighbors about how to safely provide resources and services to those most vulnerable in your communities. 

SELF CARE

OTHER RESOURCES

TECHNICAL RESOURCES

  • Zoom Best Practices: Keeping Control as Host

    A Twitter thread from Alex Miller

  • Zoom Best Practices

    An infographic from Anita Peebles

  • Copyright Permissions for Virtual Worship

    from the Mecklenburg Ministries e-newsletter • If you have moved or are moving to virtual worship, 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.