“...and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.”
-Acts 2:45
According to Barna Group, tens of thousands of pastors are unsure if their church will survive the coronavirus pandemic and a quarter of American churches have reduced staff hours, reduced compensation or laid off employees.
The need is most acute in low-income, urban areas which are hit worse by the crisis for two reasons:
Low-income urban areas are being hurt worse by how the disease spreads.
These communities were affected more by the loss of hourly and physical jobs which cannot be done remotely. These churches are the most at-risk.
Church Helping Churches Phase I
In Phase I of Churches Helping Churches, we brought faith organizations together to raise over $1.2 million to help low-income churches all over the nation. Hundreds of churches received a $3,000 grant to help them survive through the COVID-19 crisis. From churches on Native American reservations to churches in urban centers hardest hit by the crisis, the contributions of Christians nationwide helped us take care of our brothers and sisters in need.
Churches Helping Churches Phase II
In Phase II of Churches Helping Churches, we'll continue to encourage more stable churches to building relationships with at-risk churches in their community and help through financial and tangible resources. We truly believe that stable and at-risk churches both have something to offer one another. Accordingly, we encourage healthy relationship building through our Best Practices (link to page).
We'll also be providing at-risk churches with $5,000 grants to continue community service projects. Churches in low income areas are pillars of their communities and many need financial help to continue serving the communities that are most in need.
How Can You Help?
Encourage more stable churches to help smaller at-risk churches in their community through financial or tangible resources. #CHCChallenge
Give to the Churches Helping Churches Fund to help stabilize at-risk churches and help them serve their communities.
This moment also presents an opportunity to help heal racial and socioeconomic divides in the Church by caring for one another when it counts the most.
How will we do this?
Join the #CHCChallenge
We want to use your giving to encourage others to give so please report your giving on the website.
Direct Aid
While churches helping churches is most important, we also want to provide direct funds to spread aid. We'll give at-risk churches $5,000 grants to continue community service projects in their area. Grants will be administered by the National Christian Foundation and the proceeds will go directly to at-risk churches.
Target Recipients
We want all churches to flourish! The focus on the direct aid is churches that serve low-income communities in urban areas that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
National Board of Reference Members
Bishop Claude Alexander | Bishop Timothy J. Clarke | Bob Doll | Justin Giboney | D.J. Jordan | Bishop Vincent Mathews, Jr. | Dr. Mac Pier | Pastor Scott Sauls | Dr. Jeff Warren | Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile | Joshua Crossman | Adam Durso | The Honorable W. Wilson Goode Sr. | Jim Liske | Rev. Nancy Ortberg | Rev. Samuel Rodriguez | Pastor Jon Tyson | Michael Wear | Pastor Bryan Carter | Dr. Charlie Dates | Lisa Fields | Nick Hall | Rev. Dr. Nicole Martin | Kevin Palau | Rev. Gabriel Salguero | Benjamin Watson | David Wills | Jeffrey Wright