Resources to empower conferences, congregations and constituents with accurate, reliable information to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to help us care for ourselves and others during the pandemic.
MC USA news and announcements
- Mennonite Church USA Executive Board staff speaks out on Asian American racism and COVID-19
- Register by April 6 for free webinar on virtual tools for youth ministry
- Letter from the Executive Board of Mennonite Church USA (add Indonesian and Spanish links)
- Mennonite Church USA and its agencies respond to COVID-19 pandemic
- Mennonite Church USA postpones meetings amid COVID-19 concerns
- Letter from Glen Guyton about COVID-19 (with video)(tersedia dalam Bahasa Indonesia / Español)
- Mennonite Church USA shares resources for managing coronavirus(tersedia dalam Bahasa Indonesia / Español)
- MHS cancels 2020 Mennonite Health Assembly
- Corinthian Plan Health Coverage Information(See Gray Box)
For updates, visit our news.
Webinars
Mennonite Church USA: Webinar Series
Led by denomination ministers, this webinar series is aimed at helping equip pastors and congregational leaders address pandemic-related faith formation topics, such as rituals around death and dying, youth ministry, and compassion fatigue.
Glen’s Facebook Live
MC USA agency resources
Everence – Visit the Everence COVID-19 support web page
- What churches and organizations should know about the CARES Act.
- Letter from Kenneth D. Hochstetler, president, and CEO, on coronavirus preparedness
- Downloadable tip sheet, “Managing COVID-19, Caring for ourselves and each other.” Also in Español/Spanish.
- Everence offers assistance and relief options during COVID-19 outbreak
- Sharing Fund increase: For the remainder of 2020, Everence is doubling the amount of eligible Everence Sharing Fund grant money available to help churches assist those facing serious financial needs due to COVID-19 – including pastors who may be losing income due to reduced giving in the midst of the epidemic.
- Skip a Pay: For those who have a qualified Everence personal and/or vehicle loan or personal MyNeighbor credit card and are experiencing difficulty in making monthly payments, Everence offers the skip a pay program. Terms and conditions may apply.
- Corporate credit card payment skip: Minimum required payments for corporate MyNeighbor credit cards will be waived for April and May.2Check your monthly credit card statement for more details.
- Student loan forbearance: Through its partner, LendKey, Everence is offering up to 90-days administrative forbearance for student loan borrowers experiencing hardship due to COVID-19. Terms and conditions may apply. To learn more, send an email to care@lendkey.comor call 888-549-9050.
- Church loan forbearance: Congregations with an Everence church loan may be eligible for a payment forbearance. Terms and conditions may apply. To find out if your church qualifies, call 800-451-5719.
- No ATM fees: Everence is no longer charging a fee for withdrawals at an ATM. (Please note that additional fees may be charged by the financial institution who owns the ATM.) Find an ATM near you.
- How Medicare covers coronavirus: For those on a Medicare health plan, learn how Medicare covers costs related to COVID-19 and get more details about telemedicine options.
- Six tips for financial wellness: For those feeling anxiety, worry and stress about personal finances, find some helpful tips in this article by Everence partner, LSS Financial Counseling.
- MDS, Everence and MCC launch COVID-19 Congregational Relief Fund: More than half a million dollars committed to supporting under-resourced Anabaptist and related churches.
- Applications pour in for COVID-19 Congregational Relief Fund: Over 200 applications received since the Fund’s launch on April 13, 2020.
- What to expect with the Economic Impact Payments: Learn about who qualifies, how the checks will arrive, and ways to use the cash.
MennoMedia
- Staying Connected + Staying Safe weekly resource emails that contain:
- Adult Bible study introduction, student text and weekly online supplemental column.
- PDF download of A Time Such As This: Reflections on COVID-19
- Special mini edition ofRejoice! daily devotional
- Rejoice!daily devotional for the week on MennoMedia’s Facebook page
- Take Our Moments and Our Daysweekly prayer download selection.
- Shinechildren’s Sunday school curriculum downloads and online resources.
- Regularly updated resources, such as pertinentLeader articles and free chapters from Herald Press books.
- Voices Togetherdownloadable/streaming song and prayer resource.
- Free resources to help calm the fears of your congregation
- Beyond Our Fears: Following Jesus in Times of Crisis study for adults
- Don’t Be Afraid: Stories of Christians in Times of Trouble for children
Mennonite Education Agency
(MEA) has been offering personal support and professional services webinars to school administrators on how to navigate the CARES Act. In addition, MEA is offering a congregational prayer resource to congregations in its April Prayers for Faith & Learning monthly bulletin.
Mennonite Mission Network
- Mission Network has released $20,000 from its emergency fund to help ministry partners in the U.S. and abroad.
- The Mission Network Church Relations team has launched The Hope Series which includes several Facebook Live events:
- A daily prayer time Monday through Saturday at 1 p.m. EDT.
- A six-part Bible study on Jesus as healer every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. EDT from April 1 – May 6, 2020.
- “Hope Around the World” updates about responses to COVID-19 every Thursday at 4 p.m. EDT.
- Stanley W. Green, executive director for Mission Network, will host webinars to update constituents on Mission Network activities.
MHS
- COVID-19 resource pagewith links to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- MHS e-Connections, a monthly resource newsletter featuring webinars, presentations, book recommendations and more.
Resources for grief and death
- Webinar recording: Gathering to Grieve During COVID-19 from Chaplaincy Innovation Lab:
https://chaplaincyinnovation.org/2020/04/webinar-distance-funerals-complicated-grief-gathering-to-grieve-during-covid19 - How To Talk About The End Of Life In The Age Of The Coronavirus from Here & Now:
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/04/14/coronavirus-advance-health-care-directive
CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security)
- Recorded webinar from MC USA and Everence: Accessing financial resources through the CARES Act
- What churches and organizations should know about the CARES Act.
- “The CARES Act & Your Church Staff: What You Need to Know & 4 Steps to Take Now,” Christianity Today
Worship and devotional resources
- MC USA prayer resources
- MC USA’s 2021 Lent At Home worship resources
- Congregational prayer, entitled “A Prayer for mercy,” written by Carmen Schrock-Hurst
- Prayer for COVID-19 by MC USA Staff
- Spotify worship resources/piano performance tracks of favorite hymns of hope
- Resources for prayer and worship from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary
- Subscribe to Building Faith, the newsletter from Mennonite Early Childhood Network, for faith at home activities.
- Plan De Acción Para Iglesias Latinas COVID-19 – National Latino Evangelical Coalition LINK?
Caring and connecting with others
- The Church’s Role in a Pandemic
- The Time to Act Like a Community is Now
- Community in a Season of Social Distancing by Doug Luginbill
- 100 Ideas for Minsters and Ministry Leaders
- Talking to Children about coronavirus
- How to talk to children about COVID-19 and racism
- Are the Kids OK? 11 Ways to Keep Children and Youth Safe While They’re at Home
- A call to action amidst COVID-19
Livestreaming and Meeting Platforms
For congregations looking to connect virtually, here is information on some of the leading livestream and meeting platforms that our churches are using. Most offer limited free accounts and/or free trials.
- How to Livestream Your Church Service: A Practical Guide (from The Gospel Coalition)
- Top five questions about copyright coverage
- Facebook Live
- Zoom Plan options | Tutorials
- YouTube
- Sermon.net
Scripture Graphics
More coming soon
MC USA conference and related organizations resources
- Central District Conference
- Central Plains
- Franconia/Eastern District Conference
- Indiana Michigan Conference
- Pacific Southwest Conference
- Mennonite Church Canada
- Mountain States Mennonite Conference
Wellness resources
- Intimate partner violence
- Staying safe during COVID-19 from The National Domestic Violence Hotline
24/7 Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (TTY 1-800-787-3224)
- Staying safe during COVID-19 from The National Domestic Violence Hotline
- Mental health care and substance abuse recovery
- National Alliance on Mental Illness: COVID-19 Information and Resources
- Virtual Recovery Resources for Substance Use and Mental Illness from SAMHSA
- Disaster Distress Helpline for crisis counseling and support: 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 (TTY 1-800-846-8517) from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Emotional Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Outbreak
24/7 Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) - CDC: Manage Anxiety and Stress
- In need of food assistance
- Food Assistance
- USDA National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479)
Government health tips and information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Steps to prevent illness
- What to do if you are sick
- Keep work, schools and community safe
- Data on reported cases in the United States
- Guidance for church and community leaders
- Guidance for Businesses and Employers
- Travel updates and recommendations