My dear congregation, who would have thought such a contagion would come upon us as has the COVID-19 virus. However, considering all that is being recommended by the CDC and our government and with all the closures and cancelations happening we cannot in good conscience put you or your children in jeopardy by having our normal Sunday School or worship service this week. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that I am informing you that we will not be having an open worship service this coming Sunday March 22. All other activities are suspended as well. Our Boards and Committees will continue to meet remotely.
Our Church Council will be meeting remotely each Wednesday for the foreseeable future to make a determination about our worship status for the following Sunday, so always check our web page Thursday mornings. This crisis situation promises to get worse before it gets better so the likelihood that we will be closed even through Easter is a probability.
The good news is that We will be doing a service on Facebook Live at our regular time of 10:15 AM. We will have music with the Praise Team along with Drs. Sora Lee and Michelle Smith presenting music, I will share a sermon, and encourage everyone watching to give online or mail in your offerings as an act of worship.
Please continue to support our wonderful church with your prayers and your ongoing stewardship.
We understand that some of you may not be able to connect to Facebook Live because you don’t have it, or you don’t know how to use it. Don’t worry there are many people who have that same issue. We would like to help you be able to watch the service online,(contact Mandi Pascarella), so here is what we can do to help and what we are working on to make it more available:
1.If you need help logging on to our Facebook Page or knowing how to share it let the office know and we can try to walk you through it over the phone.
2. If you need help creating a Facebook page temporarily so that you can watch the service, we can help you set up a Facebook account as long as you have an email address.
3. We are also working on being able to broadcast our services on YouTube.
Here are some things you can do to prepare to watch Facebook Live:
1.Invite some friends to watch with you to watch together on Facebook. You will be able to interact with them in the comments during the service. If you need help setting it up let us know. You can even invite some of your unchurched friends to the service.
2.Interact with each other and think through your responses together.
This current situation gives us the opportunity to live an incarnational life with our friends, neighbors and co-workers. What I mean is we have an opportunity to bring peace to those around us that may be facing anxiety over the current situation. Here is some suggestions how:
-If you are going to the store check on neighbors or relatives that can’t get out easily or should not be going out because of high risk. Ask them if they need anything that you can pick up for them. Our Young Adult Sunday School class will be organizing to help our older members as well as folks in the community. (Contact Jennifer Lash)
-If you have kids at home maybe you would like to create some cards to send to local nursing homes since they currently can’t have visitors
-Maybe you can just call and check-in on people that can’t get out.
-Let us know some ideas you may have to bring peace to those around us during this stressful time and we can share them on Facebook.
3. When communion happens get some grape juice and crackers to participate in communion.
4. Consider giving an offering online when we incorporate that time in our service.
As fluid as the Covid-19 crisis has been and with the daily updates from the state and national government, we will also keep you updated on what we are going to do for things scheduled into April like Palm Sunday, the Easter Egg Hunt, and even Easter Sunday itself.
Remember God is with us and our hope resides in Jesus.
Romans 8:36-39
36 "As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
May God’s Love and Peace Fill Your Hearts,
Pastor Peirce
