COVID-19 and a giant engine of hope

None of us imagined our today the way it is. In what feels like a few short weeks, COVID-19 has disrupted our world physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

As the global crisis hits home, Christians and seekers are leaning into God through prayer: for the most vulnerable, frontline workers, people battling fear and anxiety, our government leaders and for a cure.

At Crossroads, our staff have been reading Psalm 91 daily. It starts with, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

With a foundation of trust in God, our executive team has activated and mobilized our media mission efforts for such a time as this. Here is an update we want to share with you:

• You are important to us. Our staff and volunteer teams engage in daily prayer where we boldly lift you and the needs of your family up in faith to our Heavenly Father.

• We are here for you. Crossroads 24/7 Prayer Lines remain open, answering an average of 1,700 calls each day. Prayer Partners continue to provide spiritual care over the phone from the safety of their homes at this critical time. If you have specific prayer requests, please don’t hesitate to call toll-free at 1-866-273-4444.

• Stay connected! 100 Huntley Street, Context Beyond the Headlines and See Hear Love with Melinda Estabrooks will air new and favourite episodes throughout April while our teams expand digital evangelism efforts. You can watch these programs daily on Yes TV or stream these and much more at www.intothecastle.com  Be sure to follow on Facebook and YouTube to stay connected with our on-air hosts!

• Keeping momentum: Crossroads’ staff have fully transitioned to working from home, doing our part in helping flatten the curve of COVID-19. Last year, we made an organizational shift to reduce office space and upgrade technology. This positioned us to quickly and gracefully mobilize teams and technologies to work remotely without slowing our mission efforts.

• Donations continue to be processed by phone at 1-800-265-3100 and online at donate.crossroads.ca  without any disruption. However, gifts received by mail will have a delay of up to two weeks for depositing. This delay is in place to protect the health
  of our staff, to align with the City of Burlington’s “state of emergency” recommendations, and to make sure our need for safety supplies can be redirected to frontline workers.

• Yes TV, our sister company and broadcaster, will remain on the air as an essential service. Broadcasters communicate important messages to the public and a message of hope is certainly needed now. Yes TV has donated airtime to increase awareness of Crossroads’ prayer lines in the coming weeks.

• As families look for new activities to do at home, Castle™ (Crossroads’ streaming platform) offers faith and values content like kid’s shows, talk shows, documentaries, Bible teachings, family shows  and a collection of specials! There are over 1,800 titles to choose from and the best part, it’s all for FREE. Sign up at www.intothecastle.com and start exploring today!

Our prayer line is a giant engine of hope. Through the resurrection, Jesus steals death’s victory over people and substitutes it with hope. Our Prayer Partners are missionaries on the front lines of intercession — and your support helps them do what they do best.