Dear church family,
In light of recent events and news surrounding the Coronavirus, I wanted to share with you some things we can do as a congregation. I recognize we are living in an unparalleled moment concerning the Coronavirus. While this pandemic has struck a chord of fear in our community and around the world, we also recognize that God is sovereign and in control.
The Governor of Colorado has asked that any meetings of groups larger than 250 be cancelled for a period of 30 days if separation space of six feet cannot be provided. Although our church meetings fall below this threshold, we want to especially protect the vulnerable (those over 60 years and those with underlying health conditions).
As of now, we plan to hold our regular services on Sunday, March 15. As far as we know there has only been one positive case of the virus in Mesa County. But if you would feel safer staying home from church, please do. I know many of you fall into those at-risk categories and we want you to be as careful as you can. We will reevaluate the risk each week and let you know whether we will have services for that week. If you cannot come, you can always access our sermons each week online at https://www.newcovenantgj.org/.
When we do come together for services we are asking that everyone practice good hygiene by washing hands frequently and curtailing our normal hand-shaking and hugs. We will ensure that our facilities are sanitized before each meeting.
Above all I am asking that you would pray. Please pray for these specific things:
- That God would give wisdom to all who are in leadership and are faced with making decisions, whether in churches, schools, businesses, healthcare, or government.
- That those who are living in fear would put their faith in Jesus Christ and know that our loving God is in control.
- That God would graciously heal those who are sick and suffering, and comfort those who are grieving the loss of loved ones.
- That God would provide the needs of people during this crisis through the generosity of His Church.
- That churches and followers of Jesus would recognize the opportunity to utilize this moment to share the gospel of our Lord Jesus and our hope of eternal life.
Our leadership at New Covenant will continue to serve our congregation in every way possible. We encourage you all to support each other in prayer and with any practical help that is needed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
The easiest way for us to get the word out is email. If you have an email address that you can check please let us know if we don’t have it already. We will make phone calls to others.
We also encourage everyone to take precautionary measures and to stay informed on a daily basis. While this is an unprecedented moment and challenge, we serve an unchanging God who loves us and can meet us in our most fearful moments.
Pastor Richard Sipes
