CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
3/13/2020
COVID-19 update: Sunday gathering CANCELLED
Dear All of Life,
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1) - any trouble being physical, spiritual, financial, or relational. This is crucial to remember as the Coronavirus outbreak is unfolding. I want to encourage everyone, that we have no reason to fear. “For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you” (Isaiah 41:13).
As we witness the current events regarding this outbreak, we as a church are responding in the abundance of caution rather than reacting in the abundance of fear. We believe in and worship a God who is mighty and sovereign over all things including death and disease. Cultivating a Godward perspective is what will ground our hope and inform our wisdom and response. This is not the first of its kind, nor will it be the last (H1N1/swine flu, Avian flu, Ebola, MERS, SARS) until Christ returns and restores all things into the new heaven and new earth.
In seeking to be wise and discerning and while circumstances change daily, here is our current plan:
PRAY:
Times like this draw our attention to the brevity and fragility of life (James 4:14). It reminds us of our weakness and need for a Savior (2 Corinthians 12:9). It reminds us that our lives and sure hope are found in Christ, the Lord. Therefore, with these truths resonating in our souls, we pray to our Father in Heaven for ourselves, each other and the world. Pray for wisdom, healing, treatment/cure/vaccine, safety, provisions and the final cry of our hearts is, “Come, Lord Jesus. Come!”
GATHERINGS:
Your leadership team has been monitoring the latest news and updates from local authorities and the CDC. Through much prayer and discussion with medical professionals in our congregation and among ourselves, we are choosing to love our neighbor by cancelling our Sunday gatherings until further notice. By cancelling, we aim to stay ahead of a local outbreak and play our part in loving and considering the most vulnerable among us (Phil. 2:4). While local authorities have not advised us to forego large-scale gatherings here, we choose to be among the first to raise our hand and say, “yes, we’ll do everything in our power to love our neighbors.”
Some may say this is too soon for our church to respond to or that we are too small to be of consequence in our area. That’s your privilege and opinion.
We want to do everything possible to be responsible, wise and loving to our community and we are convinced that cancelling our gatherings falls in step with this desire. While the gathering of the body of Christ is vital for the church community, we also desire to care well for one another and our community.
As we continue to monitor the progress of the pandemic, we will keep the All of Life family updated on our plans moving forward.
If the situation surrounding the virus continues to escalate, we will be looking for opportunities to serve locally and for creative ways to gather and stay connected relationally.
To be clear, we are not panicked and these decisions have not arisen out of fear, but out of love for our neighbor.
SUNDAY:
We will likely be providing some form of digital liturgy for you to gather around on Sunday morning. Check our social media (@alloflifechurch ) on Facebook and @alloflife.church on Instagram) and our website (http://alloflife.church) for details to be posted soon. We also encourage you to continue gathering in smaller groups as you remain non-symptomatic and wish to continue doing so.
CAUTION:
Public health experts say people who are at higher risk of illness including (1) those over 60, (2) anyone who has underlying health conditions, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, chronic liver disease, blood disorders, (3) those with weakened immune systems or (4) pregnant should remain at home as much as possible. For more information these websites are helpful:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html
and
and this 20 minute podcast from John’s Hopkins University
http://johnshopkinssph.libsyn.com/tom-inglesby-answers-your-covid-19-questions?tdest_id=1899134
For those who are recommended to stay home, there is an opportunity for others in the church to care for them by running errands, shopping, etc. If you are willing to help out with this or if you are someone who needs help, please email us at hello@alloflife.church
ILLNESS:
If you, or a family member, has a cough, fever, or other respiratory difficulties, we ask you to stay home and do not attend any church-related activities until you are fever-free for 24 hrs.
If you have any questions, or if you are diagnosed with the virus, please email us at hello@alloflife.church . Our desire is to love, care and pray for our church body and we will make every effort to extend care and help you should you become ill.
As we move forward, our goal is to love God and love our neighbor. These two will inform our decisions and direct our path forward as a church.
We grieve with those who have lost loved ones. We pray for those who are sick and we pray for those who face other difficulties due to this pandemic such as not being able to go to work, take care of older family members or who have been or will be financially affected by the restrictions due to this outbreak. The power of sin and darkness in this world is daunting and wearisome, but we do not lose heart because, “this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). We put all of our trust in him and pray that he would be pleased to use us as a church and individually to be salt and light to this world full of darkness. May he show his power and might and bring many souls to himself even through this difficult time. To him be the glory, forever and ever, Amen.
Grace and peace,
Jared Lyda, Ken Joy, Jeremy Stevens, and JJ Turbin.
Below is a list of verses to encourage you. You may find it helpful to pray through this list.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way...” Psalm 46:1-2
“For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Isaiah 41:13
“- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” James 4:14
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On god rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah” Psalm 62:5-8
“Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:8