Coronavirus Response

In this time of physical distance, please be mindful of your ongoing stewardship with your congregation.

To maintain consistent support for the congregation while under quarantine, encourage:

• Set up process for automatic ACH withdrawals
• Set up online giving platforms
• Encourage mailing in donations

To empower stewardship during this hiatus from in-person gathering, the diocese has launched a digital giving platform to facilitate online pledges and donations for congregations without this capacity. Any transaction fees not covered by the giver will be covered by the diocese. Click here to read more.

Gifts to Eastern Michigan parishes can be made using this link. Please share with your congregation via your own communications channels: givingtools.com/give/1281/2196

FOR CHURCH STAFF – CLERGY & LAY

While our buildings are closed, essential staff may need to visit the building for essential business including receiving mail, grounds check, counting, or more.

In case you are stopped by authorities, we recommend providing your essential staff a travel letter to indicate their purpose in going to the church building. This includes your clergy and lay staff in any travel from home to church building.

Click here to access our template.

 

FOR CLERGY

Clergy are recommended to follow physical distancing guidelines as much as is possible and to conduct pastoral care on a virtual basis. In the situation that it is not possible and a visit is necessary, clergy may request a letter from the Bishop indicating their licensure to operate in either diocese. We anticipate this may be helpful especially in a hospital situation. This letter does not replace the letter for travel to your church building.

This letter is not necessary if you already have a Clergy ID card.

Click here to request a letter from the Bishop.

During this difficult time of social distancing and church closure, we understand that some business still needs to carry on for the continued function of the church and its finances, but figuring out how to do that can be difficult.  Therefore, if your church plans to continue making deposits while the church is closed, you should continue using the standard count procedure you have in place, with the following modifications:

• You should continue using two, non-related counters who rotate on a regular schedule.

• Preferably someone from the church office (not the bookkeeper) will come to the church and open the mail and put all checks (and cash if there is any) together in a safe, or safe place, to be counted by the counters.  If possible, it would be good for this person to stamp, or write, “for deposit only” on each check at this point, as an additional control measure.
• At a later time, one counter would come into the church and do the initial count, fill out the count sheet, etc. and then leave the deposit, count sheet, etc. in the safe/safe place for the second counter.
• At another later time (preferably the same day as the first counter, if possible) the second counter would come to the church and double check the count and count sheet information.
• Each employee and each counter should wash his/her hands before and after opening the mail/performing the count, and if possible, sterilize the work area and instruments used to complete the count, so that it is safe for each person during the process.

It is important to follow all of the normal internal control processes for the safekeeping of both the funds, the church and the staff/counters, with the modification of not having more than one person in the building at a time.

Please contact Sara Philo, Financial Manager, in the Eastern Michigan diocesan office or Tammy Mazure, Finance and Benefits Administrator, in the Western Michigan diocesan office, with any questions regarding these guidelines.

Youth Workers Weekly Check-In – Mondays at 10:00am – Click here to Zoom
All staff or volunteer children and youth ministers are invited to join our weekly check-in conversations facilitated by Eastern Michigan’s McKenzie Bade. We’ll talk tools, resources, and take time for supporting one another in our local mission.Additionally, all youth ministers (regardless of diocese) are invited to join our Youth Ministry Network Facebook Group for ongoing support throughout the week, this season and beyond.

Parish Communicators Weekly Check-In – Tuesdays at 7pm – Click here to Zoom
All those charged with connecting with the congregation during separation are invited to join our weekly check-in conversations facilitated by Canon Katie Forsyth. We’ll talk tools, methods, and take time for supporting one another in our local mission.Additionally, all communicators are invited to join our local Episcopal Communicators Network Facebook Group for ongoing support throughout the week, this season and beyond.

Virtual Weekly Youth Group – Wednesdays from 6:30-8:30pm – Click here to Zoom
All young people (middle schoolers and high schoolers) and their mentors are invited to gather together each week for checking in, devotionals, games, and Compline.