Yesterday, in light of the Board of Health’s decision to declare a local emergency due to COVID-19, the Council canceled our worship services for the next 3 weeks.  This morning, representatives of Staff and Council met to flesh out some of the details of what these next few weeks will look like.  

Even though we’ve canceled our public worship gatherings, we believe it essential that worship continue to happen.  “Worship is essential for human flourishing.”   Hebrew 10:24-25 –  ^“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”   We don’t know how long this crisis will last.  We encourage you to keep the rhythm of worshiping at 10:30 on Sunday mornings.  The staff will be working to provide resources that you may use to worship at your home.  You may want to invite a small group of people (your table group?) to worship with you.   If you do meet with a small group, it is important to implement rigorous hygiene protocols:

• Keep the group to 10 people or less.
• No one present who is sick or has any reason to believe they’ve been exposed to COVID-19.
• Shared surfaces are disinfected before and after the meeting.
• Everyone washes their hands thoroughly upon arriving and upon returning to their home.  
• Any food and drink be served individually.
• As much distance as possible be maintained between members of different households.  

We will work more on resources in coming weeks.  For this Sunday, we plan to live stream our worship service on our public Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/olympia.crc/    (Even though we are officially cancelling public worship, we will open the doors this Sunday assuming that a small group of people can be safely scattered throughout the sanctuary. There will be no nursery or children’s worship.)   

At this time, we have not canceled all activities as we believe it is also essential to stay in community during a crisis.  Groups can meet with minimal risk if they implement the rigorous hygiene protocols mentioned above.  If a group meets, we ask that they keep attendance sheets so if an outbreak does occur, we will know who might have been exposed.  Kim and Jeremy will be contacting group leaders to help them think through what this might mean for their group.  

As the church will continue to experience fixed costs, we would ask that you continue your generous giving to the general fund.  Knowing that there will be many within our church and community who will be experiencing financial difficulty during this season, we would encourage you to give generously to our benevolence fund as well.  You can give on line at:  https://ocrc.churchcenter.com/giving.  You can also mail gifts to the church.  Also, we’ll be mounting two drop boxes in the rear of the sanctuary into which gifts can be placed during the week as well.  

It is essential to worship; it is also essential to stay connected and in community.  Don’t allow yourself to become isolated.  Consider connecting with your Table Group – observing the above protocols.  Call the church if there is a way we can serve you.  We will be encouraging our Council members to be reaching out to their Care Groups during this time.   Let us reach out to each other – particularly those who may not be on social media.  And let us keep our eyes and ears and hearts open to how we can be loving and serving our broader community in Jesus’ name during this time as well.  

Know that we’ll continue to be praying, trusting God and reviewing best practices as we move into the future.  

Pastor Mark

Online giving is now available!

Here is the LINK to give online OR you can TEXT 84321 to make a donation.  For example, in the body of the text message, type "$5 to General Fund"

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