The Hidden Word from James 1:5, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him”, is a promise that we relied upon when trying to discern how to respond to the coronavirus situation.
When it was announced that indoor gatherings were to be limited to 250, and there were no reported cases of COVID- 19 in Sangamon County, the elders decided that we could plan on meeting together as usual on Sunday. But when it was announced on Saturday evening that there were now two confirmed cases in the Springfield area, the elders agreed that we should cancel all services and activities for the next day, as we would do in the event of a major snow storm. The prospect of canceling services for several weeks, however, meant that we should meet together and discuss alternatives. And, since none of us had any plans for 9:15, we decided to meet then.
Casey opened our meeting by sharing something he had shared with his family earlier in the morning; Psalm 34. We then prayed briefly, and began looking at ways to meet the spiritual and physical needs of our church family. Shepherding responsibilities were divided to make certain the needs of our most vulnerable members are met, and then we focused on how to encourage worship outside of our building.
After exploring several alternatives, we decided the best approach would be to make available a time of praise, a message from God’s Word, and a communion meditation that could be used to facilitate worship in homes. We will record such during the week, and make it available through our website. We will also burn DVDs for those who don’t have access to an iPhone, iPad, or computer.
No services or activities will be offered at the church building for the next two weeks. The elders will reevaluate the situation on the 29th, and hopefully we’ll be able to meet together by Easter, if not before.
God Bless, Rick
Chatham Christian Church 