As many of you have heard, several folks in the church have caught the virus. To my knowledge, all of those cases are mild and no one is in danger. All are taking proper precautions to guard their own health and the health of others, and are recovering well. As Christians, love for others is central to our faith. We want to show that love by how we treat others. In this case, we want to do everything that we can to prevent the spread of illness.
Worship is also central to our faith. The Bible commands us not to forsake gathering for worship. Whenever possible, we should gather with our brothers and sisters in Christ to worship God together.
So how do we do both in the current situation?
After prayer, reflection and consultation, we have developed the following suggested course of action:
We are encouraging those who are sick or have been exposed to those who are sick to stay home, consult with doctors as needed and follow the latest health guidelines available. This is just a good common-sense approach to take with any illness. We will continue to broadcast Online Sunday School and Worship Services via Facebook for those who are unable to attend in person. In fact, you can invite your friends and family to watch with you.
We are encouraging those who are well and able to do so to gather for worship as often as possible. We will do everything in our power to keep services and ministries going. When necessary, we will call in guest preachers and employ any technology at our disposal to make it happen. We must make every effort to continue the Lord's work. He deserves no less than our very best.
By God's grace, let us work together to exalt God, edify the church and evangelize the world.