Coronavirus (COVID-19) UpdateS
3/14/2020
Vineyard Church - Meeting Exclusively Online to Love our Community Beginning this Sunday, March 15th, Vineyard Church will be meeting exclusively online for worship services. To love and protect the most vulnerable in our Midwest community, we will not be hosting our services at our physical location at least through March 22.
We will be joining in worship with many other Vineyard churches around the country at 10:00AM this Sunday. Vineyard Worship will be live streaming worship at that time, on the Vineyard Worship Facebook site, https://www.facebook.com/VineyardWorship/.
Then, at 10:30AM, we will live stream our sermon on the Vineyard Church Facebook site, https://www.facebook.com/vineyardchurch.co/. Adam will be speaking this Sunday, continuing our series on Marking Time, teaching from John 4.
We are also postponing our two remaining Bridge the Divide sessions, which had been scheduled for 6:30pm on March 15 and March 29. We will let you know when we have scheduled new dates for these. Our small groups will continue to meet for now. Watch for updates at https://www.vineyardchurch.co/, and our Vineyard Church Facebook and Instagram sites.
Why We Are Glad To Go Online
As followers of Jesus, we are to Love God and Love others. Going online allows us to love people, including people we don’t know and who don’t come to the Vineyard. We will intentionally inconvenience ourselves and make this sacrifice for others because that is the Way of Jesus.
Our hope is to help “flatten the curve,” in an effort to save the lives of those most vulnerable amongst us and supporting our local medical professionals and systems. While difficult, it is best to take the necessary steps now to avoid the possibility of far more catastrophic consequences later.
Keep Our Eyes on Jesus
This is a stressful time and it’s natural to feel that stress. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” But he also said, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.” In this difficult time, the God that has overcome the world can give us the peace and comfort we need. Go to Jesus. Please take some time at home (praying, reading your Bible, meditating, etc.) to experience the love of God. It is so good.
Watch this video update from Lead Pastor Pat Mulcahy here.
3/13/2020
COVID-19: The Vineyard Church Response
Following Jesus impacts all of our lives, including how we respond to pandemics. Here are some ways we can Love God and Love Others with our response to the “Coronavirus”/COVID-19.
Start With Good Information
Our first responsibility is to begin with good and trustworthy information and to stay up to date with the developments as they arise. Panic and misinformation must be combated.
The agencies and websites we are monitoring are The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The World Health Organization (WHO), The Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and The Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department. We recommend these resources to you as a good source of information.
Yet, as followers of Jesus, we don’t just rely on human wisdom and information. We also look to God. We ask the Holy Spirit what he’s doing in the midst of this pandemic, look to our Bibles for guidance, and remember how God has always been faithful throughout human history. We encourage you to watch the news and stay informed, but please also take time to listen to what God has to say about the “Coronavirus”/COVID-19.
Our Response and Responsibility
Because we have Jesus and know things that are unknown to the rest of the world, followers of Jesus are going to respond differently to the “Coronavirus”/COVID-19.
Followers of Jesus must not succumb to xenophobia or racism.
Already we’re seeing discrimination of individuals because of their race and ethnicity, including racial violence against Chinese people and racially charged rhetoric about China and Chinese culture. We followers of Jesus must resist xenophobia and racism whenever it rears its ugly head.
Followers of Jesus must not succumb to fear.
The Apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us fearful, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” Some of us may need to turn off the news, look away from the internet to spend some time with Jesus and look to the Bible.
Followers of Jesus are always called to pray.
As the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:18, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” We pray for those around the world who have lost loved ones to the disease. We pray for God’s peace and comfort to be upon them. We pray for the medical, scientific, and public health officials who are working diligently on our behalf. We express gratitude to God for them and honor them in their work.
Followers of Jesus must be wise about our own health.
As the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
To stop the spread of germs and help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases like COVID-19, we are encouraging everyone in our community to:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Followers of Jesus are called to minister to the sick and the dying.
As Jesus said in Matthew 25:36, “I was sick and you looked after me…” For the medical and other professionals in our community, we may be called to do that directly. Yet, there are lots of ways to indirectly help the sick and dying. Intercessory prayer is a way to help. Slowing the spread of the virus through social distancing is a sacrifice we can make to help others. We should all be asking Jesus what he wants us to do to help.
Sunday Services Continue…For Now
At this time, we believe continuing to meet does not pose a serious health risk to our community, and so we will be gathering on Sundays for our worship services. We do not believe there is any reason to panic or take drastic measures, though we will remain proactive and precautionary. We recognize that there could come a day when canceling in-person services is an appropriate act of love and care to protect the most vulnerable in our community.
We will follow guidelines for religious services as they are issued by the state government and health officials. Please check our social media or website for the most up to date information about events and services. If you feel uneasy about being in groups of people right now, that’s understandable. We encourage you to follow the advice of your medical professionals. Our staff is working to establish ways to stay connected via live streaming, video appointments, etc. In the case of quarantine, many of our staff will be working and available from home. We’ll be able to keep in touch through social media, and technology such as Zoom and Google Hangouts.
Thank You and Stay in Touch
Thank you for being a church community that loves God and loves others.
In these kinds of situations, it’s important that we as Christians continue to serve the vulnerable around us, that we keep an eye on our neighbors (especially those living alone or with health concerns), that we remain a non-anxious presence in an anxiety-filled world. Please continue to pray, to give generously to the work of the church, and to care for one another. Let us know how you are doing, what needs you might have, and any ways we can be praying for you.
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or at our website for the most up to date information.
May Jesus and his love be close to you during this challenging time.
Pat, Lisa and the Vineyard Church Staff