This information is current as of 4:00 p.m. on April 1, 2020.

1) There are many questions about this, but please understand, the governor’s office has confirmed, and the religious liberty attorneys that Citizen Impact trusts and relies on agree, that it is constitutional for the government to limit gatherings during an emergency. Of course, the directives must apply to *all* gatherings, not just church meetings. Click here for several recorded teleconferences with First Liberty attorneys discussing these issues. Also click here for the one-page document on this topic.

However, some local municipalities are potentially going too far in limiting what churches can do. Specifically, if a stay-at-home directive prohibits a church from gathering a team to livestream a worship service. Due to that concern, we have been in contact with government officials in Gwinnett County to confirm that a church may have a small group of people come to the church building, including the pastor, to produce the livestream service. They said it was fine to do that. Some stay-at-home directives explicitly allow such a live-streaming situation, but if you are unsure please contact your city or county government.

2) Some of you have never set up online or electronic giving, but it is imperative that you do now. Here are some options:

• Probably the quickest option to set up and get going is PayPal. The fees are minimal and it is simple to use. PayPal’s corporate “values” are terrible (similar to most major corporations today), so Citizen Impact has moved away from using them.
• Some churches have had success using Subsplash to set up an app for giving on a phone. Apparently, Subslash is working with churches to offer 100% off setup fees on any package change through April 12.
• You could sign an agreement with a credit card processing company. This is more complicated to set up, and the fees vary, so be sure to check them closely. Citizen Impact uses a Christian company, Cornerstone Payment Systems.

3) Two new federal laws were recently enacted in response to the COVID-19 crisis: Families First Coronavirus Response Act; and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, And Economic Security Act (CARES Act). There are two different loans available to churches, only one of which may be forgivable. I am not necessarily recommending you get a government loan, but you should understand the difference in the two loans. Here is some information:

• From the GA Chamber of Commerce on Small Business Loans: https://www.gachamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SBA-Emergency-Loans-.pdf
• From Chaney and Associates: Paycheck Protection Program – What We Know Now
• From our friends at World Insurance Association: Families First Coronavirus Response Act Notice – FAQs 
• Also from World Insurance Association: IRS Issues Guidance on Tax Credits for Coronavirus (COVID-19) Paid Leave

Citizen Impact cannot know all the directives issued from all the counties and cities in Georgia. Check the website of your municipality to see what they have issued. If you have contact with city or county officials you should check with them to make sure what your church is doing complies with their directives. Again, if you feel they are overstepping, especially if they are prohibiting the ability to livestream from the church, please contact us.