Dear members and friends,
As we shared with you
earlier this week
, Shadyside Presbyterian Church has been carefully and prayerfully following the latest information and reports about the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19.
For the entirety of this week, your church leaders and staff have been preparing to welcome you into your church home on Sunday morning, as is our custom; however, Friday’s declaration of a local state of emergency, effective Monday morning, gave us pause. Once in effect, gatherings of 250 or more people will be prohibited. This limitation naturally led us to re-evaluate worship.
In light of this latest development, the Session of Shadyside Presbyterian Church has concluded that we should
not
conduct our service of worship on Sunday, March 15. Out of concern for the health of our ministers, musicians, and other essential worship personnel, we unfortunately cannot offer the live audio webcast this week, either. All other activities – including Christian Education classes, the pie fellowship event, and the Music in a Great Space concert – also have been cancelled for March 15.
We regret that we cannot gather in person this Sunday, but we hope you will gather with us in spirit.
The bulletin for the service of worship
is available on the website, and the text of the sermon also will be published for you to read. Access both documents on Sunday
here
.
We thank you for your patience and understanding as we determine together the most responsible course of action for our congregation and our community.
Since the emergency restrictions limit only larger gatherings, our current plan is to maintain the weekday office hours and meeting schedule at the church.
As your leaders make additional decisions in the days ahead, we will continue to share important updates with you. Meanwhile, we encourage you to check the
church website
for any necessary advisories. We will update the
online calendar
as much as possible to reflect any additional cancellations.
Please be aware that your pastors, staff, elders, deacons, and Care Team remain deeply committed to caring for our congregation. We will make every effort to
stay connected
, especially with those who may be more vulnerable or isolated.
We pray for God’s guidance to light our path and for the peace of Christ to surround us as we continue to navigate these days of uncertainty. We hold fast to the sure hope of our faith, and we place our trust firmly in God’s good and loving care.
