*YES this is how Jesus would look doing Faith at Home! You are not alone.
Coronavirus Specific:Pandemic Hope: A Family Devotional for Life During Covid-19 by a collective of Lutheran leaders.
Milestone Ministries: Coronavirus milestone for small gatherings and households.
Illustrated Ministry: Offers free weekly coloring pages and devotionals during the pandemic.
Home Grown Faith: Curated List by Faith Formation guru Linda Staats for such a time as this.
Guide to Self-Care for Families Together at Home - from SALT
Giving in Times of Crisis: Helps and Tips from Vanco
Talking to Children about COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource
https://www.nasponline.org/…/talking-to-children-about-covi… This is a comprehensive resource authored by the National Association of School Psychologists. Coronavirus, Anxiety, Children and the Church https://buildfaith.org/coronavirus-anxiety-children-and-th…/ Great, practical advice from the “Building Faith” website based at Virginia Theological Seminary (Episcopal). Helping Children with Scary News https://www.sallylloyd-jones.com/helping-children-with-sc…/… A blog post by New York Times bestselling children’s author Sally Lloyd-Jones focused on helping children process scary news. Helping Children and Teens Cope with Anxiety https://pulse.seattlechildrens.org/helping-children-and-te…/ A guide from Children’s Hospital in Seattle with strategies to help children and teens cope with anxiety related to the coronavirus. 10 Guidelines for Pastoral Care During the Coronavirus Outbreak- from Christian Century come some timely reminders
Ten Tech Tips for Meeting Online - NEXT Church has been operating virtually for the past 7+ years, so we are super familiar with meeting online! Mostly, we have used Zoom, so we refer to that platform here, but we hope these tips will translate across different platforms.
Lutheran Schools: Best Practice Advice
Also our ELEA schools are being inventive in these times, including inviting parents into faith at home practices such as this one from:
We have created a daily Zoom meeting - from 9-9:30. We have the following schedule: Breathing Cards Story Time (books read with permission from publishers - some faith based some SEL books) Movement time: Yoga, Brain Gym, Tapping, Mindful movements, Dancing (we choose one for the day) Reading and sharing a daily calendar entry from our SEL program Choose Love - today was Gratitude Sing a song together Positive Affirmations together Saying Good bye/prayer Dee Dee Thurber, Chapel School Director 603-882-6142 x 140, 3 Lutheran Drive Nashua NH 03063 
Easter Egg Hunt Reimagined in Times of Covid-19:
Some churches are planning Holy week/Easter surprise packages. Option A) mailing them out Option B) “drive through” pick up on Palm Sunday We'll include a craft, Holy week/Easter story, coloring pages. Maybe candy and an empty egg. -- Carole Joyce, CENetwork Morning Watch on YouTube: Hey y'all, my brother and I are both ELCA pastors in Greensboro, NC and we also happen to live two houses down from each other, so we're treating our two families like one big family hunkered down together during this isolation time (we make this clear in this video so people know we're taking distancing seriously). When we were on staff at Camp Lutheridge in NC we started every day with "morning watch," an opening word for the day that centers us in scripture, music and prayer. We decided to make some videos together and we're going to put two out each morning: one called Morning Watch which is simple scripture/song/prayer and is meant to be an encouraging word for everyone, and a second called Morning Watch Kids which is geared specifically for young folks and their families, with the idea of encouraging families to make faith conversation a regular part of their time at home together. http://bit.ly/MorningWatch
https://www.facebook.com/MorningWatch20/videos/652293508853323/UzpfSTUwMDMwMzQ0MDozNDI4Nzk4MDgwNDgwMzcx/?fref=nf 
Dear Friends, GenOn Ministries is here to help while you are sheltering in place and social distancing. GenOn has some easy ideas for using our much-loved Sunday LIFT (Living in Faith Together) at home.
We’re giving away two free Spring sessions to gather around the kitchen table, coffee table, picnic blanket, or anywhere food is shared. Use it for any meal or snack time, any day of the week, to break bread, study the Bible, play, and pray—together. It’s a fun and easy way to add a faith and fun component to mealtime. Maybe with grandparents or friends over Zoom or FaceTime? It could become a new Sunday morning or Friday night tradition! Click here to access your free sessions from our website. 
Holy Week Tenebrea for Families - from SALT
TheoEd: Leading thinkers in the church and the academy giving the talk of their lives in 20 minutes or less. Discussion Guides included.
ChurchNext: So we're offering two free courses: Bridging the Political Divide with Parker Palmer and Make Me an Instrument of Peace: A Guide to Civil Discourse, sponsored by the Office of Government Relations of The Episcopal Church. These courses are aimed at helping us have effective discourse across political and social divisions - modeling Christ's teaching and instructions for us to be reconcilers.
These courses join another free offering called Prayer and Worship in Our Homes, a free 5-course class open to anyone who would like to take it. In this course, you will find five classes that teach different approaches to prayer. Some focus on particular types of prayer discipline. Others talk about reaching out and praying with others, even when we’re physically isolated from one another. You can use these classes remotely in a couple of different ways. You can either: Have individuals within your parish take the course on their own, or Meet in a zoom-style online classroom and take a class together. In that case, you would guide the students through the classes, opening with prayer, watching the videos together, and then offering opportunities for discussion using the course discussion questions. Resources from the ELCA Faith Practices Ministry
The website: www.elca.org/faithpractices has a variety of resources for individuals and congregations to use not only during our current global crisis, but as tools for faith formation at any time. On the website listed above are bible studies for each Sunday for the entire three year Lectionary cycle. The Daily Faith Practices Bible Studies focus on the promises made at baptism, which are called, “The Five Gifts of Discipleship” in the Faith Practices Ministry. These promises/gifts are: To live among God’s faithful people To hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s Supper To proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed To serve all people following the example of Jesus To strive for justice and peace in all the earth. The Daily Faith Practices Bible Studies are based on the second lesson. In addition to the Daily Faith Practices Bible Studies, there are also bible studies posted called, “Daily Discipleship.” These bible studies were developed during the Call to Discipleship Initiative of the ELCA, when the emphasis was on 7 faith practices: Pray; Study; Worship; Encourage; Give; Serve and Invite. Even though the Call to Discipleship Initiative is no longer emphasized in the ELCA, some congregations continue to use the Daily Discipleship bible studies in their ministries. These bible studies are based on the Gospel lesson. Also on the website are a variety of resources related to the “Five Gifts of Discipleship” ministry. For each liturgical season there are activities that can be done based on the promises of baptism. In addition, there is a bible study on the baptismal promises and a bible study connecting “Fruit of the Spirit” and the baptismal promises. If you to the heading on the website titled “Other” (found above and to the right of an array of pdf. materials), you will find additional resources that are highlighted below: An Intergenerational Curriculum on the Affirmation of Baptism is a resource by Rev. Dr. Craig Nessan of Wartburg seminary that can be used by a group of various generations that want to talk about their faith, and how faith and vocation are connected. The “Going Deeper: A Journey with Jesus” are a group of books that can be found on Amazon that provide groups the opportunity to talk about discipleship as they strive to grow in faith, love and obedience to God’s will. A “hot off the press” resource is an on-line book by Rev. Dave Daubert titled, “The Incarnational Preacher.” This downloadable book focuses on enhancing a preacher’s skill in preaching about discipleship. It is a great read, especially if you are seeking an inspirational resource during this time of crisis. For additional information, please e-mail Rev. Brenda K. Smith, Program Director for Faith Practices and the Book of Faith at Brenda.Smith@elca.org |
Faith Specific:Lutheran Pastor Heather Roth Johnson and her team are creating a faith at home YouTube channel entitled “Faith Finder Fun!” They will offer Monday-Friday faith videos with Backyard Monday, Treasure Tuesday, Creative Wednesday, Magic Thursday, Science Friday and Random Saturday! It’s a free resource for your families:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXlPsIx_Ov1u8Z-QOOCQDrw/?guided_help_flow=5&disable_polymer=true&fbclid=IwAR0v5dk9aQOM5NDU3iZSZZpHVUJKXrrrUkQoECRI6Vu2WaaGPRlphf33xZc From A Sanctified Art: In our efforts to support you through this time, we are creating a few supplemental resources for you to use in your Sunday worship or share with those who are stuck at home:
Praying in Color - Sybil MacBeth Why Pray in Color?
1) You want to pray but words escape you. 2) Sitting still and staying focused in prayer are a challenge. 3) Your body wants to be part of your prayer. 4) You want to just hang out with God but don’t know how. 5) Listening to God feels like an impossible task . 6) Your mind wanders and your body complains. 7) You want a visual, concrete way to pray. 8) You Need a new way to pray. 
Storypath - Storypath is a website that connects children's literature with our stories of faith by providing concise but detailed book reviews. Extra bonus...it aligns with the lectionary and comes out WEEKS ahead of time so you can be sure to get the book from the library or buy it BEFORE you need it.
Faith Fix - For families or churches you can order a Faith Fix box and have intentional interactive faith activities and devotions at home. Created by an ELCA Children's minister, each box covers a variety of themes.
Lutheran Outdoor Ministry's Daily Bread Ministries has partnered with the Christian Camp and Conference Association to provide a 30- day devotional guide for junior and senior high.
Faith@Home -The Episcopal Church provides a year-round weekly email that will include four separate lectionary based reflections and prompts for families (however that is defined) and friend groups. Each section is written by one of our diverse contributors with a specific pairing in mind--Adult to Littles, Adult to Middles , Adult to Bigs and Adult to Adult --so families of all types and sizes can dive deeper into the scriptures together. Additionally, each week will feature one unifying question that reaches across all four reflections.
We are thrilled to share with you a Mini Mess - a do at home Messy Church for you to share with your families.
https://messychurchusa.org/bringing-home-the-mess/ Worship Services:ELCA Worship in the Home Resource - A Service of the Word following the lectionary.
Churchwide Livestreams Weekly Wednesday Chapel Service of the Word:
https://join-noam.broadcast.skype.com/elca.org/0be1d3dcd1a94f20add02e3b5fbb152f Join LSTC, Lutheran School of Theology, online, starting March 23, every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 11:15am Central for daily worship led by Rev. Erik Christensen, pastor to the community, and our fine chapel staff. Learn more on our website.
A Remembrance of Baptism During Global Pandemic: By Lutheran Pastor Collette Broady Grund.
Teen Candle Time: Example from the ELCA Core Leadership Team
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Lockdown - Brother Richard Hendrick
Yes there is fear. Yes there is isolation. Yes there is panic buying. Yes there is sickness. Yes there is even death. But, They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise You can hear the birds again. They say that after just a few weeks of quiet The sky is no longer thick with fumes But blue and grey and clear. They say that in the streets of Assisi People are singing to each other across the empty squares, keeping their windows open so that those who are alone may hear the sounds of family around them. They say that a hotel in the West of Ireland Is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound. Today a young woman I know is busy spreading fliers with her number through the neighbourhood So that the elders may have someone to call on. Today Churches, Synagogues, Mosques and Temples are preparing to welcome and shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting All over the world people are looking at their neighbours in a new way All over the world people are waking up to a new reality To how big we really are. To how little control we really have. To what really matters. To Love. So we pray and we remember that Yes there is fear. But there does not have to be hate. Yes there is isolation. But there does not have to be loneliness. Yes there is panic buying. But there does not have to be meanness. Yes there is sickness. But there does not have to be disease of the soul Yes there is even death. But there can always be a rebirth of love. Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now. Today, breathe. Listen, behind the factory noises of your panic The birds are singing again The sky is clearing, Spring is coming, And we are always encompassed by Love. Open the windows of your soul And though you may not be able to touch across the empty square, Sing. |