To the People who are Christ Church, 

Do you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
(1 Corinthians 3:16)

At the end of Morning Prayer last Sunday, I told the congregation (both live and online) “You are the Church. Regardless of whether or not we can meet in this building, you are the Church, and the world needs the Church, so be the Church.” For the next few weeks, we will need to be Christ Church without gathering in our building. Following the CDC guidelines and the guidance of our bishop (read the Bishop’s letter  here ), Christ Church will suspend all activities that gather people together until Easter (April 12).

So how do we live out faith in community without gathering together? We are all in uncharted territory, but below are some strategies for the next few weeks. Also, if you have any additional creative ideas, please email me at  michael@christ-church.net .

·      All church activities are cancelled until at least April 12 th . The office will be closed to foot traffic and I have given the staff permission to work from home to limit in person contact. You can call the church office or email anyone on the staff with any questions or concerns.

·      We will Facebook Live Morning Prayer  here  on Sunday morning at 10:30am (I believe we have fixed the sound issues from last week). This is a way to pray with us live or after the fact. Also, you can find the bulletin, prior service videos, and sermon recordings on our website by clicking the button, “ Worship with Us .” You can follow along during the service by either printing the bulletin or reading it on a second device.

·      We are going to work to canvas the congregation and check in with people. If you are willing to help make those calls and/or run errands for people, please email Honey Harris at  honey@christ-church.net . She will be creating a list.

·      If you have any needs whatsoever (physical, emotional, spiritual, etc.) or know someone who does, please email Fr. Walt at  walt@christ-church.net . Please. As your rector I am begging, if you need/want anything, an errand, a prayer, a phone call, please do not hesitate to reach out.

·       Christ Church is launching several ways to sustain our community in virtual ways. Please visit our website and click on “ Virtual Resources .”
Some of the resources include: 
o   An online forum – a place to ask questions, share insights and prayer requests, tell jokes, etc.
o   Lenten Small group materials and ways to take part virtually, including this coming Thursday at 2pm on Zoom and 5:30pm on Facebook Live.
o   Resources for children and parents, such as Storytime with Jen and Godly Play stories.

·      Finally, if you are in a position to continue giving to God through Christ Church, please do so. You can mail in your pledge or  Give Online .

You are the Church and the world needs the Church. We will face this uncertainty together, by faith, in prayer, and with hope.

In Christ, 

Father Michael