Emergency Response

Compassion, Prevention and Prayer

Emergency situations are a potential reality for all communities. Taking the time to plan how we would respond to the day-to-day needs of our faith communities during such events is essential.

Discussion about COVID-19 is growing as confirmed cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) continue to spread. The United Church of Canada has prepared the Emergency Plan to help communities of faith plan ahead for contingencies that may or may not arise, realizing that planning ahead is a way to reduce anxiety. The Faith Communities and COVID-19 page on The United Church of Canada website offers resources, links and news on one central page.

We urge communities of faith to respond to COVID-19 with compassion, prevention, and prayer.

Please read and share this Pastoral Letter to ministers and congregations from General Secretary Nora Sanders.

Resource List as of April 3

• The United Church of Canada’s COVID-19 page. This list is kept current as information becomes available.
  • The Moderator’s Online Worship link will be found here as well
• Public Health Agency of Canada. The Government of Canada’s most up-to-date information.
• Congregational Finances and COVID-19
• Map of Sunday Morning Online Worship. Link to add your location to the map.
  • Where to find online worship during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Zoom – Links and Tips for On-line Video Conferencing:
  • Tools & Tips from George Bott
  • How to join a Zoom meeting
  • Meeting Controls
  • Free and Regular pricing plans
  • TechSoup members receive discounted rate
• RingCentral Cloud Communications free until June 15, 2020.
• Technology for online worship
  • Facebook Live is a feature of Facebook that uses the camera on a computer or mobile device to broadcast real-time video to Facebook. People on the your Facebook page/group can watch your event. Select “Live” from your Facebook page, directly above where you would type a post. Your video will automatically record, save and publish to your page. Example: https://www.facebook.com/StMattsUC/videos/200889477812262/.
  • YouTube Live is a way to reach your audience in real time. Manage your stream and interact with viewers in real time. The first time you use this it can take up to 24 hours to become enabled. Your video will be recorded and can be posted on your YouTube channel. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzs6mUjLlQ0&feature=youtu.be.
• One License is offering reduced/extended license until April 15, 2020.
• Hymns in the Public Domain: Voices United and More Voices that do not require a licensing agency in order to reproduce or stream are listed.
  • For information related to the use of music in live-streaming worship see the Copyright Guide for Congregations (2014).