Dear Friends,
We are facing days that I have never experienced in my almost forty years of ministry. I am not sure anything can compare to what you and I and the church are currently facing.
The real question is how will we respond. The following poem has been circulated on Facebook. I pass it along to you. It was written by
Laura Kelly Fanucci
, a Minnesota syndicated columnist. It is entitled, A Faith at Home.
When this is over, may we never again take for granted
A handshake with a stranger
Full shelves at the store
Conversations with neighbors
A crowded theater
Friday night out
The taste of communion
A routine checkup
The school rush each morning
Coffee with a friend
The stadium roaring
Each deep breath
A boring Tuesday
Life itself.
When this ends
may we find
that we have become
more like the people
we wanted to be
we were called to be
we hoped to be
and may we stay
that way - better
for each other
because of the worst.
That is my prayer for you and for me-and for the First Presbyterian Church, Burlington. May we all be transformed during this trying time into a more loving, caring, and appreciative family of faith.
In light of that we have made many changes in the normal life of our church. Please note the following adjustments.
- Office Hours and Staff - Please note that due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Church Office will be closed indefinitely and we discourage you from coming to the church during this time. The staff will be working Monday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and we will be very happy to answer your questions via phone or email during these hours. 336-228-1703 or kseagroves@fpcburlington.com
- Both Sunday In-Person Worship services will be replaced with an online service at 11:00 a.m. You can access the live stream here: https://fpcburlington.org/live-streaming/. You can also access our Worship Service on Facebook Live. If you are a Facebook user, please use this venue. It will help us alleviate the demand on our live streaming that resulted in a shut-down of our online servers this past Sunday. This will be in effect through Friday, April 10. We will then evaluate the situation and make a decision about the future.
- Our Wednesday Lenten Worship Service will no longer be in-person, but you can join us on Facebook Live. We will send an email notice of this again on Wednesday morning. Here is a link to a video of this week's service: Lust - Bob Ellis.
- We are canceling all Sunday School, Bible Studies, book clubs, Children's Choir, Carillon and Chancel Choir rehearsals, youth activities, committee meetings, and in-person meetings through the week of April 10th.
- The Playschool will continue to be closed through April 10th with all staff receiving full pay. We will evaluate that week with regard to the future.
- The Child Development Center is currently closed with all staff receiving full pay. Your CDC Board is currently considering the needs of primary care givers and their need for childcare. We will inform you soon of the possible partial opening of CDC in the near future.
During these trying times, please know that your church staff, deacons, and Presbyterian Women visitors are going to be reaching out to you. If you have concerns or suggestions prior to a call from one of us, please call me (336-263-1884). I am available and willing to talk with you anytime.
Grace and peace,
Ron
