Dear Redeemer family,

Given the rising concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, we thought it would be helpful to write a short note to communicate how we intend to respond and also to offer some encouragement. This is a time for courageous faith, not unreasonable fear. It is also a time for sacrificial neighbor love, not flippant unconcern.

So, first, some basic information.

1. We plan to continue to meet for worship services on the Lord’s Day. However, we do not want to bind the conscience of any. If you feel that it is in your best interest to stay home, please do so. We will do all we can to provide resources – sermon recordings, playlists of worship music, worship folders with Scripture passages, etc. – to allow you to participate remotely in our worship gatherings.
2. Our children’s ministry will operate as normal as well.
3. If you are sick or show any signs of infection, please stay home. This is an act of neighbor love. Be vigilant in matters of personal care and hygiene. This, too, is an act of neighbor love – especially to the elderly and the already vulnerable. If you do get sick, please contact us so that we can pray for you and check in on you.
4. Currently, we are scheduled to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together throughout the Sundays of Lent. However, given the general anxiety about this and also the advice of health officials to limit the number of personal interactions during services, we will NOT be partaking in communion – beginning this coming Sunday.
5. For the same reason, we will also be modifying our greeting time. For the time being, when we “greet” one another, a wave, an elbow bump, or a really big smile will suffice. Communicate welcome and love in your countenance.
6. Also, we will not be passing the offering baskets. There are offering boxes at both the front and the back of the sanctuary. If you have not already, this might be a good time to set up online giving. You can do so by going to: https://wwww.redeemerwinterhaven.org/giving. Potential future cancellations could significantly impact the church financially. Please make every effort to continue supporting the church throughout the uncertain days ahead. Go to war against fear by being radically generous.
7. It might become prudent to suspend other church activities. We will do our very best to communicate any programming changes via social media and the app. However, we are committed to continuing to gather for worship on Sundays, even if things get worse. The Bible commands us, “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess 5:18). God is worthy of being worshipped on Sundays of prosperity and Sundays of panic. But also, the church’s worship is an important witness in times of cultural crisis. Just as it is important for hospitals to stay open to care for the sick, it is important for churches to keep their doors open for the care of souls during this difficult season.

Let me also offer a few words of encouragement. As I myself anxiously navigate these days, my heart has seemed to settle on this passage in Philippians:, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice. Let your reasonableness by known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:4-7).  Nestled in the middle of all of that beauty is the simple truth: “the Lord is at hand.” Let’s not forget that. The phrase means that we are in God’s embrace. Even in the worst of times. And, therefore, we can strive to be reasonable. To keep our heads. To not give in to the fear and begin to act in self-serving ways. To not become callous to the unreasonable fears of others.  Rather, from the inner resources of faith, to be a contagious non-anxious presence that acts as a spiritual antidote to the threat we’re facing. 

The Church has faced times like this before.  When the plague hit Europe in the sixteenth century, to give just one example, people fled the cities in mass. The government shut down. But the Christians stayed to care for the sick. Many of them died as a result. Their courage continues to be an enduring testimony to the greatness of the gospel. As Jesus Christ has laid down his life to save us, so we lay down our lives to save others.  That has been the way Christians respond to pandemic disease throughout the centuries. It’s our turn. May God grant us the courage to take our place among the saints that have gone before us.  Don’t forget: we’re in this together. Grace and peace to you all. See you Sunday.

– Drew Bennett