(News: July 10, 2020)
More information has been added to this post: Coping with COVID – July 17, 2020 Update
Dear Brothers and Sisters;
“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5)
As we continue to find our way through this season of uncertainty and conflicting opinions, the elders are praying that you will find peace and confidence in the unchanging steadfastness of God’s love and Christ’s redemption. As elders we are deeply aware of the pandemic fatigue that grips us. We are continuing to look for ways to encourage community and prayer. This letter presents four things that we’d like you to consider being involved in: Sunday Scripture Reading; our Annual Meeting; a new weekly prayer meeting; and All Mask Sundays.
Sunday Scripture Reading. Since we introduced this in June, it has been going well. We simply gather on Sunday at 9:45 AM to listen to one of the elders read an extended section of Scripture and share a few thoughts. We gather in-person in the LIFE room and on Zoom at Meeting 837 8139 1298. If you need the password ask any of the elders or call Iva in the church office.
Annual Meeting. We’ve been operating since the end of March on a presumed budget and with a combination of old board members and those who were nominated for this year. We would like to resolve this by having a very brief Annual Meeting on July 26th immediately following the church service. We believe we can reach a quorum at this meeting if each member of Trinity will prayerfully consider coming. We will only discuss the budget and the nominations for elders and officers, then vote and be dismissed. The sample ballot and the proposed budget are attached.
Weekly Prayer Meeting. Times of uncertainty are great times to pray, to lament, to turn to God in trust, and to praise. Many individuals need prayer, as do those caring for others in the crisis, and the people attempting to guide our country, state and local responses. We also believe that God can use this crisis, and our prayers, to turn many hearts toward him and even to bring revival.
So we are planning to start a weekly prayer meeting at the church. This will be just one hour, from 7:30 to 8:30 on Tuesday evening. The format will be informal, the same that we have long used in the men’s prayer meeting: half an hour of praise and half an hour of intercession. This will be in-person, in the sanctuary, with social distancing. We expect this will continue through the summer. We encourage you to come and join your brothers and sisters in prayer.
All Mask Sundays. We are deeply aware that there are many views on the necessity of masking and social distancing. By default our reopened church services have tended to include those relatively comfortable going without masks and greeting each other warmly. This is all good, but it does exclude some who would like to come but are not comfortable with that degree of interaction, or can’t risk it for the sake of others they care for. We all want to love each other and show grace, and we all need worship and fellowship. Therefore we plan to make the third week of the next few months an “All Mask Sunday,” where everyone who is willing can mask up, stay distant and show a moment of love and grace to those who can thus fulfill their longing to come to church.
Note that the purpose of “All Mask” Sunday is to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus in our large group gathering. The goal is not to encourage vulnerable or symptomatic people to come – that’s the reason we have the livestream. But healthy people who have stayed away out of concern for others in their family or circle may feel comfortable coming to a service where we are careful to mask up and stay socially distant.
Details:
When: The third Sunday of each month beginning on July 19, 2020
Where: The sanctuary
Who: All those willing to mask up and maintain strict social distancing.
How: We ask you to be fully masked before and after the service, and masked if you are able to during the singing. We ask that you be fully masked during the message and unmasked only for the moments of communion. To help those who find masks difficult we will be providing free “surgical” style masks which most people find the easiest to breath in. Bring your own mask, but feel free to try one of these if it helps (or if you forget.) If you really can’t mask the whole time we will also be streaming the message in the LIFE room.
Thanks for being people of love and grace through this slow-motion crisis. We love you and pray God’s blessing on each of you.
Bob, for the elders
Annual Meeting Documents:
2021 Proposed Budget
Sample Ballot
Previous Coronavirus Updates:
Reopening Update – May 30, 2020
Trinity will begin a slow reopening on May 10, 2020
Updated Response to COVID-19
Response to COVID-19
