Dear Church Family,
During these extraordinary times, I am especially thankful for PCC and our weekly opportunities to worship together, explore God’s Word, pray, and be a source of grace and encouragement to each other and our community. Because of that, it is difficult to consider cancelling our ministry programming. But with the continued spread of COVID-19 we want to be wise in our decisions and response.
As a church we strive to make decisions based on fulfilling our mission of Helping People Discover and Experience the Life-Changing Love of Christ while we monitor the decisions of our local government and health professionals. Our staff and Leadership Team have been discussing, researching and seeking advice from professionals on how to wisely and appropriately respond.
We believe these decisions are a measured response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This is an extraordinarily fluid situation with information that seemingly changes moment by moment. As such, we will continue to evaluate and monitor the situation and promptly inform you of any changes to the information provided in this email.
At this time, local officials are not recommending the cancellation of small public events or Sunday church gatherings. As such, PCC will remain open, and we will proceed with our weekly programming while enacting some additional health safety measures. In the event that local and state health officials do recommend closure or we determine closing is in the best interest of our community, we will inform everyone to the best of our abilities through our website, email and social media.
I want to encourage you to be full of hope and peace during this time. In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 22, we are called to love God and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. As we move forward with wisdom and love, I invite you to consider those around us who may be feeling lonely or fearful, and may be open to discussing eternal matters. This may be an opportunity for people to Discover and Experience God who loves them and holds all things.
Please note, if you are uncomfortable attending, if you are in a high-risk group, or you are symptomatic, we encourage you to refrain from attending and consider engaging online. This Sunday, we will offer a live stream of our service on Facebook for those who choose not to physically attend. While the video feed may not be cinema quality, we want to provide this as an option. Also, our message will be recorded and put on our website, as it is each week.
What you can expect:
- Discipleship Class will be offered at 9AM in Room 101
- Worship service will begin at 10AM
- We encourage people to spread out in the auditorium
- We will not serve coffee - BYOC
- We will not distribute the communion elements
- We will not pass the offering bags
- We encourage you to give your gifts, tithes and offerings online (give today). We will also have a tray available in the back of the auditorium for those desiring to give in-person.
- Children will be dismissed to their PCCKiDS’ classrooms at the regular time
- As always, children are welcome to join their parents in the service. We will have PCCKiDS’ Family Day bags available at the check-in station.
- We have made the weekly PCCKiDS' resources available for our families (see link below).
- Our Sunday night PYC and midweek PYC Small Groups have been cancelled until further notice.
- The church is not closed and small events and meetings can continue
We are committed to our church being clean in several of the following ways:
- We will sanitize high-traffic area surfaces before service and during the week prior to events and meetings.
- This includes, but is not limited to doors, handles, tables, check-in stations, and sinks.
- Our staff and volunteers will wash their hands frequently and stay home if sick. Our greeters will not be shaking hands, but simply giving a smile and a wave.
- In addition to keeping our facilities clean, we will be taking extra care of our PCCKiDS’ classrooms. Toys and rooms will be sanitized prior to class.
During this time, we are asking you to help stop the spread of the virus in the following ways:
- If you or a family member feels sick or is showing symptoms of illness, please be extra cautious during this time and refrain from participating in social gatherings until you are 100%.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Cover your sneeze or cough with a tissue or your arm - into your elbow.
- Smile and wave to other church members rather than shaking hands.
If you or someone you know tests positive for COVID-19, please let us know so we can find a way to help, pray for everyone involved and take any necessary precautions here at PCC.
We believe that it is our responsibility to keep your health and safety a priority at the church and in our community. We also believe that “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). We will continue to do our best to stay ahead of the virus and make wise decisions as we continue to place our faith in God to see us through any and all difficult circumstances.
Thank you for your patience, support, and understanding. Peace be with you!
Serving Him,
Craig M. Casey
Sr. Pastor @ PCC