Central Plains Mennonite Conference
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Resources for Pastors and faith formation leaders
In addition to other valuable resources that maybe useful during this time of quarantine that can already be found on our website, here are others that might be of interest to pastors, worship and faith formation leaders.

Don't be afraid to try new things! 

Work with other congregations so that you can do what you are the best at! We don't all need to do the same exact thing--COLLABORATE! 

John Roberto at Lifelong Faith has put together a really wonderful list of evaluative tools for looking at faith formation during the pandemic and beyond. I highly urge pastors and church leaders to check out his newsletter for helpful ways of thinking about and evaluating what has taken place--and what is to come! 
https://www.lifelongfaith.com/march-15-2021.html

Faith Formation in the Fall--Summary document from meetings

Back to Church?

With  many states “opening up,” churches may soon be offered the ability to resume in-person worship services. As you discern with your congregation when it is time to meet together in person, please follow your local state and county guidelines, putting into place every proscribed precaution. You may also want to frame the questions of “when” and “how” theologically, thinking together about what it means to protect and care for the most vulnerable among us. The following articles may help with this discernment. 


"As Churches Consider Reopening Buildings and Resuming In-Person Worship, What Can Pastors Expect"

"Living in the Mystery of Disorientation" by Terry Zehr, Conference Minister for New York Mennonite Conference

​So you want to go back to church (as usual?)! by Doug Luginbill, Conference Minister of Central District Mennonite Conference

"Returning to Church" (written for Wisconsin churches, but applicable to all)​

"Church Music in the Age of COVID-19" (more counsel from the Wisconsin Council of Churches)

"24 Questions Your Church Should Answer before People Return"

Church in these VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) Times, video
Picture
CPMC staff have created a simple resource called "Now what?" for congregational reflection on collective stay-at-home/shelter-in-place and virtual church experiences. This resource is a series of reflection questions that can be used all at once or split into three sections. You can find the resource by clicking on the links below. 

Introduction to "Now What?" 

All-in-one path:
Worksheet
Powerpoint

Step-by-step path:
Worksheet 1
Worksheet 2
Worksheet 3
Powerpoint 1
Powerpoint 2
Powerpoint 3

Everence Resources
CARES act resources
https://www.everence.com/resources/the-cares-act-and-your-nonprofit-or-church
Resources from Everence for pastors and congregations

CPMC pastors Joel Beachy (East Union, Kalona, IA) and Michael Loss (Wellman, IA) interviewed Nyle Kauffman, MD, about COVID-19. They've given permission to share it. ​​

Liturgies for Virtual Communion can be found at Maren C. Tirabassi's blog, "Gifts in Open Hands"

Articles:

"Leading Your Church in a Prolonged Crisis"
"Without Casseroles and Crowded Churches: 10 Ways to Support the Grieving While Social Distancing"
"Churches Should Think Twice Before Webcasting Their Worship Services"

​Resources for worship at home:

Peace Mennonite Church--Home-Based Worship 
https://spaciousfaith.com/2020/03/14/peace-mennonite-home-based-worship-march-15-2020/

Anabaptist Prayer Book 
https://www.amazon.com/Take-Our-Moments-Days-Vol
​

Worship at Home-by Mary Hawes 
https://media1-production.mightynetworks.com/asset/9151295/Worship_at_home.pdf

Strategies for Online Programming (from Vibrant Faith)

Here are a few ideas to help you think about how to organize online programming for the people in your church. Since it’s online you might want to partner with other churches in your area to develop the digital platform and curate the resources.
  1. Redesign your gathered program into an online program. Use the lesson plans or program designs you already have and redesign them into self-directed online learning sessions for individual or family use. You can publish these sessions on a website or use a learning platform like Edmodo. You can also create a Facebook Group for interaction and discussion.
  2. Focus on the Sunday Scripture readings and/or the church year season. There is an abundance of resources on the Sunday readings that would make it easy to develop a webpage for each Sunday with the readings, a video, a podcast, and activities for different age groups.
  3. Develop a weekly theme or focus for the online program. This could take the form of a “Bible Story of the Week” or a “Christian Practice of the Week.” Develop a webpage with the content (print, audio, video) and activities for the week.
  4. Develop online mini-courses. This is could take the form of a short course on prayer practices (varieties of ways to pray) or the study of a book of the Bible (pick a book with lots of online resources like the Gospels) or an exploration of social justice issues (lots of video and websites to explore different issues).
  5. Use live streaming for presentations or a mini-course: Offer a presentation or course online via streaming that is delivered to people at home. The guest presenter and the host are the only people online while everyone watches on their laptop, tablet, or television. People can ask questions via a chat box. Live streaming can be used for all age groups. You can use Zoom video conferencing (https://zoom.us), which is free for a 40 minute session, or Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/facebookmedia/solutions/facebook-live), also free.
  6. Provide a variety of resources for independent learning. There are so many online programs that we can offer people, especially adults. Develop a webpage for self-directed independent learning with courses from seminaries, universities, websites, etc.

​Ideas for using Zoom for worship or meetings

*use Zoom to do a Bible or book study after children's bedtime!

*Offer an open Zoom hangout (un-programmed) for people who need to talk or have face-to-face contact.

*Try adult or children's Sunday school or youth group over Zoom.

*Use Zoom for fun:
Youth group Zoom games
Zoom/home scavenger hunt

*PAY ATTENTION TO CHILD-PROTECTION RULES THAT MANDATE PARENTS ARE INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATION WHEN YOU CONVERSE WITH A MINOR VIA TEXT, ZOOM OR EMAIL!

*Use the comment section to solicit prayer requests, etc. 

*Offer Zoom meetings for individuals/families who want to meet together face-to-face 

​Tips for Leading a Zoom meeting or worship
*Pay attention to what is in the background of the picture--make sure that people can see you!

*How good is the camera you are using? Do you need a tripod? (A tripod could be useful for worship)

*Mute everyone! (You have the power)

*Get a cohost! The cohost should work on things like making sure everyone is muted and checking the chat box so that you, the host, can focus on hosting/worship leading/etc.
​
*Start with a centering prayer! Meeting over zoom is a strange thing--we have our household or office distractions surrounding us, but we're expected to pay attention and be in the moment--a centering prayer can help to bring people from all of their disparate homes/offices together before you begin. 
Weekly Zoom Meetings for Pastors and Faith Formation Leaders

Thanks to everyone who has been part of the Pastors and/or Faith Formation Zoom meetings.  Your commitment to being church during trying times is inspiring.  So is the creativity you’ve unleashed in utilizing new, and for many of us, unfamiliar ways to gather for worship and nurture, faith formation and to do pastoral care.  You are modeling what several people have said in recent days — that physical distancing doesn’t have to mean social (or spiritual) isolation. — Susan Janzen, Conference Minister for Ministerial Leadership and Amanda Bleichty, Conference Minister for Christian Formation

Pastors Weekly Zoom Meetings (scroll down for faith formation leaders zoom information)

Group meetings for pastors are on the 2nd Wednesday of the month.  Please join by Zoom at 11 a.m. CDT, when we'll share information, ask questions, and encourage one another.

All other Wednesdays are unstructured "office hours" with Susan. You're welcome to join any time between 11 a.m. and 12 noon.  The only agenda is what you bring.

Topic: Pastors Gathering & Office Hours
Time: Wednesdays at 11:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/793171586
 
Meeting ID: 793 171 586
 
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,793171586# US (Chicago)

Here are notes from earlier conversations:
  • March 18, click here
  • March 25, click here
  • April 1, click here
  • April 8 -- personal sharing
  • April 15, click here
  • ​April 22, click here
  • April 29, click here
  • ​May 6, click here
  • May 13, click here
  • May 20, click here
  • May 27, click here​

​"Waiting" is the poem shared during the April 15 pastors' gathering. Written by 11-year-old Beulah Landis, it expresses her feelings about living during this pandemic.

Matt & Elizabeth Troyer-Miller (Wood River Mennonite Church), whose community went through severe flooding last spring, shared some learnings with us. You can read their reflections here.


Meghan Florian, managing editor at MennoMedia, joined us on March 25. She is the person to contact about copyright permissions for music and visuals, including when we worship online. Her email is MeghanF@mcusa.org. See the notes from March 25 for more information.

The prayer with which we closed the March 18 meeting was written by Carol Penner, a Canadian Mennonite blogger. You can find it at https://carolpenner.typepad.com/leadinginworship/2020/03/prayer-in-virulent-times-after-st-patrick.html 

Faith Formation Leaders Weekly Zoom Meetings

Faith formation leaders are invited to gather on Wednesdays at 1:00pm for the foreseeable future. In this unstructured meeting, we'll resource one another about the best virtual faith formation practices in this time of social distancing. 

Topic: Faith Formation Leaders
Time: Wednesdays at 1:00 PM CDT 
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/968199211

Meeting ID: 968 199 211

One tap mobile
+13126266799,,968199211# US (Chicago)

Creative ideas from Faith Formation Leaders in CPMC from our meeting on March 18. 

Office Manager: P.O. Box 101, Freeman, SD 57029  office@centralplainsmc.org  phone: 605-929-3325
Ministry Staff Office: P.O. Box 352, Kalona, IA 52247
  • Home
    • About Us
    • Central Plains Structure
    • Staff >
      • Executive Conference Minister
      • Ministerial Leadership
      • Formation Minister
      • Hispanic Ministries
    • Map of Conference
    • Congregations >
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Minnesota
      • Montana
      • Nebraska
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Board
    • Committees >
      • Christian Formation
      • Outreach and Service >
        • Church Planting
        • Peace and Justice Task Group
        • Practicing Offering and Receiving Hospitality
      • Pastoral Leadership
    • Partners in Mission >
      • Agape Peace Center
      • Philip Friesen
    • Camps & Schools
    • Who are the Mennonites?
  • CPMC at Work
    • MC USA Delegate Resources
    • Publications >
      • Scattered Seeds
      • The Sower
    • Events >
      • Annual Meeting 2022
    • CPMC Covenant
    • New Ministries Fund >
      • Reports of Past Grant Recipients
    • Counsel on variance
  • Congregational Leaders
    • Pastors
    • Elders & Deacons
    • Church Council
    • Support for Conflict >
      • Facilitation Services and Donations
    • Pastor Openings
  • Mission Leaders
    • Racism webinar videos
    • Ecuador/Venezuela Partnership >
      • Latest News from Ecuador/Venezuela
      • Story of the Ecuador Partnership >
        • Timeline & Resources
      • Personnel and Partnership Members >
        • Ross Richers
        • Wigginton Bravo
      • Quito Property Fund
    • Church Planting >
      • Developing Congregations
    • Travel Like Dave
    • Missional Discipleship Initiative
    • Islam and the Gospel
  • Formation Leaders
    • Formation in Worship
    • Formation Resource Library
    • Children and Families >
      • Faith at Home
      • Curriculum for Children
      • Shine
      • Resources for Parents
      • Protecting Children
    • Youth >
      • Youth Mission Together
      • Youth Sponsors
      • Youth Curriculum
      • Youth SS Teachers
      • Mentor Coordinator
      • CO Resources
      • Helpful sites for YM
    • Adults >
      • Adult Faith at Home
      • Adult Curriculum
      • Teaching resources
      • Adult Spirituality
    • Shalom Readers
    • Curriculum Evaluation Tool
  • Resources
    • Anti Racism Resources
    • Bible study Webinars >
      • Bible Study Webinars 2016
      • Bible Study Webinars 2017
    • Conference Documents
    • Christian Discernment
    • En Espanol
    • Immigration
    • Mennonite Links
    • Spiritual Deliverance
    • Archives
  • Contact Us
    • Contact form
    • Church contact info form
    • Donate
    • COVID Relief
    • Discerning Future Leaders
    • Sunday Speaking Information Sheet