To view this announcement in an abbreviated video message, click here.
Dear Church Family and Community,
I hope this finds you all doing well and keeping safe. As we walk through this Advent season together, I am reminded about the hope, peace, joy, and love that Jesus’ coming brings. My prayer is that we will know and feel God’s presence and hear and be held by the Holy Spirit, as Christ shines in and through us.
It is with a heavy heart that I write today. Like many of you, we as a Staff and Church Board have been monitoring the current state of the Covid-19 pandemic nationally and locally. Our current situation in Pennsylvania is not good. We are seeing a daily rise in record rates of infection, hospitalizations, and heartbreakingly, we keep losing more and more people.
These next few months will be very trying. While I am encouraged by medical professionals who see the end of this pandemic starting midway through the next year, I am just as troubled by the reality that there will be more darkness before that dawn comes upon us. In light of all that is happening around us, we believe it is important for us to suspend all in-person worship services, meetings, and fellowship beginning on December 7, 2020. Though we have established safe protocols and practices, this is the best way we can love one another and care for the health of one another, and the families and communities of which we are a part.
This is not the Christmas at HBIC that we all look forward to celebrating together. This may seem even more bitter after we did not get to celebrate Easter together as we have become accustomed to over the years. We will miss being able to see one another, hug one another, learn and pray together in person, and just be together. But the joy will come in the morning. This too shall pass, and I look forward to how God will carry us, keep us, grow us, and use us to serve Jesus, live by the Spirit, and to love one another in amazing ways.
Our staff will continue to follow the effects of the virus on the Harrisburg region. We intend to monitor information about public health in our communities regarding Covid-19. When there is marked improvement and it becomes safe for all to once again meet in person, and to do so in a manner reflective of HBIC, we will lovingly welcome that day! Our intention is to move through this season month to month. Please note that funerals and outreach-related events may be held on a case-by-case basis and these decisions will be made by the church staff. This month, the Blood Drive hosted by the Red Cross and the Community Christmas event hosted by Pastor Carmen and her team will remain on the schedule as planned and will follow safe protocols.
I would like to also personally thank you all. As trying as this year has been, it has been a joy to see how God has worked in and through all of you. We have become more creative, some of us more technologically savvy, and all of us more generous with our hearts, gifts, and love. You all are a very special family here at HBIC, and I think I can speak for all of our staff in saying that it is a deep joy and grace to serve God alongside all of you.
We intend to continue to provide opportunities for worship, fellowship, pastoral care, and community, and invite you to continue to join us:
- We will make a weekly online worship experience (video) available via YouTube and through our website.
- We will provide weekly online worship resources that accompany the online worship service to be used by individuals and families.
- We will host a Sunday Zoom meeting that will give space for us to reflect, share, and pray together in response to each pre-recorded service.
- Once a month, in place of having a pre-recorded online worship service, we will host a live Sunday morning communion service on Zoom, and we will continue to do so one Sunday a month until we are able to meet in person again.
- Each Wednesday night, Pastor Hank or another of the pastoral staff will host a prayer gathering and interaction via Zoom.
- We will offer periodic opportunities for adults to connect with one another informally via Zoom.
- Pastor Patty and the children’s ministry team will offer weekly opportunities for learning and fellowship for our children.
- For both our youth and our young adults, Pastor Brie and her team of volunteers will offer weekly opportunities for learning and fellowship.
- The Food Pantry will continue its ministry serving our community. And we will continue to host Mission of Mercy’s mobile medical and dental clinics.
- Life Groups and Discipleship Bible Studies will meet virtually via Zoom.
- We will prayerfully consider all ideas shared with us for ways to do ministry during this season.
- Ministry Team Leaders will be encouraged to contact and check in.
- We encourage all of you to reach out and check in on one another, and on neighbors, as you check in on family.
- We will try to connect people with one another if there are practical needs that others in the church could help to meet. Please let us know.
- We will seek to help to meet financial needs for those who have been adversely affected by Covid-19, and we invite you to share with any of the pastors or with your deacon if you have a financial need.
- Finally, all of our pastoral staff are available to you and your family for prayer, counsel, or information. Please contact the Church Office, or contact us directly through e-mail or phone:
I said this before, and feel it even more strongly now. We may be physically apart during this season, but the Holy Spirit unites us together as one in Christ. The love of God is deep and wide enough for all of us. We have been called to be God’s witnesses here in our community as we share God’s love in our homes and from our screens, through our calls and video chats and by blessing others with all that we have been blessed with – locally and globally. Our call remains. Our work remains. God’s love will keep carrying us through.
My prayer for this Covid year is what Moses said to Aaron and the priests in Numbers 6. My sisters and brothers, God’s kingdom of priests here at HBIC:
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise the Spirit that lives in us and works through us. And praise Jesus, the one we keep our eyes fixed on, our Savior who is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Please remember to continue to pray for the people impacted and for our church family. Please continue to be proactive as you share God’s love. God bless and please take care.
