Online Stations of the Cross
We are designing a Stations of the Cross for online use leading up to Easter. Many of our churches have beautiful and unique Stations. 

Please send photos of two or three of your favorite Stations at your church. It's simple to do while no one else is around, using your phone, and send them to  lareat@diosohio.org . We will edit them and add voice over, then add them to our diocesan resource page. We need the photos by March 31.
Connect the Dots during physical distancing
While we cannot visit other churches physically at this time, we can continue to Connect the Dots by "attending" another church via their online services. Make sure to drop us a line or two, along with a screen shot of the service, at DSOConnectTheDots.org. These online visits will still count toward entries to win $1,000 for your church's outreach ministries.You can find a list of congregations streaming their services here.

Other ways to connect the dots? Call each other, check-in. Talk to others about the successes and the trials and tribulations of this time. Leaders of churches can work together on online resources. Be creative - the possibilities are endless! Just make sure you let us know!
Support critical hunger programs in economic stimulus package
As Congress debates the details of an economic stimulus package, likely to be above $1 trillion, The Episcopal Church is advocating for the needs of those most at risk. The Office of Government Relations has a long partnership with  Bread for the World , a leading Christian voice on research and policy on hunger. Today, we are recommending Episcopalians write their Congressional delegation and urge the stimulus bill to include critical hunger programs that Bread for the World has determined will be the most important in the time ahead. 

Take action! Use this link to email Senator Sherrod Brown, Senator Rob Portman and Representative Steve Chabot.

Additionally, The Episcopal Church is calling for Congress to ensure that any direct economic assistance be designed to provide the greatest benefit to the most needy and not reduce benefits because a family is in poverty. Some current proposals would provide reduced benefits to those who are in poverty and therefore had little or no federal income taxes. During times of crisis, we should focus on helping those most in need, not reducing their assistance because they have a greater need.
 
Finally, we are calling for a universal charitable deduction, which will provide federal incentives for those who can afford to donate to do so. The months ahead will be incredibly challenging for millions of families and the charitable or non-profit services they rely on. This will help incentivize giving to local charitable organizations that meet the gaps in federal assistance or help those ineligible for federal assistance. Even in good times, churches see a surge in demand for food assistance in the last week or so of the month because federal SNAP benefits are often only enough to help a family until the 21 st  of the month. As demand for charitable assistance grows we must use policy tools like tax deductions to encourage Americans who can to support parish and other charitable services.
Keep checking our COVID-19 resource page . New information is being posted daily!
Free online Sunday school lessons
Looking for activities for your children while they are at home? You can continue Sunday school with these and other resources are available online.
 
Free online Lectionary-based Sunday school curricula:



Free at home Sunday school lessons (not lectionary based):


https://www.kidssundayschool.com  (some are free; some require membership)

More at-home formation resources are now available on our COVID-19 resource page , including stained glass window coloring pages and a link to a weekly Godly Play lesson from St. Paul's, Dayton.
Take action to help your Ohio neighbors
The Hunger Network in Ohio reminds us that d uring times like this, we need to remember the command  'fear not"  and  listen to public health officials . Do not place your trust in what you read from random people online, but instead in medical professionals and government agencies. 
 
The world needs the Church right now. The rains of COVID-19 and economic fallout are pouring down on the earth, but the focus of the story should be on the rainbow that will appear. We don't know how long this will last, but the rainbow is on the horizon. God's love and promise are there to guide us through. 
 
This week, the Ohio General Assembly is expected to convene to pass their first state level emergency response bills. We need the legislature to pass legislation that will invest in resources, remove bureaucratic barriers to services, and expand access and protections for Ohioans struggling to make ends meet. 
 
Specifically we are asking the Ohio Legislature to:
  • Make sure Ohioans have access to their daily bread by investing in $25 million into Ohio's food bank network. 
  • Create healthy living environments with a 60 day freeze on evictions and investments in rental assistance.
  • Support those who can't work by expanding unemployment compensation. 
  • Help people to stay healthy by expanding Medicaid to 200% of the federal poverty level. 
 


Email your legislator today!
Use our form to email your legislators and ask them to support Ohioans who are struggling the most during this crisis. Honestly, none of us have been in a situation like this and everyone is trying to make the best decisions with the most information. Help them to serve the community. 
Physical distancing and giving
While all of our church buildings may be shut down, it is important to remember that the expenses of your congregation don't go away just because no one is physically present. If you are not being economically impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, please remember to keep up financial support to your congregation. Many congregations already have online giving options in place. For those that do not, the diocese is collecting donations online and dispersing the funds to the individual congregations with no added fees. The hexagonal button to this link can be found on the homepage of the diocesan website, labelled Online Giving.
Connecting with staff
We are doing all we can to make it easy to continue to connect with the bishop's staff as we work remotely for the next two weeks. The easiest way to reach all staff members is via email or by calling their direct dial numbers  listed on our  website or at this link .