Sunday Morning Edit: You can access our digital at-home worship opportunity by clicking here.
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Kernersville Moravian Church,
We have been closely tracking the developments of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and listening to recommendations being made at the state and local levels for preserving the health and safety of all people in our communities. On Thursday, March the 12th, the Provincial Elders conference shared their recommendation that our congregations consider suspending worship services and other large group gatherings through the end of March. Their recommendation comes alongside of the similar recommendations from a number of our denominational partners that were issued yesterday and are in keeping with messages coming from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).
Our faith and our church community are vital parts of navigating challenging times, especially times like these when we are uncertain about what to expect. Our Joint Board has agreed that suspending our scheduled Sunday Worship Services, Sunday School, Lenten Wednesday Meals & Worship gatherings for the remainder of the month of March (March 15-31), in keeping with the recommendation of our denomination, is the wisest course of action at this time. Given what we are seeing worldwide about the effects of this virus, taking steps to prevent the spread of the virus by limiting our physical interactions with one another may be the most impactful choice we can make to keep everyone in our community as safe as possible during this time. By taking simple steps to limit our physical contact with each other, we can prevent those who only experience mild symptoms from unknowingly transmitting this virus to others who are at much higher risk of serious illness.
Gathering for worship remains central to our community life together, but we believe this is the most responsible decision we can make by joining with many other congregations and community organizations in seeking to slow the spread of this virus and protect our whole community from harm resulting from it. Here are the ways that we will be adapting to this decision in the intermediate time:
- Jonathan and I will be creating and broadcasting brief, informal worship services that will be made available via the Kernersville Moravian Church Facebook Page and via our website, www.kernersvillemoravian.org, on March 15, 22, and 29 at 11am. We’ll have the bulletin available on the website each week and you can follow along with us.
- Upon request, the weekly bulletin and a copy of my sermon will be made available to folks who do not have internet access by mail. Call the church office to be added to a list of recipients.
- Call the church office to let us know of prayer concerns and keep us in the loop about developments in your life. We will continue to operate even during this suspension of worship services and group gatherings and we still want to provide care and support to you via phone calls, texts messages, video chats, social media, and email. Consider doing the same with each other. Check-in by phone on those whom you think might need a hand or an errand run. Take a walk with a friend. Embrace an opportunity to slow down or to reach out to support each other in compassionate ways. Wash your hands and stay home if you are feeling sick.
- Listen for needs that may arise in our community, share them, and listen in for ways we can creatively support those extra needs that may show up during this unusual season. Remember that the church is not just a building, it is people loving and serving God together by sharing their resources of time, talent, and treasure. Remember to continue sharing your tithes and offerings as we may see significant needs develop in our community during this time and in hope of our coming back together again in the near future to resume our usual gatherings.
We are still living into this decision and there will be ongoing updates in coming days. For now, here are the additional cancelations or suspensions of activity you should be mindful of:
- All Women’s Fellowship activities
- The Spring Chicken Pie Workshop
- Band Practice
- Tuesday Prayer Group
- Provincial Day of Prayer programming
- The Provincial Aging Well Conference
- The regional gatherings of the Provincial Organization Core Team (see newsletter)
- Adult Children of Aging Parents (ACAP) meeting at Knollwood Baptist Church
- Moravian Heritage Tour Information Meeting
When in doubt, call the church office first and we will advise you about what is or isn’t happening and answer your questions. We will continue to keep our typical office hours on Monday – Friday from 8am – 5pm.
Help us get this word out quickly by reaching out to those who do not have email access or lack web savvy and update them about what is happening.
Remember Jesus’ words, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I will be among them.” He did not say this needed to happen in a church building, or whether we had to be seeing each other face to face in-person. Let’s find creative ways to be present to each other during this time – tuning into worship via the internet, calling and connecting with each other by phone or social media, and being mindful of the needs of others.
In Christ’s deep and abiding peace,
Pastor Christy