For communities of faith, the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns presented a challenge unlike any seen before. What was the bedrock and community foundation for so many became unsafe and restricted, leading both pastors and congregations alike to look for ways to support each other and stay connected. The author of this book, as the senior pastor and CEO of the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, reached out with regular letters, contacting the parishioners with inspiring scripture and messages of hope, letting them know that they were not alone even in times of isolation. This book preserves those letters, creating a vivid snapshot in time of twelve challenging months from April 2020 to April 2021, helping readers recall just how much upheaval and challenge that year provided, while also serving as an important reminder of how the struggles were overcome together as a community.

While certainly, the difficult and unpredictable events of the pandemic years are not easy for anyone to forget, it is important to remember the various ways in which people came together to support and keep each other going. This book serves partially as a testament of faith and works and also a historical document of sorts. Each letter is effectively paired with a pertinent Bible verse but often incorporates other teachings or examples from scripture designed to give readers hope and strength to face unprecedented obstacles. Though the specific challenges of 2020 and 2021 have been tackled and conquered, the lessons of those days still have relevance and parallels even now, and this book will inspire its readers to be grateful for the things that kept them going then while also finding the strength to keep going today.

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