As many of you may have heard, tonight our Governor, Gavin Newsom, issued a stay at home order to protect the health and well-being of all Californians and to establish consistency across the state in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The issued statement requires everyone to stay home except for when going to to get essential needs such as: to get food, care for a relative or friend, get necessary health care, or go to an essential job. If you must go out they are asking you to keep at least 6 feet of distance.
Things To Do:
Stay home
Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
If soap and water aren’t available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Things NOT To Do:
Shake hands
Touch your face
Go to the doctor if you aren’t sick
Stockpile masks or gloves
You can read the official order from the Governor here.
Guidance For Our Churches
What should churches do now?
Pause normal meetings for worship until further notice in line with Government Advice as a measure to help protect the most vulnerable.
Reassure your congregation: Churches should over-communicate to their churches the steps they are taking, reassuring them that they are staying informed, thinking ahead, and that you will communicate as things change.
Explore other means of sharing ministry including live streaming, host online prayer meetings through Skype, Google Hangouts, or Zoom. (See more information on live streaming and other ways to stay in contact with your church members below).
Pastoral visits:
In circumstances where people are self-isolating because they are symptomatic or have been in contact with someone who has been symptomatic, no pastoral visits should be undertaken until their isolation ends. However, do offer phone support.
In circumstances where someone is self-isolating for their protection and a pastoral visit is thought to be necessary, please make sure you follow rigorous health and hygiene practices and maintain social distancing.
Encourage online giving: Churches should be proactive about ensuring church members have an easy way to make online donations.
Prayer:
Above all, we should pray.
We should pray for those individuals and families who either are or will be affected by this virus and for their healing.
We should pray for the doctors and medical professionals who are on the front lines caring for those who contract coronavirus.
We should pray for medical researchers who are diligently working to create a vaccine for this virus.
We should pray for our leaders in office, including the president, vice president, governors, and local officials as they guide us through this moment.
We should pray for the church to respond with thoughtfulness, wisdom, and love.
We should pray for the continued advance of the gospel even as this trying moment continues to unfold.
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In Isolation, Yet Standing Together
As the church, we feel that it is important to remember what Jesus says, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20) He says TWO, not 40 or 150 or 6,000. Not an auditorium with a speaker, a band, and dozens of rows of chairs.
The truth is Jesus taught us something very different from what the word “church” means to us today. We’ve grown up in the building and the system and the tradition, so we believe that this is the Church. But the Church as a place you visit for an hour on Sunday where God shows up, or where community can solely be found—simply is limiting what our creator intended for the church to be.
You may find that building comforting, and you may find inspiration and wisdom there. That may be spiritual community for you. This is great, but don’t assume that by acting as if everything found there cannot also be found beyond it. It can. Over and over the Bible makes this clear.
For the next few weeks you may find yourself unable to attend your normal weekly service, but we encourage you to remember that the church is the walking, talking, embodiment of Christ.
Let’s be encouraged and remember that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He dwells within us, not just above and around. We are the living, breathing, sanctuaries of the Lord. Jesus is Emmanuel “God with us.” He never promises that with size, organization, or building that there would be more of His presence. He affirmed that his people and his presence were the only necessary ingredients. Your kitchen table, your living room couch, in your home office. He is present there, He will take a seat there with you. He said so.
T.J. & Tristan Skiles
District Youth Directors
Live Streaming & Other Contact Methods for Churches
Those wishing to live-stream via platforms such as Facebook and YouTube should be covered by the existing licensing agreements in place with those platforms. Please ensure you follow the terms of use and copyright requirements of each respective platform. If a church wishes to host a live-stream on their own website then they can apply for a Limited Online Music License (LOML).
Playing live music on the video: A church wishing to sing and play live music on a live or pre-recorded video on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram are able to without applying for a license as it is covered by the platform. The video is required to be ‘unbranded’.
Backing music or recorded songs: If a backing track or a recorded song is played as part of the video, this is copyrighted material and a Limited Online Music License (LOML) should be applied for.
Alternate Vehicles of Communication:
Church-wide email
Emails to leaders
Emails to parents
Weekly newsletter
Staff meeting (via Zoom, Skype, Facetime, or Phone Call)
Social media
Facebook live
Standing COVID-19 update on your webpage
Flyers, letters, or postcards to members encouraging them
Video updates
If we can help you in any way, please reach out to us at info@socaldistrict.com.