Coronavirus: The Local Church’s Response to COVID-19

Your Church Is Still Making a Difference

Overview

Even though Life.Church buildings are closed, every campus and partner ministry is actively serving their communities. In this video call update, pastors and partners share how they’re meeting practical needs—from grocery deliveries to online prayer—proving the church is vibrant and mobilized in a time of uncertainty. Their stories reveal creativity, partnership, and a conviction that God positioned the church “for such a time as this.”

Themes

Edmond Campus – Meeting Tangible Needs

• Focused on “being the church” by working with local mission partners.
• Volunteers assisted an urban farming project to provide fresh produce where access is limited.
• Small teams assembled grocery and toiletry bags for senior citizens, delivered to front porches, and prayed for residents through the door.
• Pastor Erin sees God “moving in a really special way” despite restrictions.

Overland Park Campus – Supplying the Heart of Kansas City

• Partnered with Freedom Fire to serve downtown families.
• Called attenders to drop off simple items—peanut butter, toothpaste, bread, toilet paper.
• Result: nearly 90 supply packages ready for delivery.
• Pastor Danny highlights that even without gatherings, “we are the church, and we remain open,” building community in creative ways.

Rio Rancho Campus – Rapid Response Through Schools

• Linked arms with Rio Rancho School District’s care hotline.
• Delivered food and supplies to 50+ families who requested help.
• Supported a partner agency that feeds a senior center, also reaching 50 families and limiting their exposure risk.
• Story: Respiratory therapist Tamara, quarantined for work and caring for a newborn, ran out of a specialized baby formula. The campus team found the last two cases in town and arrived just as she used her final bottle, restoring her hope.

WizKids – Literacy & Food for Oklahoma City Children

• WizKids mentors 850 children across 36 sites; school closures created urgent gaps.
• Partnered with Feed the Children to distribute three pallets of food; Life.Church supplied trucks and manpower within minutes.
• New initiative: gather five on-level books for each child so learning can continue at home. Donations began flowing immediately from Life.Church members.
• Brittany calls the quick response “such a beautiful thing to be a part of.”

Church Online – Global Ministry in High Gear

• Attendance, prayer requests, emails, and social media engagement have surged.
• People worldwide ask, “How can I help?” and step into online ministry roles.
• Host team volunteers greet, pray, and counsel in live chat during services.

• “We can still be high-touch with no touch.”

• Multiple services every day; new worship content weekly; Pastor Craig continues to preach live.

Key Truths

• The church is not a building; it stays open whenever believers serve their communities.
• Limitations spark fresh creativity and reveal new ministry opportunities.
• Strategic local partnerships multiply impact quickly.
• Small, timely acts—like finding baby formula—carry powerful hope.
• Digital platforms allow anyone, anywhere, to worship, serve, and invite others right now.

Response

• Volunteer locally: assemble care packages, deliver groceries, or support urban farming efforts.
• Donate shelf-stable food, toiletries, and books for children’s home libraries.
• Sign up to serve on the Church Online host team; greet, pray, and connect with guests worldwide.
• Share Life.Church online services daily with friends and family.
• Pray for frontline workers, vulnerable families, and continued provision for partner ministries.

Closing

Life.Church campuses and partners refuse to let physical distance diminish spiritual impact. From Oklahoma to New Mexico to Kansas City—and through screens around the globe—the church is rising to meet physical and spiritual needs. The update ends with the familiar declaration that unites every location:

“Whoever finds God… finds life.”

Resources

• Freedom Fire (Kansas City)
• Rio Rancho School District Care Hotline
• WizKids Literacy & Mentoring Program
• Feed the Children