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Important Church Update

3/12/20 | The Weekly | by Eric Wakeling

    READ LATEST UPDATES HERE

     

    Greetings Calvary Family, 
     
    I am writing with some very important information regarding the COVID-19 coronavirus and our Sunday services here at Calvary Church. Our community, state and nation are deeply concerned about the spread of this virus. Late Wednesday night, the California Department of Public Health issued a policy stating that “large gatherings that include 250 people or more should be postponed or canceled” at least until the end of March. They also said that smaller groups should be able to have a six foot distance between people attending. We want to do everything we can to be good neighbors and help reduce the spread of this virus. 
     
    In that spirit of Christ-like humility and placing the needs of others higher than ourselves, Calvary Church has decided to hold church services only via live-streaming online this Sunday, March 15th and March 22nd. We will not have On Campus services or LifeGroups this Sunday or of any kind through Wednesday, March 25th. 

    While we are suspending our physical gatherings, we are not suspending our mission! We will continue to shepherd and teach for our church, for you. We will continue to pray for you. And, we will continue to equip you and your family in the coming weeks. You can our services live on Sunday at 9:30am, find resources to help you grow through God's Word, and request prayer online by going to calvarylife.org/live.

    We will communicate more soon, but having online services is likely to continue for additional weeks. Find more details below. 
     
    This decision has been made not only for protecting individuals here at Calvary, but also to “protect public health and slow the rate of transmission of COVID-19.” The image below on flattening the curve should help you understand why this is important and why so many groups like universities and sports leagues are making these decisions to postpone or cancel.



    We also are very concerned for more at-risk members of our community. These include older adults (60+), individuals with compromised immune systems and individuals with serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease. The risk of death with this virus is much higher for these groups. We highly recommend people in these categories to stay away from large gatherings and even smaller gatherings during this season. Please stay at home if you are sick and wash your hands regularly to help protect these at-risk people we love dearly. 

    Details regarding this announcement:

    1. We will not be having any in-person, on-campus groups or services through Wednesday, March 25th. That includes the main Worship Service, Hispanic Ministry, Logos Bible Church, LifeGroups, Classes, Gatherings, Children, Students, etc.
    2. The 9:30am Worship Service will be streamed live online. That means you can watch the service on your computer, phone or on your TV if you have that capability. We would love for you to gather with your family or a few friends and take part in the worship service remotely. It will be a full service with the music, prayer, a sermon from Pastor Dave as we conclude our series in Ecclesiastes, and some words from me about this cultural moment. Praise God for how over the past couple of months we have been able to invest in the needed resources like cameras, computers and software for live streaming and just did our first trial run last Sunday! 
    3. How do I live stream the service? You’ll be able to watch the entire service on Facebook at fb.com/calvarylife, on Vimeo at vimeo.com/calvarylife, and our website at calvarylife.org/live where we will also have sermon notes available.
    4. We have ideas and resources for families to help “do church” with their kids on these Sundays. Go to www.calvarylife.org/live to find out more. This webpage will be updated with more info before Sunday morning. 
    5. We have resources for LifeGroups to meet in homes and still care for one another. Robert Carter, LifeGroups Pastor, will be contacting all leaders with these resources. 
    6. Reach Week 2020 has been postponed. There is difficulty for our missionaries to travel to Orange County and our retreat center just canceled our missionary retreat. Therefore, a future date will be determined to highlight and care for our missionaries. You can help support their work around the world by contributing to our Reach Missions Fund at calvarylife.org/give
    7. The Orange Coast Christian Outreach Week has been canceled until next year as well, including the Mayors’ Prayer Breakfast on March 26th.

     
    Psalm 91:1-6 (NLT) says, "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday."
     
    We place our trust in the power of Almighty God. We use the minds that God has given us to make rational and wise decisions to be prepared, but we do not live in a spirit of fear. 
     
    Please be in prayer for a few things here at Calvary and in our community:

    1. Easter is coming soon! April 12 is Easter Sunday. Please be in prayer now for who you will invite to hear the Good News of Jesus in the middle of a world filled with chaos. Pray for this virus to not disrupt this outreach we have been planning for years.
    2. Please pray for all of our missionaries around the world as they deal with problems caused by the COVID-19 virus.
    3. Please pray for those who are affected economically by this virus and for our church finances as well, that God would sustain and provide through this challenging season. The church office will still be open during the week if you would like to drop off a donation, or consider giving online this week at calvarylife.org/give
    4. Leah Hess, Head of School at Calvary Christian School, will be moving to North Carolina at the end of this school year. We are incredibly grateful for her excellent leadership. Please be in prayer for CCS as we search for a new Head of School for next year. You can email any ideas or recommendations you have to   


    May the Lord bless you and keep you, 
    Pastor Eric Wakeling