ISM Covid-19 Toolbox for Digital Missions 

Large Audiences

Instead of hosting large conferences and in-person training events, digital can be used to convey the same information and mobilize the same groups at a distance. Rather than sending people out onto campuses or other physical locations, volunteers can be mobilized online.

  • Some ideas from around the globe

    • Targeted Ads/Facebook chat - A team in NAME is connecting with curious students using FB targeted ads and following up with the interested on FB chat. Check out The Amazing Question.

    • Key Volunteers - A team in NAME is using digital to find Key Volunteers while confined to their homes during a revolution

    • Instagram - In Tokyo they are sharing the Gospel with thousands unfamiliar with the message

    • Online Quiz - a team in Slovakia is using a fun online quiz to form coaching relationships and share the Gospel

    • See this slide deck.  Contact Melissa.Rike@cru.org  for more info

Small Audiences

You don’t need a large group to make an impact. With digital, one person can make an impact all around the world.

  • The Mentor Ministry - More online mentors are needed - currently over 450 messages waiting to be answered. With online mentoring, anyone can make an impact by simply answering an email. For example, see the site created by Power to Change Canada - https://tmm.io.  Contact Dorrie.Manu@p2c.com for more info

  • Meet online using Zoom, Google Hangout, Skype, etc. You’re already doing this, but let’s normalize this as part of our dispersed missionary movement.

  • Download the M28 Global Discipleship App with your students and begin your training and Bible Discovery groups over video conferencing Apps.

Content Ideas

What would you say to people who are fearful and confused about COVID-19? Or are struggling with being physically distanced from friends and family? Here are some ideas about the content relevant to the situation that you can use or create to reach an audience searching for answers.

  • Laying down one’s privileges for the sake of others and protecting those who are vulnerable - this is who Jesus is and let's call others to be like this. Many hoard resources and look out for themselves, but we are called to sacrifice and serve. (Example: Don’t take all the masks so that medical personnel can use them, eating less so you’ll need less groceries.) Describing this Christian ethos to a world that is skeptical about it -- we need people to be like this. We have the potential to make a similar impact to the Christians ministering to sick people during the times of the plague. 

  • Do ad campaigns around hope, peace, etc. This gets around advertising filters many platforms have that don’t allow advertising around social issues or religion.

  • Look at articles or content you already have and make small changes to connect them to COVID-19. The issues are the same as they have always been: fear, shame, boredom, is there a God, and even family issues as people argue and have different opinions. 

  • In Ghana, the team put together a simple journey by placing an ad on social media that invited people to sign up for more info on the virus. Those who responded were then offered the chance to learn more about Jesus or connect with an online mentor through chat if they had questions or were feeling anxious.

  • Recorded Webinar - Helping International Students During the Covid-19 Crisis by Edith Johnson. Edith Johnson is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who has served more than 30 years in international student ministry. This webinar focuses on how can we best help international students process grief, loss, and trauma during the Covid 19 crisis? https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ttinKiiu3w_JMXDWj07i9KCieCIBTYkz 

  • Testimony videos 

    • Anxiety: video testimony by Mark Gauthier

    • Faith and Fear: Video testimony by Jeff Struecker

    • Many people shared their testimonies over Easter. Search #jesuschangedmylife on Instagram or Facebook to hear their stories.

Prayer Resources:

Praise & Worship:

Evangelistic articles and tools to share on social media:

Here are some existing evangelistic articles that are relevant to the COVID-19 situation. Share these and incorporate them into your digital strategies.

  • “Coronavirus: How to deal with anxiety” EveryStudent

  • GodTools - Use this evangelistic app to simply and clearly explain to someone how they can begin a relationship with God through Jesus Christ (available in 84 languages). The "Teach Me to Share" tool has some examples of how to get into a conversation about the gospel (available in 14 languages).

  • Jesus Film App - 200 films and clips in 1,700+ languages, a full digital library of more than 200 full-length movies, miniseries, and short films to help the world know Jesus.

  • M28 Global Discipleship App - ISI adapted Dave Watson’s work on Disciple-Making Movement and have created an App that includes principles of the process, training and Bible passages list as participants progresses in their faith journey.

Internationals who have kids

Helpful articles on COVID-19

As you seek to minister to people during the current COVID-19 situation, here are some articles that provide inspiration or helpful insight.   

Self-care for ISMers

Innovative ideas from ACMI Members

Bible, prayer, outreach

  • Online Bible studies (including returnees) and evangelistic talks

  • Zoom fellowship and worship services with individual follow up sessions

  • Zoom prayer meetings

  • Virtual Easter outreach and graduation ceremony

Meeting practical needs 

  • Virtual English conversation partner, have had students from Boston sign up (we are in Columbus)

  • An online English language partner program using a google form to match students and volunteers (with previous experience) to talk via video chat. Three internationals who were not students from our University ended up finding the form by searching on Facebook! The students were all very grateful. 

  • Sewing masks and delivering them to students. Paying rent or raising funds for students in need. Hosting online video game nights and weekly Bible studies on Zoom. Checking on students to see how they are doing emotionally; praying for them.

  • Collaborating with our local Food Pantry to assemble bags of groceries for int'l students…the messages of gratitude are flooding our phones. Similarly, my church is enlisting members to be matched with 1 or more international students to buy groceries for them once or twice a month. Beyond feeding hungry students, the volunteers are meeting the real needs of international students for friendship and faith conversations. 

  • Hosting webinars

Connecting with international students

  • Using RingCentral (Zoom) to connect with international students to encourage and support them. We are connecting all over the world in this way. Also we have been helping the campus food bank, as right now their primary concern is feeding international students stranded on campus.

  • ZOOM/WhatsApp/FB Messenger

Fun & Games

  • Using online group games in Zoom gatherings with students is proving to be a great tool in maintaining friendships. The online version of Pictionary works very well. It is called Skribbl.io and can be shared by one of the players with everyone in the Zoom gathering. It keeps score automatically.

  • Playing games on Board Games Arena with international students. https://en.boardgamearena.com

  • Virtual Birthday party (sing in different languages + trivia game on Kahoot.com about the birthday girl/guy); movie night; game night; Karaoke on zoom; grocery shopping/medicine pickup/ cooking a homemade meal for students.

Mobilizing volunteers & ministry partners

  • Mobilizing international students and scholars who had participated in our programming and have returned to their countries to be Intercultural Volunteers, to help Christian Americans from churches with incarnations ministry values in Atlanta grow in their intercultural learning.  I have been asking these Intercultural Volunteers around the globe to pair up with these Christian American clients over zoom or another virtual platform with screen sharing capabilities, twice a month or more, and to engage these American Christian clients in “cultural and religious show and tell”. 

  • As I am being trained via Zoom in a 4 Fields process to multiply disciples, leaders and churches, I am passing it on by training a former student back home in China. Resources: e3partners.org/training/     Noplaceleft.net/four-fields

Fundraising

  • We held our annual fundraising banquet online as a livestream. God blessed.