COVID-19 UPDATE

March 11, 2020

 

Hello Cornerstone Family,

Like many of you I have been carefully following the latest news on the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). This is obviously a developing situation and one that has caused quite a panic in our country and around the globe.

I want you to know that I, along with our church leadership teams, will be monitoring the situation closely, including staying abreast of the current recommendations from the CDC, the Chester County Health Department, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The health and well-being of our church family and our community are important to us. The following represents our response at this time:

Stay Informed

We want to encourage everyone in the congregation to stay informed of the latest recommendations from our health authorities. Right now the CDC is recommending that older adults and those with serious chronic medical conditions to take extra precautions including avoiding crowds.

If You are Sick, Stay Home

If you are sick, please stay home from all church activities. We are being told at this point that most people who contract the virus will recover just fine, but you could endanger the welfare of others in vulnerable populations by coming to church.

Proper Cleaning of Our Building

We have ensured that our custodial staff are using products approved by the CDC to kill the coronavirus. We further have instructed them to pay careful attention to high-touch areas such as doorknobs, door frames, handrails, etc.

Changes Sunday Morning

Beginning this Sunday, we will be taking a few extra precautions to ensure the well-being of the congregation. Some of these steps will include introducing alternative ways to greet one another and implementing a safer way to distribute snacks in fellowship hall. We are additionally exploring the use of individually packaged communion elements.

Church Service Livestream Available

We providentially have already been at work to livestream our Sunday morning service. We have sped that process up and beginning this Sunday will be making that available. Because of copyright laws, the entirety of the service will only be available if you tune in live. As always you can find the sermon blog and the sermon audio on our webpage. Because we are still learning this new livestream technology, we expect there might be some bugs to iron out. We are making the choice to release the livestream now and asking for your patience as we make improvements. Use this link to view the livestream on Sundays at 10am. If you tune in at other times, we expect to be able to post a video recording of the sermon only.

Improved Communication

We will continue to communicate through email and our website. If you are not on our email list and would like to be added, please email the office at office@cornerstonepca.com. We have been at work prior to this situation rolling out a texting option and will be speeding the implementation of that. Look for communication soon on how to sign up to receive important text messages related to this situation and other important church-wide announcements.

Contingency Plans

At this point we do not anticipate having to cancel our Sunday morning service or any other church activity, but we are hard at work this week making contingency plans should we have to cancel or seriously adjust how we meet together. The following principles will guide our decision-making process:

  1. The safety and well-being of our church family and the community
  2. The continuity of the ministry of the church
  3. The continuity of our fellowship with one another

Here to Help

At the time of this letter there have been 14 presumed positive cases of the virus in Pennsylvania and no reported cases in Delaware, but we are told this is just the beginning. On top of the virus itself are the economic and other impacts that are sure to be felt in the time ahead. Please know that your church family is here for you. We want to know how we can pray for you or help you in any way you might be affected by this situation. You can submit a prayer request here.

Ways to Serve

As we work on contingency plans for Cornerstone, we will need help from you! Be praying how God might be leading you to serve. We will communicate needs as they arise. In the meantime, be considering how you might be salt and light to your co-workers, neighbors, and community members who might be deeply affected by this situation.

Final Thoughts

We are a community who moves by faith not by fear. This present situation provides us with an opportunity to share the hope we have found in Jesus. We are reminded that when the plagues swept through Europe, it was the Christians who rose to the occasion to care for the sick and dying. Let this be us as well!  And let’s be praying that Jesus’ Church would shine brightly in the days ahead!

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Billy