Greetings New Life Family! The first thing I’d like to say is BREATHE … our God is still sovereign and in control of all things! “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God” – Isaiah 41:10. That being said, as concern over the coronavirus spreads and the number of events being altered, postponed and canceled continues to rise, our church leadership is prayerfully monitoring the situation. While we believe God is in control of all things and can fully be trusted by us as believers, we do want to be prudent in our actions and good citizens in our city. Please thoroughly read the following precautions we are taking and actions you can take as well.
What We Are Doing:
1) At present, we are planning to offer our regular Sunday morning services (150-200 each) this Sunday and will consider the possibility of moving to online services in the future.
2) Per the regular practice of aligning our Children’s/Youth Ministries with the APS Schedule, we are canceling our mid-week Youth Group and Awana at least through March 25. We are also evaluating our upcoming Women’s Retreat, Egg Hunt, Seder Dinner, etc. and will let you know.
3) All plastic tables, handrails, doorknobs, sinks and drinking fountains will be wiped down daily.
4) All toys in the nursery will be sanitized before and after each service and other church events.
5) We have also increased the cleaning frequency of all bathrooms (probably a good idea anyway!)
6) All staff and volunteer teams will wash their hands frequently and stay home if they are sick.
7) All carpets and windows at New Life will be deeply cleaned next week on March 18 and 19.
8) Office hours will be curtailed to M-Th from 10:00-2:00 and Friday from noon-4:00.
9) Greeters will avoid hand shaking and we will provide additional hand sanitizer for all to use.
What You Can Do:
1) Please respect one another’s responses to this situation. People are responding to this in very different ways and much of this has to do with one’s age and personal health situation.
2) Stay home if you or a family member are sick. We are especially concerned for people who fall into the most vulnerable categories – i.e. those advanced in age or with pre-existing health conditions. Watch our Sunday Services at https://www.nlccaurora.com/sunday-livestream You can also give online by going to our church website at www.nlccaurora.org
3) If you have recently returned from a foreign country or region of the US that is a coronavirus “hot spot,” please make sure you are not at risk before coming to church.
4) Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and use hand sanitizer, especially after going to the bathroom, before/after eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
5) Forgo shaking hands at church for a wave or a friendly smile. Fist bumping can still transmit the virus. Avoid touching your face in public situations as much as possible.
In closing, please be in prayer for the New Life family and our city, nation and world. Pray also for our leaders and the international leaders around the world. While many view this as a “crisis” -- and indeed it is – it is also an “opportunity.” It is an opportunity for us to show both the confidence we have in Christ and the love we have from Christ for others in need. Pray and look for how to help others -- both inside and outside the church -- who we might reach out to with the love of Christ!
Sincerely – Pastor Jeff
“I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.” – Psalm 91:2-3
