Church Activities Suspended
Dear First Community Member,
Like the rest of us, you have no doubt been watching the news for up to date information on the novel Coronavirus. I am confident that by now you are well informed of the highly contagious nature of this virus. The leadership of our church has been watching and carefully weighing the matter and as you can see from my communication with you, we have responded to the crises based on the facts as we understand them. Our first response was to encourage the frequent washing of our hands and refraining from physical contact. Our response last week was far more extensive as we rolled out a twelve (12) point strategy. Thanks to everyone who assisted in the development and implementation of that protocol.
We have now entered a new phase based on new information on how the virus functions. We are now informed that:
The Coronavirus may infect a person without any manifestation of the disease, for up to two weeks
The potential spread of the disease is therefore tremendously heightened
There is a real danger and serious concern over the fact that our healthcare system could be overwhelmed
The CDC’s latest guideline for mitigating the pandemic is to avoid gatherings in groups of 50 or more persons
Based on these more startling developments, and in consultation with the Church Board, I have suspended all ministry activities at the church until further notice. I will continue to monitor the situation and provide a week to week update as additional information is received. In the mean time, our church will continue to use the Digital platforms available to us and the teleconferencing resource we normally use to facilitate teaching, fellowship and ministry in creative ways.
I am confident that the heart of God is touched by the pervasive suffering around our world. How do I know this? Scripture makes it clear that “God loves the world (people) very much! (John 3:16)
Let us all pray for divine help and deliverance from the scourge of this pestilence. At the same time let us be fully aware of the opportunities that the crises may offer us to demonstrate the love to those in need. Let us trust in God’s promises!
“But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place……Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you!”
(Isaiah 43:1 – 4 The Message)
Stay blessed.
