Being Church in the Time of COVID-19
ELCA Coaching Ministry’s Response
“What is the next most faithful step we can take?”
ELCA Coaching Ministry would like to add our voice to those across our denomination and country speaking into this unique time of concern and care.
Many of us are in conversations that have revealed the extraordinary stress that COVID-19 and the associated fall-out has placed upon our faith communities and leaders. It has been said multiple times and in many different ways, “We don’t know how to be a leader in the midst of a deadly pandemic, and we don’t have all the answers.” Indeed, this is true.
We also recognize that getting through this means working together as God invites us in 1Corinthians 12 – the body of Christ, utilizing and recognizing all parts/resources; and most importantly, knowing that when one suffers, we all suffer; when one rejoices, we all rejoice.
ELCA’s Coaching Ministry wants to provide a platform for us to do this together. On a weekly basis we will be offering a ZOOM opportunity for leaders to gather in conversation around various topics related to: Being the Church in the Time of COVID-19.
Our conversations will follow this template:
- Welcome and centering with scripture
- Short presentation on the topic area
- Break-out into small groups with discussion facilitated by an ELCA Coach
- Gather back in the larger plenary for a short debrief and time of prayer
The goal of these gatherings is to offer a safe, even brave, space for our leaders to come together and name out loud what they are experiencing and to figure out what possible action steps they might take to move forward in this new reality.
We engage in this endeavor knowing that we do not know all of the answers, but we do know that figuring out what a next step looks like is easier in collaboration and in an atmosphere of proclaiming the promises of God (hear: “We are church together”).
Our intent is to offer these types of conversations and spaces weekly. Topics and content will shift depending on the needs of those that attend.
COVID-19 will continue to impact our lives and our work in ministry, and eventually we will realize life has morphed into some new sense of normal. When this happens, I hope the world will also reach a new understanding – that we are all connected and better together than apart. As church, we have a unique opportunity to model what this looks like. Let’s show up tomorrow (and the next day, and the day after that) knowing that God meets us there – expecting that God has provided all we need for our next steps, and recognizing that we need one another to take them.
We intend to post recordings of the presentations and follow-up documents on our website: elcacoaching.org
See you online. Dates, times and links to our ZOOM sessions are below:
Wednesday, March 25 1:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Sharing Our Grief and Our Hope with One Another As Leaders
Wednesday, April 1, 2020 1:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Sharing Our Grief and Our Hope with Those We Serve
Same login information for both dates:
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 180 439 412
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,180439412# US (Chicago)
+16468769923,,180439412# US (New York)
Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 180 439 412
Learn more about our guest speaker, Don Eisenhauer, with Coaching at End of Life.
Please join us knowing the discussion is not meant to be seen as the place that holds all the answers, but IS meant to be a safe — and even brave — space where we can bring the truth of our situation, our fears, and our hopes as we figure out the next most faithful step we can take.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” — 2Corinthians 1: 3-4
Please contact Jill Beverlin, ELCA Coordinator of Coaching, with any questions: jill.beverlin@elca.org | (920) 209-1933