Dear Cokesbury Families -
If your week is anything like mine, it has been filled with a bit of chaos and a bit of hope! This week, we kicked off our Lenten Study Groups with much success. I believe you will find our Lenten Study to be fruitful for your journey in Christ.
I am certain you are well aware of closings and cancellations that are currently taking place throughout our nation. If I am not alerted by text, then a family member or a friend will be kind enough to immediately update me. Just about every hour, I witness “breaking news” amidst the media coverage of “COVID-19” coronavirus. As we are in watchful preparation, I too want to be thorough in communicating the Preparedness Plan for our Cokesbury Community.
It is my hope that you have received word of how we are taking steps on our campus to care for you and your loved ones. This message is part 2 of our e-news from last Friday! Please note, that after prayerful consideration and due to Florida-specific recommendations from the CDC (found by clicking link
here; PNJ article
here), our leadership team has decided to cancel all activities, including worship. Please continue to monitor your email, our social media and our website for updates on live-streaming worship and on-line gatherings.
We know that the virus spreads through person-to-person contact that is facilitated through large public gatherings, and that the best way to combat the spread of the virus is to engage in social distancing. The health and safety of those who are the most vulnerable in our congregation and community is our highest priority during this time.
This decision will be re-evaluated throughout each day as we monitor and follow any directives from the Center for Disease Control, our local governmental agencies, and other reliable resources. Currently, the CDC recommends gatherings of 10 or more people (including church) to be canceled. The church office will remain open during this time, and clergy and staff will be available.
We will highly recommend to the community/support groups who utilize our campus to evaluate their population and their gatherings. We will continue to support these groups during this time. Our wonderful and faithful maintenance staff will continue to thoroughly disinfect our campus. We will move to online streaming for Sunday worship and are diligently working to put this together along with moving our gatherings online through the Zoom portal. This process is in the beginning stages as we contact leaders to prepare them to access this technology. Your study or committee leader will let you know when this will occur; follow your facilitator/teachers/committee leaders for updates.
Moving forward we will provide:
- easy instructions to guide you to participate online for worship,
- an alternative and secure way to give your tithes and offerings,
- easy instructions for the Zoom portal,
- sermon podcasts to share with friends and family.
Additional things to consider:
- Please continue to be proactive and check the Escambia County Emergency Management for updates.
- We will notify you via social media, phone calls, our website, and email of any Cokesbury updates.
- Update your contact information by calling the front office (476-5818) or emailing shirley@cokesburychurch.com
I know this is a lot to process but I encourage you:
- to not be afraid,
- to be mindful of social distances and alternative ways to greet others,
- to support one another and our community with love and grace,
- to share in ministry with the world through prayer, and encouraging words.
As we check on our friends and family, watch the evening news, click on the most recent message alert, and quickly realize there is no toilet paper anywhere on earth - let us slow down, be proactive, and meditate on
Proverbs 24:13-14 (NRSV):
“My child, eat honey, for it is good,
and the drippings of the honeycomb
are sweet to your taste.
Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
if you find it, you will find a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.”
We are the church called by God! May we experience the guidance of the Holy Spirit. May we share the gift of wisdom, the light of hope, and the love of Jesus Christ to one another, and all in need.
Peace and grace,
Pastor Sheila Bates
