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Online Church During a Crisis: 7 Tips for Better Online Worship Services

By
Team Jesus
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online church

If local church congregations were still on the fence about producing online church services or livestreaming Bible Studies, the 2020 coronavirus crisis has put all doubts to rest.

Local churches everywhere have moved to online church worship experiences as many congregants stay at home at the direction of local and federal government guidelines, including the Centers for Disease Control. If your congregation is new to online church or you’re looking to polish your live stream experience, check out the tips below from an expert in this space, teammate Chiquita Lockley.

7 Tips for Online Worship Experiences

As a Creative Director in the Faith-based space for over 15 years, I spent the last two weeks fielding calls from churches that are now shifting to social media to reach their congregations due to coronavirus quarantines.

For those pastors who may be new to streaming or veterans who may need a refresher, take advantage of these tips before next Sunday to implement an amazing online worship experience for your congregation.

1. Setup.

For larger churches, tighten the camera shot to a mid or close-up so that the space doesn’t feel so large and empty. In smaller churches, start with a wide shot, pushing in to a mid-shot so that the stage doesn’t feel claustrophobic to the viewer.

If you keep the scale of the space in mind, whether large or small, you can create an online environment that makes your congregation and visitors comfortable. If you’re using Pipe & Drape, remember to put some distance between the speaker/singers and the drapes (I recommend 3-4’ if possible).

Additionally, remember that you don’t need to yell into the microphone. Your at-home audience can hear you ;-). Finally, make sure the pulpit is adequately lit. Here’s a fairly inexpensive 3-Point Lighting Kit option here, currently on sale for under $200.

online church

2. Choose Key Personnel.

The government is currently recommending that we gather in groups of fewer than 10 people. Give thought to who represents your essential personnel. For example, I recommend: Pastor, Keyboardist, 2-3 Singers, Camera Operator, Media Graphics Operator, Minister, and Security or Deacon.

Please keep the CDC recommendations in mind to ensure there is a 6’ distance between each person. This means that you probably won’t be able to have a choir, and you should make sure your Praise Team members aren’t standing shoulder to shoulder.

3. Increase Bandwidth.

If you are not accustomed to having heavy Internet traffic to your website, this sudden increase may cause your website to crash. Call your Internet service provider to explain that you’re expecting more traffic. Request an increase in bandwidth during the hours of your service.

4. Troubleshoot.

Find a stable live stream host, and troubleshoot before Sundays. There are many options, including Facebook Live, Instagram (which only allows 1-hr intervals), YouTube, Periscope, etc. You also have the option of embedding your video into your church’s website. Be sure to test your “Donate” button to make sure it works. I like to troubleshoot by Wednesday, which gives two business days to make any adjustments needed before Sunday service.

5. Communicate.

Send clear communication noting the service times and websites where your online church services will be held. By mid-week, and each day following, you should post ONE consistent flyer across all of your social media channels pointing your congregation and visitors to your chosen platform(s) for Sunday’s service. An hour before the service, post again –  particularly in Instagram and Facebook Stories, which reach your followers in real-time. [Need a recommendation for social media graphics? I recommend JP Designs Art and Fostered for your graphic needs.]

6. Prepare a Second Location.

In the event that the state or the federal government adds additional restrictions to the quarantine, you will need a location that the pastor can access easily. This will likely be a dedicated space in the pastor’s home.

A simple setup may consist of a tablet or phone, a tripod, and a backdrop of some sort. This backdrop can be a wall-mounted TV, a bookshelf, artwork, or even a wallpaper-covered 8’x8′ foam set piece.

The number of social media outlets to which you’re live streaming determines the number of tablets/phones needed. For example, a simultaneous live stream on Facebook and Instagram requires two devices and manual start/stop [unless you purchase a program like Wirecast by Telestream, which allows for simultaneous output to multiple host sites. $599*].

online church

7. Reach Out & Touch.

If there was ever a time to stay in touch with your congregation, the time is now. In addition to online Sunday worship experiences, it’s a good idea to check in with words of inspiration to help them stay strong during this time of uncertainty. A weekly video post allows your members to connect with the pastor or ministers in a meaningful, relevant way.

Hopefully, these 7 tips for your online church experience will help you onboard your team and church family to new and/or improved online worship services. During this season, it is imperative that we make responsible decisions regarding the people God has entrusted to us. To that end, please follow the CDC guidelines and prepare as best you can for online ministry.

And always remember – Faith Over Fear!

 

Teammate Spotlight

chiquita-lockley

Chiquita Lockley is live events producer and director of the forthcoming documentary, Eggs Over Easy: Black Women & Fertility (2020). She holds a BA in English from Spelman College and an MA in Film Studies from Emory University. Having spent the last 15+ years working in Faith-based television and media, Chiquita authored the book Creative Worship: 86 Tips for Establishing a Dynamic Worship, Media & Production Team.

Note: These tips first appeared here. No compensation received for any of the recommendations.

Christians Urge Congress to Incentivize Charitable Giving in Relief Package

By
Christianity Today
-

As churches and faith-based nonprofits brace for a painful drop in contributions, Christians are lobbying for Congress to incentivize charitable giving in its response to the spread of COVID-19.

Lawmakers spent Saturday negotiating the $1 trillion-plus relief package. The current Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, proposes offering stimulus checks, relief for small businesses, and some changes to charitable giving. The bill would allow taxpayers to claim a charitable deduction for up to $300 without itemizing.

But some from the faith community are speaking up to say that’s not enough to keep churches and other non-profits afloat as demand for social services spikes.

“This level of stimulus does not scratch the surface for what charities, nonprofits, and houses of worship need during this time of crisis,” wrote the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, which is calling for a two-year universal deduction for charitable giving, with no cap.

The Center for Public Justice (CPJ) in Washington made a similar recommendation, saying the universal deduction should be effective immediately. Many charities had been pushing for a change in the charitable deduction since before the coronavirus outbreak; because of tax reform enacted in 2018, fewer Americans get to claim their charitable contributions, thereby reducing giving.

CPJ’s Rachel Anderson and Stanley Carlson-Thies also argued that since faith-based organizations are involved in caring for those put at risk by the pandemic, they should not be exempt from unemployment insurance or reimbursement for mandated leave.

“Religious communities have sprung into action, sustaining …

Continue reading…

3 Ways to Prosper in Business During Uncertain Times

By
Stephanie Lipsey
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business

Entrepreneurship is Booming!

Many have taken the leap of faith to start their own business, whether it’s full-time or a business on the side as they continue to work the “day job.”

There are many pros to being self-employed. We get to make our own schedules. We take off when we want, we control our own outcomes. We get to live out our passions and dreams. When it’s good, it’s good!

But, what do you do when there are times of uncertainty?

Whether you operate a storefront or have an online business, there are unpreventable circumstances that can dictate your cash flow. Natural disasters, an economic downfall in the stock market, technology breakdowns, or a disruption in our economy can cause our resources to become unavailable.

In many of these situations, there isn’t much we can physically do. However, spiritually, we can seek God for wisdom and strategies to stay afloat!

How Can You Incorporate God in Your Business During Times of Distress?

Make God the CEO of your business.

If God is the head of your life, why isn’t He the head of your company? If you think you’re doing it on your own, think again!

Our Father wants to be a part of every aspect of our lives, including our businesses. I made it a habit to pray and consult God before major decisions, as well as my day-to-day operations. Because He is the Author of our lives, we may as well include Him in our business. Rely on God and ask Him what you should do during unforeseen changes in business and He will direct you (Proverbs 3:6). Oftentimes, you are ahead of the natural order of things because He has already prepared you by giving you insight.

Remember Joseph? God gave Pharaoh dreams that no one could interpret but Joseph, and it was actually a dream of distressing times to come. God gave the understanding and wisdom to Joseph, and as a result, Egypt and the surrounding countries survived during a time of famine (read Genesis 41).

Stay ahead of your competition.

businessYou may ask, “How do I stay ahead of the competition?” My answer, “Always position yourself for continual growth and learning.” Here are some examples:

  • If you are in service – take more classes, read more books, see what others are doing in your field. Polish up those skills!
  • If you are in sales – consider offering specials or seasonal discount programs. Research your competitors’ pricing and offer more comparable pricing and benefits.
  • If you are in technology or development – think of innovative programs that are not available yet.

Also, commit to prayer. Ask God to give you witty ideas and creativity so you can stay ahead. This is essential to prospering during difficult times. When your business is advancing in excellence and innovation, your customers are more loyal to your brand.

Exodus 35:35- (NIV) He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers- all of them skilled workers and designers. 

Believe what God says about you and your business.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe God when your bank account or business is suffering. But DO NOT govern your final outcome by your present situation. God is never caught off guard by the matters of the earth. He already considered these things when He called you Blessed! Agree with God that the promises of His Word are true, and faith in His Word will carry you through. Here are a few tips to reflect and meditate on:

  • Denounce fear.
  • Speak words of faith, careful not to speak the opposite God’s Word.
  • Pray for guidance.
  • Pray for peace.
  • Strategize during the chaos.

Read Isaiah 45:3, Psalm 37:5-6, Romans 8:38-39

SO, WHAT’S THE PLAY CALL?

God never said that we wouldn’t have trouble in life or in business, but He did promise He would be with us and never leave us. Proverbs 3:16 (NIV) says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”

Remember, it is God who gives us the ability to gain wealth, and if you place your trust in Him, you will prosper even in chaotic times.

Only Believe!

Fear: The Uninvited Guest

By
Charlene Evans
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fear

Ding, Dong!

It’s the doorbell…

You think to yourself, “Who in the world could that be?” You’re not expecting guests and everyone knows you don’t like “uninvited” guests.

So, you tip-toe to the window and peek outside your shades to see if you can catch a glimpse of who’s at your door. Hmmm…. you don’t see anyone there, but to be sure, you slowly crack open the door anyway. And, as soon as you do, your uninvited guest slips right in.

“Who?”, you ask…

FEAR.

Yes, just like an uninvited guest, we don’t ever plan to invite fear into our lives. It sort of sneaks in just as you open the doors of what I like to call your human gates – your eyes, ears, and mouth – to anything outside of God’s plan and purpose for your life.

fearYour eyes are the gateway to your soul, stamping visuals onto your brain that you playback. Your ears record everything that it hears—voices, words. The mouth is controlled by the thoughts in your head and the emotions in your heart. Three powerful gates through which fear loves to travel, irrespective of any “formal” invite from you. Then again, sometimes fear RSVPs a “yes” to our invitation.

Overall, these human gates must be guarded at all times, filtering out uncensored, uninvited aspects of life that can cause fear to form and develop.

When fear is realized, it will camouflage a blessing (eyes), hear only negative language (ears), and speak doubt and destruction (mouth). At this point, fear is no longer a guest. It begins to unpack its bags and take up residence in your life!

Fear is a Liar.

So, have you ever experienced fear, uninvited or not? Newsflash: We ALL have and it’s perfectly normal. However, fear must be confronted and not ignored, confessed and not concealed. Even the psalmist tells God, “WHEN I am afraid…” – not if, maybe, or perhaps (Psalm 56:3).

Fear is not the best feeling in the world. But as a healthy practice, make sure you don’t let the things that cause fear be the reason why you don’t see the blessing in the midst of the storm. Don’t allow fear to “penetrate your heart” when someone speaks negatively to you or about you. Worse yet, keep fear from causing you to speak “death” over your circumstances (Proverbs 18:21).

If your decisions are rooted in fear, you will always experience less than the abundant life God desires. Why? Because you will be too scared to trust God due to a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined.

Team, fear is pretty serious and, like prolonged stress, it has dangerous effects on our spiritual, physical, and emotional state of being. Fear has got to go!

Good-bye, Fear.

So, are you ready to face your fears – even though you didn’t see it “sneak” in? It doesn’t matter how big or how small your fear may be – it all counts and it all has a root.

Perhaps something or someone influenced this fear based on what you saw, heard, or thought. And now, every time it comes up, you respond in distress. You’re even trying to cover up the anxiety, but it’s not working. You’re emotionally drained trying to protect the “mask” that you’ve placed over your fear.

So, What’s the Play Call?

Here are 3 play calls to combat fear, remember:

  • “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” ~2 Timothy 1:7
  • Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” ~ Mark 5:36
  • “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” ~John 14:27

Trust that when you face your fears, you will never face them alone. Jesus will be right there with you to help you overcome and evict every distressing emotion.

How Churches Can Help Students Scrambling After Universities Close

By
Christianity Today
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students

They’re taking us out of the dorms on Friday. I have to try to pass my midterms while figuring out where my stuff is going to go.

When Tommy Britt received a panicked text from a college senior on March 15, it hit close to home. His friend studies at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, where students have been asked to vacate and transition to online learning. Britt could relate. As a Carnegie Mellon PhD student, he is now teaching classes online.

The mass migration of students from American college campuses has caught parents off guard, overwhelmed students, and confused professors who had to configure online education. Tuesday night, 12,000 students were told to move when NYU decided to close their Manhattan residence halls. At Wheaton College, students on spring break were told they could return only to collect their possessions and move out.

Though colleges are closing too fast to count, roughly 2.5 million students were living in college residences at the 2010 census, roughly 12 percent of America’s college students. UNESCO estimates that over 120 million tertiary students have faced school closures globally.

Closing dorms will likely save lives since residence halls have shared kitchens, bathrooms, and dorm rooms that make quarantine difficult. But many students who rely on colleges for meals, housing, and healthcare have nowhere to go. While many colleges are offering exceptions, the process of applying to stay adds to student uncertainty. According to Aaron King, a House Assistant Dean at Cornell University, many students feel overwhelmed with information and decisions.

Transitions to online teaching are impacting every student, not just those who are unsure of where to live and how to connect. Many classes with …

Continue reading…

20 Prayers to Pray During the Coronavirus Pandemic

By
Christianity Today
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prayers

In recent days, as COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic and countries have taken urgent measures to stem the spread of infection, I wish I could say that my first impulse has been to pray. It’s probably more honest to say that I’ve obsessively refreshed my feeds.

The crisis is urgent, and I feel powerless. But perhaps feeling small is the best reminder to pray. Prayer is how we actively practice believing, so simply, so confidently, that God has the whole world in his hands. It’s where we “let petitions and praises shape our worries into prayers, letting God know our concerns” (The Message, Phil. 4:6-7). Prayer is never the last resort of God’s people. It is our first point of action.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of 20 prayers to pray during this pandemic. Each one addresses the specific needs of a specific community. I’m fortunate to be a part of a church with many medical professionals, some of whom gave me advice on how best to pray for them at this time. I’ve included their responses here. I’ve also tried to think broadly about how the rest of us are impacted by the current crisis.

This list isn’t comprehensive, of course, but it’s a good place to start. My hope is that it can provide words for us as we pray collectively (if also virtually!) as a church body. We believe there is a God who bends his ear to listen, and so we pray:

1. For the sick and infected: God, heal and help. Sustain bodies and spirits. Contain the spread of infection.

2. For our vulnerable populations: God, protect our elderly and those suffering from chronic disease. Provide for the poor, especially the uninsured.

3. For the young and the strong: God, give them God, give them the necessary caution …

Continue reading…

4 Ways to Grow Faith That Outweighs Fear and Worry

By
Sonya McKinzie
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fear and worry

Feed Your Faith, Starve Your Fears.

anthony ray hinton
Source Birmingham Times/Bernard Troncale

A few days ago, I had a chance to read The Marshall Project’s article “Freedom after 30-years on death row”. The article is about Mr. Anthony Hinton, a man who was wrongly convicted for a heinous crime which resulted in him serving 30 years on death row. While in prison, he explicitly explained how he witnessed more than fifty executions.

An experience such as his could easily break the average person’s spirit and faith in God, leaving one to wonder, “Where is God when I needed Him?” However, Mr. Hinton’s faith clearly outweighed his worry. He did not allow fear to take control of his spirit, heart, or mind. He continued to stand on the truth, that he was innocent and lean on God to see him through it. 

God is Bigger Than Our Fears and Worries

In his interview, Mr. Hinton stated, “I prayed every night. I woke up on it. I went to sleep with it on my mind. Every night. That’s why I can tell you that I know it was the grace of God, and I know He heard my prayer.” If this isn’t a modern day example that God is real and takes care of His children – what is?! 

As humans, it is natural for us to feel worried, anxious, and insecure. We wouldn’t be human if we did not worry, however, the kicker is that we should give those worries to God so that we are at peace with them. We realize that there are some problems that we cannot resolve, and in those times, we must have faith and trust in God to know that only He can change it. 

God provided us with a playbook, the Bible, that helps us find our way through any experience, including worry. If we take a look at Philippians 4:6-7, it tells us that we should not “be anxious about anything, but instead take our worries to God and leave them there.” By faithfully praying and leaving our worries with God, we are trusting that He will take care of them.

While no one wants to worry, there is a purpose for it. 

If everything went smoothly and we had no concerns, we wouldn’t need God, right?

Isn’t it ironic that when we are comfortable and life is like the Commodores’ ballad says, “Easy Like Sunday Morning”, our dependence on God diminishes? In this case, perhaps some of us might be guilty of spending less time in the presence of God because “all is well”.

But, sure as we hit raging storms, face hardships, feel threatened, we immediately go to God in constant prayer. Seems a little fickle, right? Or, seems like we are being a fair-weather believer and follower of God, which is not what God wants us to do. He wants us to come to Him at all times, not just when “we” have a need.

Worry is a Choice.

Let’s take a look at Matthew 6:25-27, the passage says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life?”  This is where we are told to give our worries to God and leave them there. 

LRPP: How can we lessen the time we spend worrying? 

Look to God at all times. 

When we worry, we are placing unnecessary time, effort, and value into things that are outside of our control. Instead of fretting, look to God for your strength and peace. He never leaves us and stands firm through the good and the bad times. He is not a fair-weather friend – He is our Father and is there when no one else will be. Only He knows everything about us and the situation. We cannot place time constraints on His moves.

Read our playbook, the Bible. 

It is no secret that we are often faced with hardships on a daily basis. This is why it is important for us to turn to our playbook, have faith, and trust in God. When life seems too hard to bear, we must look to God and the Bible to guide us down the path He would have us to go. His Word is a lamp unto our feet during the darkest moments of our life.

Pray without surrender. 

Let’s think about Paul. He experienced beatings, prison, and having his life threatened, but he never surrendered to the hardships. Paul continued to have faith and believe that God would take care of him. When we pray, we are placing our faith and love in God and acknowledging His goodness and existence. This pleases God, as does our faithful loyalty to the promises of God. Never give up. 

Place our trust and faith in God.

At the root of it all, it is imperative that we trust God. If we fail to trust Him, all else is bound to fail. The Bible tells us to “Trust the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5–7). We must surrender every area of our heart and all of our great ideas over to God and trust in Him. 

So, what’s the Play Call?

Recognize and acknowledge that God cares for us. He does not want us to worry and fearful; He will never leave us and there is no battle that He cannot win.

When we are faced with worry, we must step aside and let God have His way. Allow peace to take up residence in our hearts. Be faithful and NOT fair-weather believers. God wants “all of us” at all times – not just when “we” see fit to need Him.

Are you willing to play the L.R.P.P. cards and allow God to show you what He can do with your worries and fears? 

Everybody’s Doing It: Choose to Reflect Christ Over the Image of Others

By
Alecia M. White
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Everybody's Doing It

So, I was on Instagram scrolling one day, like most days. This particular day, I noticed several profiles had adopted the same sort of organizational layout with their feeds. They were all set up with that “block, photo, block” pattern. It was as if a memo went out for everyone to switch at the same time because I hadn’t noticed it before.

Well, I didn’t get that memo. But, I started thinking about how cute it was and I began rethinking my own feed. The thing about me considering this change is that social media is a reflection of who we are and the things we do. So, my page is kind of set up sporadically, like my personality LOL. I post as I feel, in the way I feel reflects me the best.

Everybody's Doing ItAnyhoo, I was thinking of changing it because, from what I saw, that’s the thing to do. Now, I have never been a follower. In fact, I don’t even take many hit show suggestions from people, because I watch what I watch.

Yet, here I am, planning out my social media makeover. I sat there trying to figure out what color scheme would work best and what photos I should keep and which to get rid of.

At that moment, I heard God say, “Why?”

Why what, you ask…? Well, God was asking me why I was changing what didn’t need to be changed. The only answer I had was literally, “because everyone else is doing it.”

And of course, I could immediately hear somebody’s mama belting out, “If everybody was jumping off a cliff, would you do it?!” And with that, my makeover ended quicker than it began.

God Chose You to be Different

Spiritually, there are times when we wonder if what others are doing will get us “there” faster. I know there have been times when I have stalked someone else’s steps because theirs seemed to move faster than mine – even though I was doing what God told me to do.

There will even be times when it seems that those who opt not to do it God’s way are ahead of you. Don’t fall for that facade, stay put until He tells you to move.

My point today is “be you”, the you that God created you to be. There will be times when someone else’s activity will cause you to think of readjusting your position without God’s permission. Don’t do it, teammate!

So, What’s the Play Call?

The latest trends that seem to get the most attention may not be your portion, even if everybody’s doing it. I know it isn’t mine. I was created to go the other route and maybe you were, too. Here are some things to remember when you want to change your reflection to match the world: 

  1. God made you just the way He wanted you to be. “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Psalms 139:14
  2. Your differences are why you are chosen. Yep, God wanted you this way so there is no need for you to conform to the way that everyone else is doing things. “For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.” Deuteronomy 14:2
  3. Your light cannot shine properly if you are a reflection of others versus Christ. Reflect the true Light, Jesus Christ. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Don’t change because of what you see. Be sure your moves are done in God’s timing, the way He planned. 

The Danger of the Undecided: Whose Side Are You On?

By
Keiston France
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whose side

“So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel. Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.” – 1 Kings 18: 20 – 21

There comes a day in everyone’s life when we just can’t avoid the question any longer. We must decide whether to believe the God of the universe or the idols of this world.

But first, what exactly is an idol? It’s anything or anyone in life that comes before God. Sometimes, these idols take the form of good things – like a spouse, child, or career. Other times, idols can be dangerous and evil – like an addiction or sin.

For the Israelites, that deciding moment was the day the prophet Elijah faced over 450 prophets of Baal, the god of rain, in the ultimate show-down: Whose God or god would show up?

If God be God…

The story began when King Ahab turned his back on God, which resulted in three and a half years of severe drought and famine. You can read the full story in 1 Kings 17 and 18.

Finally, God sent the prophet Elijah to demonstrate His true power against the prophets of Baal. That’s where this story picks up in 1 Kings chapter 18, with Elijah challenging the people to get off the fence and decide, once and for all.

Who would they follow? Only when the One True God sent down fire from Heaven after the “god” Baal had remained silent, did the people declare, “The Lord, He is God!”

They finally got off the fence.

So, What’s The Play Call?

What about you? Are you wavering in your faith? Are you hesitant to be “all in” in your walk with God?

Ask God for the clarity and the courage to take a stand. Just like the people in Elijah’s day, may today be the day you decide to be all in for God. It will be a decision you won’t regret… God promises it!

Racism in the Year of Coronavirus and the Christian Response

By
Christianity Today
-
coronavirus

In the past couple of days, it feels like the coronavirus crisis has escalated to an unprecedented level. In reality, statistics of the spread have not changed that drastically. However, the response has generated some swift and drastic measures such as the NBA and NCAA sports being suspended, conferences being canceled, Disneyland and cruise ships closing, and universities shutting their campuses and moving all classes online for the rest of the semester.

This just happened with my university, and now all of us professors have a steep learning curve to transition to an entirely new platform mid-semester (many of us have never taught online before).

What is often lost in the midst of all this, however, is not just the left-brain, scientific, practical ways to handle the pandemic; it is the emotional intelligence side of all of this.

college admissions scandalTo continue with the university example, it is very easy for professors to get immersed in the logistics of how to suddenly learn to deliver online classes. But in the meanwhile, we may forget that our students are worried about things like losing their on-campus job, which leads to their inability to pay off their tuition, which means they might not graduate.

Being a good professor means that we not only become good deliverers of online content but good shepherds of our students’ well-being. Ironically, teaching an online class actually requires us to be more pastoral than teaching in-person.

What is driving much of these drastic responses is emotions and fear.

Fear and emotions can be good things, as they are designed to protect us from things that may harm us (in fact, I do think that using the “sledgehammer to kill the fly” approach may actually be warranted right now to “flatten the curve” of the spread of the coronavirus—but that’s a whole other conversation).

One unfortunate side-effect of this global pandemic is racism.

Rather than something like this bringing the world together to unite against a common enemy, it is easy to make some people the scapegoat; in this case, people of Asian descent.

Continue reading…

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They Changed Their Minds about Slavery and Left a Bible Record

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Two businessmen’s unusual conversion in 1700s South Carolina led them to liberate the people they put in bondage. At first glance, William Turpin and his business partner, Thomas Wadsworth, appeared to be like most other prestigious and powerful white men in late 18th-century South Carolina. They were successful Charleston merchants, had business interests across the state, got involved in state politics, and enslaved numerous human beings. Nothing about them seemed out of the ordinary. But, quietly, these two men changed their minds about slavery. They became committed abolitionists and worked to free dozens of enslaved people across South Carolina. When most wealthy, white Carolinians were increasingly committed to slavery and defending it as a Christian institution, Turpin and Wadsworth were compelled by their convictions to break the shackles they had placed on dozens of men and women. In an era when the Bible was edited so that enslaved people wouldn’t get the idea that God cared about their freedom, Turpin left a secret record of emancipation in a copy of the Scriptures, which is now in the South Carolina State Museum. Perhaps it’s not surprising that this story of faith and freedom is mostly unknown. The two men were, after all, working not to attract attention. Neither had deep roots in Charleston or close familial ties to its storied white “planter” dynasties. Turpin’s family was originally from Rhode Island, and Wadsworth was a native of Massachusetts who moved to South Carolina only shortly after the American Revolution. Both had public careers and served in the South Carolina Legislature, but their political profiles were not particularly high. Neither of them appeared to give any of their legislative colleagues the sense that they were developing strong, countercultural opinions on one of the most ...Continue reading...

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