Coronavirus Update | March 14, 2020
In accordance with the governor’s mandate to limit large numbers of people meeting together, I want to let you know about changes to our events and programming.
Preschool
Following the policy of the Peninsula School District, and in accordance with Governor Jay Inslee’s emergency declaration to temporarily close schools in Pierce County, Chapel Hill Preschool will be closed March 17-April 24. Until further notice, the earliest date the preschool will open is April 27. We will follow PSD’s policy as to when school resumes and when the school year will end.
Weekend worship
Until further notice, we will offer worship for our community online only. Our weekend worship service will premiere on YouTube at 10:00 am Sunday, March 15. We will also send out a link on Sunday morning or you can BOOKMARK OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE. We encourage you to share this link with your friends and extended family members. Think about who you can invite over to your home to participate in the online worship service together. We plan to premiere new worship services on our YouTube channel at 10:00 am Sundays and then they will also be available to watch anytime afterward on YouTube. We’ll post them on our website and app as soon as possible that week.
Midweek programming
Beginning March 16, the building will continue to be open normal business hours but with limited meetings and events. Please check with your ministry leader to see if there are any changes to your programs and/or meeting.
Weekday prayer
You are invited to join us in the Prayer Chapel Mondays-Thursdays, 9:00-10:00 am, to pray together about the coronavirus situation, for our community, for those who are vulnerable, for how we can find new ways to be part of the Church, and to connect and serve.
Staying in Touch
We’ll continue to send the Saturday e-newsletter so you can stay updated about news, events, worship, and get pastoral reflections.
If you haven’t joined the Chapel Hill Facebook group, please do so. We’ll have a chance to connect there on a frequent basis.
If you aren’t set up on Chapel Hill Connect, please do so. You’ll want to make sure your contact information is updated so you can continue to receive communication updates from us.
We recognize that this is a developing situation. We will continue to monitor and assess day by day and will be sure to keep you updated.
A time to elevate others and pray
As you can see, we are taking seriously the need to stem this outbreak. That said, there is still the very human need for community and worship that needs to be met. We are working on ways to allow us to meet those needs while mitigating risk.
In the meantime, I’ll reiterate my encouragement from last week. This is an opportunity for the church to be the Church. Will we push each other away in fear, or will we find ways to stay connected? Will we hoard our resources, or will we share with those in need? To that last point, we already know that many of our community partners (including FISH and Food Backpacks for Kids) are having difficulty meeting the needs that are out there. This crisis will put the most vulnerable among us in greater danger. How, then, will we care for each other? As this develops, we will be sending you ways to be connected, and to partner with our community in meeting needs as you are able.
More than anything, please pray. We’ve already mentioned the prayer times Mondays-Thursdays, 9:00-10:00 am in the Prayer Chapel, and I hope you can attend. But wherever you pray, remember that the act of turning in love and trust to Jesus with our hearts and minds is in itself a way of turning away from fear and isolation. Jesus promises that he is always with us. Let us depend on it.
Pastor Larry Hackman
Watch last week’s worship service online and revisit Pastor Larry’s earlier pastoral response on the blog.