As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world in early 2020, LifeWay quickly moved to better serve churches and church leaders trying to minister in unforeseen circumstances.

As the coronavirus continues to affect congregations into the new year, Ben Mandrell, LifeWay president and CEO, says the organization “wants to do everything we can to help churches sustain their vital ministries during this time. Because of this, we have been working on solutions for supporting local churches as they seek to grow together as disciples during this season and walk with them as they begin rebounding.”

In the spring, LifeWay provided church assistance packages, low-cost books and Bible studies, as well as numerous free resources including digital giving plans, curriculum, at-home children’s ministry kits, student discipleship packages and a tool for reopening churches.

Some of the most difficult pivots centered around events and camps, but LifeWay worked to provide safe alternatives for churches and church leaders.

“Reach” was the theme of this year’s Equipping the Church and Home (ETCH) Conference, held Oct. 13-14, which brought together online more than 900 ministry leaders of kids and students for training and virtual fellowship.

More than 700 women gathered physically and online for the 2020 LifeWay Women’s Leadership Forum Nov. 12-13 at Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tenn. For COVID-19 safety and compliance reasons, in-person attendance was capped at around 250, which included women spanning 21 states and seven denominations.

Throughout the year, LifeWay reached more than 40,000 women with a number of digital events hosted by hundreds of churches and streamed by more than 27,000 individuals. More than 100,000 women also joined one of the LifeWay Women’s online Bible studies in 2020.

More than 6,000 people tuned in for the 2020 Black Church Leadership and Family Conference, held July 20-24 as an online-only event during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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