Updated 4.6.2020 - All events listed on this website are subject to change due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Follow us on facebook/mobilebaptistassociation and these weekly email news alerts for daily, sometimes hourly, updates and observations on how to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Resources:
coronavirus.gov
cdc.gov/COVID-19
Alabama Department of Public Health
alsbom.org/coronavirus
epa.gov/coronavirus - information on disinfectants and other resources
lifeway.com/coronavirus
Mobile County Health Department
The Office of Alabama Governor, Kay Ivey
• Governor Ivey's current Stay at Home Order issued April 3, 2020
• The latest order states "Effective Saturday, April 4, 2020, at 5:00 P.M., every person is ordered to stay at his or her place of residence except as necessary to perform any of the following “essential activities”: This latest order is set to be in effect until at least April 30. Click here to read the full order.
From the Office of Mayor Sandy Stimpson:
• On April 3, 2020 Mayor Sandy Stimpson ordered that a Public Safety Curfew is imposed in the City of Mobile effective at 10:00 p.m. on April 4, 2020...The curefew is from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. daily until April 30, 2020. Click here for detials and the full order.
whitehouse.gov
• March 29, 2020 update from the White House - "Therefore, we will be extending our guidelines to April 30th to slow the spread." Click here for the full statement.
sba.gov - Paycheck Protection Program and other Small Business loans that can turn into grants. Contact your FDIC lenders.
Coronavirus (COVID-19)- United Way 211 Guide (Southwest Alabama Area)
• This is a Resource Guide to help you during and after the pandemic. This guide is subject to change as information comes into the 2-1-1 resource center. This guide is compiled By Lifelines Counseling Services.
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Coronavirus Resources for You and Your Church:
Regarding Music:
Livestreaming and Worship Music: Complying with Copyright During Online Services
In these new and uncharted waters, we are all looking for resources to aid us in ministering to our church families. LifeWay is hoping to help you do that, especially as so many churches will not be gathering together for a few weeks. In order to make it as easy as possible for you, LifeWay has compiled all of our Free COVID-19 resources onto one webpage. Here is the link to the page: lifeway.com/coronavirus
Church, Family Resources Made Available In Response To COVID-19
Online Resources for Small Groups
COVID-19 & Teaching Remotely if your Church Isn’t Meeting
Check out this linked article that includes several ways of online methods to reach church members, as well as several FREE digital training and teaching materials from LifeWay for adults and kids.
Ken Braddy - Encouraging & Equipping Sunday School & Small Groups
Ken Braddy Jr. is LifeWay's Director of Sunday School, Manager of LifeWay Christian Resource's Adult Ongoing Bible Studies & Adult Trainers, education pastor 20+ years, author, conference leader, and blogger.
Click on this link which include studies from Explore the Bible, Bible Studies for Life, and The Gospel Project.
Free Bible Study Resources:
LifeWay provides a Kids-At-Home resource for families to use for Sunday School / Bible Study - accessible at http://digitalpass.lifeway.com/, and they have also added LifeWay Preschoolers-At-Home.
LifeWay Kids at Home which allows parents to log-in and have access to Bible Studies For Life’s Lesson Video, Missions Video, Gospel Presentation Video, and an Activity Page and Parents’ Conversation Page.
Free Access to Online Sunday School Curriculum Now Available: The Gospel Project, Explore the Bible, and Bible Studies for Life, available for all four age groups (Preschool, Kids, Students, and Adults) in a digital format for your use. Lead classes remotely with this material (or for you to give access and/or activity pages to your church families). - https://curriculum.lifeway.com/
Free Training Tools - lifeway.com/coronavirus
Using an Online Platform for Church Services:
How to Facebook Live - Even smaller membership churches can provide an online worship service during the upcoming weeks of virus precautions. How to Facebook Live (for any size church)
Protecting Your Zoom Conference from “Zoombombing”
3Circle Church willing to assist other churches with broadcasting sermons online:
We are FOR the local church, as partners in the Gospel! If you are a church leader, who does not have access to necessary equipment for recording/broadcasting your sermons online, let us know by emailing info@3circlechurch.com. We would love to help you! https://www.3circlechurch.com/updates
How to continue giving:
Do you have a plan in place to ensure giving doesn't stop when there's not a physical offering plate to pass around?
Are you experiencing decreased giving due to "social distancing"? The Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions and The Baptist Foundation of Alabama have partnered together to offer you a SOLUTION that requires NO setup fees, NO subscription fees and NO contract.
GiveThree65 will unleash FOUR channels of digital giving for your congregation today, including an ONLINE GIVING PAGE, TEXT-TO-GIVE capabilities, assistance with NON-CASH GIVING, and a CROWDFUNDING feature.
Just as the church isn't defined by a building, giving isn't defined by an offering plate. Visit GiveThree65.com today and learn how your church can be equipped with multiple ways to give - 365 days a year.
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Mailing a tithe check to the church is a simple solution if an online giving option is not available. Visit alsbom.org/coronavirus for resources regarding online giving.
For those churches that are needing an online giving platform, but do not have a website to host one at this time, LifeWay Generosity is providing a No-Cost Custom Page for every church that would like one. Each church’s page will be able to receive credit card and debit card payments. (There is no set-up fee nor monthly fee, though the credit card processing fee will still apply.) To sign up for this service, go to https://lifewaygenerosity.com/coronavirus. You will need your church’s name, address, and checking account information to be able to receive funds into your account.
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Should our church meet or not?
Governor Ivey's current Stay at Home Order issued April 3, 2020
The latest order states "Effective Saturday, April 4, 2020, at 5:00 P.M., every person is ordered to stay at his or her place of residence except as necessary to perform any of the following “essential activities”: This latest order is set to be in effect until at least April 30. Click here to read the full order.
Governor Ivey reminds Alabamians that all non-work gatherings of 10 persons or more, or non-work gatherings of any size that cannot maintain a consistent six-foot distance between persons, are prohibited.
1. Effective Saturday, April 4, 2020, at 5:00 P.M., every person is ordered to stay at his or her place of residence except as necessary to perform any of the following “essential activities”:
c.To attend religious services. A person may leave his or her place of residence to attend an event that is a religious worship service, wedding, or funeral in either of the following circumstances: (i)The event involves fewer than 10 people and the people maintain a consistent six-foot distance from one another; or
3 (ii)The event is a “drive-in” worship service that adheres to the following rules:
1.All participants shall remain in their vehicles for the entirety of the service;
2.The participants in each vehicle all share the same place of residence; and
3.Participants do not come within six feet of participants in other vehicles
