Restrictions due to the current COVID-19 situation have made it impossible for Sunday school classes and small groups to meet in person in the usual fashion. But with a little effort and creativity, you can continue to encourage fellowship and learning in your group as you share God’s Word with them. We at Warner Press want to walk alongside you and give you tools for this new journey.

The following are some scenarios that might apply to you, along with a few suggestions for each:

• I am a children’s teacher. Consider sending weekly encouragement messages and short videos (via text and e-mail) from yourself to your students’ parents to share with the kids. Using a digital copy of the curriculum, record yourself reading the Bible story and teaching segments of the lesson, and then send out or post the video for students to watch and follow along. Or you could set up a weekly Zoom meeting (see below) for the kids’ parents to help them attend; this would allow for an interactive experience where everyone could talk and see one another.

• I am a youth group teacher. If most or all of the teens in your group have cell phones, consider sending weekly encouragement texts and short video messages from yourself. You could even make a video of yourself teaching the Bible study portion of your lesson and send this out via text or e-mail. For a more interactive experience, use a virtual meeting service such as Zoom (see www.zoom.us). This program allows group members to meet online at a specific time, where you can see one another and talk to one another. As the group leader, you can even “share your screen” so others can see what you are seeing on your computer.

• I teach adult students who have significant digital capabilities—cell phones, Internet, e-mail, Facebook, etc. Consider sending weekly encouragement texts and short video messages from yourself or posting them on Facebook. You could even create a video of yourself teaching the Bible study portion of your lesson and send this out or post it. For a more interactive experience, use a virtual meeting service such as Zoom (see above) to teach and interact with your students each week. A digital copy of the curriculum can be shared with group members via e-mail or Zoom.

• I teach adult students who have limited digital capabilities—mainly e-mail. You could send weekly encouragement messages and even short videos (if group members can open e-mail attachments). When possible, e-mail a digital copy of the curriculum to group members along with your thoughts on the lesson and invite them to “Reply All” for discussion.

• I teach older adult students who do not have e-mail or online capabilities. Consider calling each student once a week to check in and share words of encouragement. Digital copies of the curriculum can be printed and mailed to group members. If you as the group leader have Internet capabilities, you could set up a Zoom meeting (see above) and students can call in to hear and speak with one another in a big group. If not, you could just converse via phone once a week briefly with each student about the lesson.

For any of these groups, you might consider having a “distance” meeting in the parking lot of your church, with you using a small sound system to talk and teach and all participants remaining in their cars. Of course, this option would be subject to the guidance of your church leadership and the COVID-19 restrictions currently in place in your area.

Learn more about Warner Press at www.warnerpress.org.

Learn more about the response of Church of God Ministries to the coronavirus (COVID-19), including resources for you and your church, at www.jesusisthesubject.org/theway.