Extending the Suspension of All Church Activities
From an email sent to all members of the Trinity Family on Saturday, March 21, 2020. From Pastor Chris:
This morning the Session of Trinity Presbyterian Church met via video conference. After a time of prayer we discussed the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and how to best respond as a church. We reviewed the recommendation provided by our health team in light of the current guidance of the CDC, local health authorities, and denomination. We have decided the only prudent course of action is to extend the suspension of activities at Trinity, therefore:
The suspension of all events hosted by Trinity Presbyterian Church, including Sunday Worship, has been extended until at least Sunday, May 10, 2020.
This date was selected based on the guidance from the CDC that all gatherings of more than 50 people be suspended for at least 8 weeks. Leadership will re-evaluate the situation as we near the end of April to determine if a further suspension of activities is necessary. All church staff will continue to work from home and will limit in-person contact to emergency situations only. We encourage all members of Trinity to follow the guidance of public health officials; by working together we can all help minimize the impact of COVID-19 on our local community.
Pastoral Care:
If you need pastoral care support in the coming weeks, please don't hesitate to reach out to Pastor Chris directly. You may also contact Deacon Sharon Marsh at or Deacon Greg Redfern. If you need contact information for any of them, please contact the church office.
How you can help:
If you are in close contact with individuals in our congregation who may not have, or may not frequently check, email would you please share this information with them? Church leadership will be doing this as well, but we want to reach everyone if possible.
We are forming a volunteer care team to extend love and compassion to one another. If you would be willing to pick up groceries for one of our members who can't leave home, make a call to someone who lives alone, or write a quick note of encouragement, please get in touch with Sharon Marsh or Penni Groves. If you have a specific need that our team can assist with, reach out to Sharon or Penni and they can link you up with someone to help.
For those on our mailing list, in the coming days you can expect two more messages. These will include:
Sunday: The Extended Worship of Trinity. This weekly email will include a video message from me, links to music, and devotional resources for the week ahead.
Monday: Remaining Connected with Trinity. This email will share some of the ways we are remaining connected as a church community even when we can't be in the same physical space. As a preview, I will be hosting several virtual gatherings this coming week and I hope you can join me!
None of us have walked this particular road before. There are no guidebooks on how to hold church in an age when we cannot physically be in the same space and when the loving act is to maintain distance. Here's the good news: together, with God's help, we are going to figure it out. We are going to keep loving one another. We are going to keep working for good in our community. I couldn't be more proud to be your pastor.
Wishing you Peace,
Pastor Chris
