Update Concerning Health Concerns, Spring Break, and Church Schedule

Church friends and family,

I am assuming we are all aware of the current health concern. Accordingly, our Governor has declared a public health emergency, which will make sure goods and supplies are available and that the Department of Finance and Administration will immediately identify emergency funds for disbursement in various ways to ensure the government will continue to operate and that the private sector receives needed resources. Our state government has advised against public gatherings, including church worship services. Church, this was inevitable and expected, and we have been preparing for this accordingly. Therefore, please read the following carefully:

• First, we have added some additional deep clean detail to our auditorium, Sunday school classrooms, nursery/pre-school spaces, restrooms, and all surfaces in and around the building that come in contact with our church friends and family.
• Second, we ask and will continue to ask you to thoroughly wash your hands and follow best practices for your own health (not just now, but always). If you are sick, please stay home. Granted, we all should have been doing these things already out of love for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
• Third, we are NOT planning to cancel our worship gatherings, though we will be diligent to monitor the situation and any further developments as we go along and respond as the need arises.While we are not canceling, we are going to adjust our schedule through the month of March due to the health concern combined with the scheduling of Spring Break. Therefore, on the Sundays of March 15^th, 22^nd, and 29^th, we will only have our 11 o’clock service. As we continue to meet, we are aware that certain demographics of our congregation are more susceptible to the health threat and therefore will choose to stay home. Consequently, to be the best stewards of the provisions God has given us in regard to volunteer personnel and funds, we feel it is the wisest course of action to only have Sunday School and the one service for the remaining Sundays in March. (For those that choose to stay home, we will live stream the 11 o’clock service on Facebook.) At this point we will return to the two service format on April 5^th.
• Fourth, if you decide to stay home, let me encourage you to maintain your regular worship through giving by going tohttp://www.taylormemorial.com/give so the missionaries, church planters, and other ministries we support can continue unhindered and funds will continue to be available to respond to any unforeseen crisis in our community.
• Fifth, I remind you our Lord Jesus Christ commanded us not to worry. If you are worried, anxious, or simply concerned about what to do, I also remind you of what Paul says in Philippians 4:6-7: "Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Let us all choose worship over worry, faith over fear, and peace over panic.

Church friends and family, worry, fear, and panic do not honor our sovereign Lord––worship, faith, and peace do. By His grace, we will together walk this journey.