INFORMATION A church member was diagnosed with pneumonia on Saturday night, but was not showing any other symptoms of coronavirus and therefore was not tested. It was only after this individual tested negative for every other test that a test was finally administered and the results came back “positive” for coronavirus. This individual is quarantined alone for at least the next 14 days. Despite feeling “okay” yesterday, it was one of the hardest emotional days in this person’s life.



The spouse of the individual has also been requested to isolate for the next 14 days. The spouse has not been tested and will not be tested unless symptoms are consistent with the coronavirus.



As committed as this family is to our church, they do not believe they have been in contact with anyone in the church while carrying the virus.



The individual travelled out of state on February 29th and returned home on March 7th and didn’t feel well. The individual has not been in the presence of any church members with exception of the spouse. The spouse did attend our church service on March 1st but was not exposed to the virus because the afflicted member was traveling at the time.



To reiterate, this individual was traveling and had not been with anyone from theCross or at a service. The spouse has not attended since the individual’s return home. PRAY Please pray for this family. There is power in prayer. Prayer is the single best way we can help right now.



Specific Prayer Requests: The individual has full recovery and healing. The spouse doesn’t contract this virus. Their emotional state remains strong. It’s hard to be isolated from one another, especially when they are hurting physically and emotionally. Their family. There are greater concerns for some of the older people in their family that have been around the individual. Their business. All but one employee is in isolation. Church, it’s in moments like these when we pray to a God who is in control and who is our Healer. I’m reminded of these Bible verses:



Jeremiah 17:14: "Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise."



James 5:14-15: "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them…in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up." ACT This is not just a time to pray, it’s a time to act. One of the difficult pieces about the coronavirus, as many of you are fully aware, is that there are people that show no symptoms that are carrying this virus. It is important we practice social distancing and abide by the regulations that are being requested. This is serious and requires us to take drastic measures for the greater good.



The coronavirus is unprecedented and is the single largest test of faith matched with wisdom that I’ve ever lived through, let alone led through. There are many opinions out there on how to the church should act. As your pastor I ask you now more than ever for grace as we lead.



I resonate with a post I saw on Facebook the other day:



Why move church to online during a pandemic? We are loving our neighbors by protecting our neighbors. We are not being fearful. We are being responsible. This is what love requires of us (theCross) in this season. You can worship Jesus together in any place. The church is people, not a place. Our main action should be to think about and love others in this time. Even if we are not feeling symptoms, or if we are low-risk, it’s important for the sake of all people, especially the more vulnerable, that we continue to take measures that are appropriate and wise.



This just confirms many of the decisions theCross has already put in place. We have cancelled any gatherings of more than 10 people in our church office spaces and completely closed “theHub” (with exception to recording). All of our recordings are limited to 10 people. We have encouraged any staff member who is not feeling well to work from home, or in a virtual setting. We have moved our worship services to online for the foreseeable future to be able to “be with” you as one church family. We are creatively looking for ways outside of Sunday services to be present with you in this time of need. Did you see #21DaysTogether yet on Facebook and Instagram? Look for more creative ways, including #theCross.TV, starting next week. We are encouraging our small groups to gather virtually by using technologies like Zoom, Google Hangouts, and FaceTime to meet together. This major obstacle is an opportunity for us to shine our lights brighter than ever before. Our God has a history of turning the enemy’s weapons against him. We reflect the light of Christ well when we love, serve, and act to help our neighbors in times of crises. TRUST God is still firmly in control. Even in the midst of the chaos all around us, we can firmly place our trust and faith in God. He will see this through, and in the middle of the chaos, give us the comfort we need so that we can continue to be the people of God that the world needs us to be.



1 Peter 1:3-4: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."



By changing how church is done for the foreseeable future we are not doubting our God. Trust that this very same God will not only heal the individual, but will see our church through this difficult time.



My heart hurts for this family that is affected. My heart is struggling with not seeing in person my church family in the foreseeable future. But my heart is firmly trusting that God will reign supreme.



Standing with You in Love Together,



Pastor Zach Zehnder