Updated: July 23, 2020

Concerns over COVID-19 continue in North America and around the world, affecting churches as well. Many denominations have provided information about the health crisis; we advise you to connect with your church leadership and government authorities for guidance during this rapidly changing situation. In many places, churches will continue to adapt their ministries of faith formation to include remote and virtual experiences, and we’d like to update you on the use of Sparkhouse resources as you look toward your fall programming.

From March 15 through July 31, 2020, Sparkhouse allowed temporary expanded licensing for resources, including the duplication and digital distribution of print resources not generally allowed under our permission terms. We granted this temporary permission expansion to assist churches in completing the curriculum year during the initial fast-moving stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that this expanded permission allowed your faith community to adjust and continue to minister during the outbreak's early phase. Beginning August 1, we ask that any duplications of physical resources such as DVDs, leaflets, and print leader guides be recycled or discarded, since the temporarily expanded permissions are expired.

We encourage churches to use published Sparkhouse resources for remote instruction, safely distributing any physical materials. Please adhere to any of your church, local, or state guidelines. Sparkhouse has compiled a list of frequently asked questions as they relate to using Sparkhouse resources remotely. 

For the next curriculum year, Sparkhouse has created How-tos for Creating Remote Sunday School Experiences to help Christian educators adapt every Sparkhouse Sunday school curriculum for remote learning. We believe the distribution of print resources provides a meaningful touchpoint for the families in your congregation and allows kids to interact with resources made explicitly for their developmental levels. We encourage the distribution of print resources should you continue remote instruction in your community this fall. 

If you are a Sparkhouse Digital Subscriber:

• You may add an unlimited number of users to your Sparkhouse Digital account to access Sparkhouse curricula in digital form.
• My Account – Leaders – Add New Leader
• You may then use the calendaring tool to share content with the new leaders. Leaders will then have to log in to Sparkhouse Digital to gain access to the content. Note: Sparkhouse Digital does not include learner leaflets.
• Alternatively, you may download the materials and upload them to a temporary, password-protected site
• Click here for instructions on how to create a password-protected Dropbox folder

Each of us at Augsburg Fortress, Sparkhouse, and 1517 Media remains committed to the work of supporting your ministry. If you have any questions about how we can continue to do so during these extraordinary circumstances, please do not hesitate to call us at 800-328-4648 or contact our sales and service team.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)