Wintersburg's Response to COVID-19
Dear Wintersburg family,
There has been much going on in these last few days concerning the spread of COVID-19. Though the world feels turbulent, we trust Jesus is still the sovereign king. As we move forward together as a church family, we will draw comfort from the fact that the God of the universe loves us and has a good plan for the future.
On March 11th, the California Department of Public Health released this statement concerning COVID-19. In response to the spread of the virus, Governor Newsom has requested that all large, non-essential events be postponed until further notice. The session and staff of Wintersburg took this announcement seriously, and after much discussion and prayer have decided to suspend all on-campus Wintersburg events until March 31, including Sunday Service. As the situation is continually evolving, we will continue to assess, seek God’s guidance looking forward, and are committed to communicating to you every week as we walk together through this extraordinary and uncharted phase in the life of our church.
Even though we will not be meeting together in person, we will continue to fellowship together in spirit! Every week, we will be distributing a Sunday Service video recording which you can use in your homes or with your small groups to worship with one another. Additionally, we are working to develop other avenues which may allow us to continue to meet together. We believe that our identity as a church family is grounded in the saving work of Jesus, not in our meetings or our buildings. Although we will be physically apart, we will continue to be brothers and sisters in Christ.
We understand that this decision may be disappointing for some; this decision did not come easily or quickly, and we examined all possible angles with which we can minister and fellowship with each other, while still safeguarding the health of our church family. However, after thoughtful and prayerful consideration, we believe that God is calling Wintersburg to respond to this crisis in three ways.
First, we will respond without fear. Philippians 4:4-7 encourages believers to not worry, but rather to lift all our concerns up to God. We believe that our primary responsibility in this time is to ask that God would heal our world and protect those at risk, so we will pray without fear.
Second, we will respond with love. In Mark 12:29-31, Jesus teaches that the greatest commandments are to love God with everything and to love your neighbor as yourself. Additionally, in Jeremiah 29:7 the prophet exhorts the people of God to seek the peace and the welfare of the cities in which they live. We believe that by doing our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we are serving God and loving our communities. Part of doing our part is protecting the higher risk classes of people including those over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions. A large percentage of our congregation falls into these classes because of our unique nature as a multi-generational church. We want to protect them and in doing so protect our communities as well.
Third, we will respond by trusting in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In John 16:33, Jesus comforts his disciples, saying, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” We trust that through his life, crucifixion, and resurrection, Jesus has brought salvation for the world. And now, as put by Romans 8:38-39, there is no created thing, not even COVID-19, could separate us from the love of God. In these turbulent and distressing times, we know that our hope is secure!
You will be receiving more information in the coming days. We will be dedicating our church staff and resources to serving all of our congregation during this challenging time. To stay updated, please visit wintersburg.org/covid19. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our elders at session@wintersburg.org. We look forward to meeting together as a church family again!
In Christ,
The Wintersburg Presbyterian Church Session & Staff