Letter From the Leadership of Zion and Redeemer 

Dear Redeemer and Zion,

First of all, I want to continue to remind myself and all of us that we have a Sovereign God who is over all things and who is FOR US. And, we have a Loving God who is WITH US. He loves us, is over us, and all of this, and will bring good out of it. With all that said, I want to give you an update from the leaders of Zion and Redeemer.

The elders met Monday night to pray and to forge a way forward for our churches. Ted and I also got together on Tuesday. None of these decisions come easy. They were made with grief, even reluctance, but in accordance with Dr. Arnold's recommendations and the CDC's latest counsel, and after much prayer and discussion. The decisions fall in two categories.

1. Gatherings:

Going forward we will suspend gathered, corporate worship and go to a livestream feed or something similar. We will also suspend all small groups including Redeemer Groups, youth, and men's and women's ministry as well as Wednesday Evening Bible Study. Just typing these words is painful knowing that both our churches are FELLOWSHIP and WORSHIP driven churches. We love seeing each other, being together and delighting in Christ together. The timing is hard to say the least, yet, Jesus is over this storm. We know that. We will trust in Him that he will replenish whatever time this takes as he did in Joel's day. We will suspend until our medical professionals and the CDC advise resuming social activities.

With that said, our prayer is that the social distancing from not gathering will indeed contribute to the recession of this disease. Our prayer (and keep asking God to end this) is that by other creative means we can still have fellowship, still pray with and for each other, and still care for each other spiritually and Lord willing, physically.

The way our Sunday worship will work (we are currently working out details so this could change) is you will get the bulletin emailed to you with all texts of songs and scriptures printed in it. You will also be emailed a link for our service. It will be different and possibly awkward, but it may also give us a greater hunger and longing for God, one another, and the unshakable things that matter most. It may also make all the discouragement we feel be outweighed by the glory and joy we will feel when reunited in person. It will be a picture of THE GLORIOUS REUNION that awaits us.

2. Shepherding / Oversight / Care:

We encourage small groups to still meet via google hangouts, face-time, conference calls or any other ways you can.

We also are dividing all members and active non-members under the oversight of an elder or deacon. We will use our small groups as a model to organize people. For those not in a small group, we will put you under the oversight of someone as long as you would like that. Everyone should get a phone call in the next week or so from your elder or deacon. If you do not get a call please email Shanna directly. We will get you covered! Thankfully the Presbyterian structure lends itself to organization and oversight! We are thankful to God for this. It is a kind, kind mercy.

What can you do in the meantime?

1. Pray: for our church, parents with children at home, daycares, workers who may be out of work, our city, our medical professionals, etc...Pray.

2. Invite: I have already heard of other churches having many "visitors" to their livestream service who do not attend church. God is at work.

3. Reach out to one another as wisely as possible. You are great at this. Continue.

4. Endure.

Romans 5.1-5 is a great reminder that God gives us peace, we stand by faith in grace, we rejoice in the hope of glory, AND, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that sufferings produce endurance, endurance character, character hope and that hope does not disappoint, because God has poured out his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Fritz