SEPA Church Together

July 16: Due to increasing cases, indoor gatherings over 25 and outdoor gatherings over 250 are prohibited.

Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties are in GREEN PHASE as of 12:01 am Friday, June 26.

Philadelphia reports High Risk of Community Spread on July 29.

Wearing masks in public is currently required in Pennsylvania.

LATEST UPDATES >   LATEST COVID-19 RESOURCES >

Synod staff and deans continue to work remotely until we can ensure that staff can return to the offices safely. The staff is working hard from home and channels of communication (phone, email) are the same. The staff is in regular touch to coordinate efforts.

Considerations for Reopening Churches

From PA.gov: “Pennsylvania plans to proceed with returning to work cautiously. Broad reopenings or reopenings that are not structured around ongoing social distancing, universal masking, or other public health guidance would likely result in a spike of cases and new stay-at-home and closure orders. Pennsylvania will utilize a three-phase matrix to determine when counties and/or regions are ready to begin easing some restrictions on work, congregate settings, and social interactions.”

Currently the entire synod is in GREEN PHASE .

All congregations/agencies are encouraged to consult with their insurance carrier to determine requirements to maintain coverage when reopening.

Resources

• Bishop Davenport Urges Churches Not to Reopen Until July 1
• Considerations for Churches under PA Process for Reopening
• Considerations for Returning to In-Person Worship (ELCA)   English  |  Spanish
• Safer at Home For Yellow Phase (Philadelphia)
• Decision Tool from Emmanuel, Souderton
• Key Questions to Ask Before Resuming In-Person Gatherings
• CDC Interim Guidance for Faith Communities (May 23)
• CDC FAQs for Administrators and Leaders at Community- and Faith-Based Organizations (May 24)
• CDC Decision Trees (distributed at 5/7 NCC Webinar)
• CDC Decision Tree for Workplaces
• Bishop Eaton on CNN Discussing Reopening Churches:

From Other Faith Communities

• New York Annual Conference UMC Guidelines for Church Reopening
• Oregon Synod, ELCA
• Wisconsin Council of Churches

Worship Resources

• Resources for Worship in the Home are posted weekly at blogs.ELCA.org/Worship.
• Worship in Times of Public Health Concerns English | Spanish
• Prayers for Times of Public Health Concern: COVID-19/Coronavirus English | Spanish
• How to stream your worship service — A starter guide English | Spanish
• Intercessory Prayers in the midst of the spread of COVID-19 from the Lutheran World Federation English | Spanish
• Guidance for funeral practices during a health crisis Download

Faith Formation Resources

• Faith at Home | Resources from ELCA Faith Formation
• Faith formation guide
• Bible study
• Prayer Ventures
• Faith Practices – Living Our Baptism
• Lectionary
• Sparkhouse Family Sunday School
• ​Sunday School @ Home: From Dan Fugate of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod
• Faith Finder Fun: Mon-Sat Videos: Backyard Monday, Treasure Tuesday, Creative Wednesday, Magic Thursday, Science Friday and Random Sat.
• ​Illustrated Ministry: Free Devotionals and Coloring Pages
• Morning Watch: Daily videos with scripture/song/prayer – one for everyone, one specifically for kids and families. (From 2 ELCA pastors in NC)
• ​Free Church Lesson, Bulletins, and Activity Sheets for Children
• Pandemic Hope: A Family Devotional

PRESIDING BISHOP’S MESSAGES >   SPANISH LANGUAGE RESOURCES >

Congregational Administration and Support

• Guides for Finding Community Assistance Resources by State
• FAQ on Paycheck Protection Program Loans English | Spanish | Watch the Video
• Considerations for Remote Council and Congregation Meetings During the COVID-19 Pandemic English | Spanish
• Update and Resources on COVID-19-related Benefits for ELCA Congregations, Synods, Other Ministries and their Employees English | Spanish
• Families First Coronavirus Response Act – UCC Update English | Spanish
• Summary of Cares Act Provisions | Read the document.
• Response to COVID-19 from ELCA presiding bishop English | Spanish
• Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton has issued a statement in response to concerns about the spread of COVID-19. Read the full statement.
• Lutheran Disaster Response, Our Impact on the Coronavirus.
• How to stream your worship service — A starter guide English | Spanish
• Congregational Planning Checklist for Public Health Concerns English | Spanish
• ELCA advocacy is present in policy discernment and information sharing.
• ELCA presiding bishop issues pastoral message in response to COVID-19 pandemic | Read the news release.

Photo by Daniel McCullough on Unsplash

Updated: May 28, 2020, 6:00 pm, by Bob Fisher