Member Church News: Pandemic Praying, Multi-media Responses

For more than 50 years, God’s Squad motorcycle ministry has been reaching out to men considered by many to be outlaws in Australia.

Two ways to pray during the pandemic: breath prayer eases anxiousness, prayer walking and physical distancing.

The medical, social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been immense. Amid the suffering we can draw hope from the way individuals and communities have stepped up to help each other through these hard times.

An upcoming webinar as well as a newly released publication will serve as tools for ministry, offering examples of “best practices” from churches across the world that are taking their ministry and services online because of COVID-19.

Katherine Marshall, a senior fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and professor of the practice of development, conflict, and religion at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, says that messages of religious leaders have “extraordinary importance.”

Persons with disabilities may be even more vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they have also shown resiliency and wisdom that can be shared across the world.

A sampling of online responses to the pandemic:

• A prayer in the time of COVID-19 from Youg Soonjong, moderator of Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea.
• A weekly Bach concert against the virus by Organist Elie Jolliet
• A one man bell choir performing “Simple Gifts”
• An organ sing-along (in Dutch) to “God Zal Zorgen” (God Will Take Care) with organist Martin Zonnenberg