Thread by @dianabutlerbass

Church leaders: With many congregations expanding online services, please remember that older members often don't know how to access these platforms & technologies. In addition to offering online worship, giving, community, congregations need to TEACH members how to use such!

Now is a great time to offer tutorials in social media, using tools like Zoom & Skype, as well as online giving. Think of this as providing an important part of a "quarantine survival kit."

Use your imagination - members can be encouraged not only to attend and give visually, but you can help them connect with each other and others who may be shut in to create a community of prayer and encouragement. Online connection w/each other can be real ministry.

Also: Develop a list of "trusted sources." Give people links to pages, resources, communities w/updated information and are low on fear-tactics.

Provide the links, not just the names of organizations. There are people who actually do not know how to "google" something.

You can also help people navigate between good news sources and fake news, a skill needed for other things beyond the coronavirus!

Please don't make people feel bad about needing such a class/tutorial. This is about providing online survival skills, not about ageism or luddite-ism. Keep it as fun, informative & respectful as possible. These are folks w/tons of life experience, often just not in technology.

Also: begin to think creativity about expanding food delivery to congregants, perhaps pet care services, and distributing books from your church library, audio books, etc.

*virtually, not visually (weird typo! sorry!)

Pastoral calls through FaceTime or Skype.

Online Bible studies or reading groups through Zoom.

If your church isn't strongly impacted by the virus, you'll have a more tech savvy congregation on the other side of all this! People will have learned new skills. And that's a good thing.

Being at home doesn't have to mean isolation. Make sure people understand there are ways to maintain ties of community, to talk w/others, have needs met.

Knowing there are others who care, others who are there for you and with you lessens fear.

Encourage people to start/keep a gratitude journal now. Jot down 2 or 3 gratitudes each night (or AM).

"If you're grateful, you're not fearful." - Br. David Steindl-Rast

It helps. Really. Make it a congregation-wide practice. Invite people to post gratitudes on your FB page.

Offering new learning, keeping people connected, inviting folks to a positive spiritual practice - this will all lower fear, keep spirits up, help people navigate confusing times.

Be the church. This is a great chance to shine God's light of love and hope!

A couple of further issues:

1) Perhaps local pastors/rabbis could urge senior centers to broadcast live-stream services, providing a range of Protestant, RC, Jewish, etc options for shut-ins.

2) If your congregation can, create a tech lending library of iPads, old laptops, etc., for people who don't have equipment. Have folks who can donate/loan (working) unused equipment that shut-ins, poorer folks can use to stay connected.

3) You can also begin to address some justice issues here - of the digital divide (thanks to a Methodist bishop friend of mine for pointing this out!). Make people aware of access concerns in your neighborhood, the rural/urban divide, how poverty inhibits online connection.

Further suggestion from @BishopOliveto - Your local public librarian may be able to provide resources - perhaps even teaching - to you & your congregation. Libraries are GREAT free resources for all of us! Also, check for assistance from public high school teachers, too!

Important for church/congregational leaders: YOU ARE NOT ALONE EITHER in dealing with this. Reach out. Avail yourself to the wonderful resources in your community to make your people safer, keep doing ministry, and caring for the lonely and scared.