March 13, 2020
Dear Seymour family,
Last night the Seymour Council met to discuss how we, as a church, should respond to the increasing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus/COVID-19. As many of you know, our governor has asked that all gatherings of 100 persons or larger be suspended. This morning, we woke up to find that schools have also taken the precaution of canceling classes. Additionally, our classis Executive Team has recommended that all churches follow the governor’s request by suspending Sunday services.
As a church, we desire to respond to these events faithfully and responsibly — not out of alarm or fear, but with a genuine desire to love our neighbors and profess the peace of Christ. We recognize that there are many in our faith family who are in the “at risk” category, and many others who serve in health care facilities. A deep Christian truth is that we are all a part of the body of Christ, and so we are called to work toward the good of all. For these reasons, the Council voted to suspend all church-sponsored gatherings at Seymour through Saturday, March 28. This decision means that our regular form of Sunday worship, youth and children’s services, Wednesdays Alive!, GEMS and Cadets, and Bible Studies will be put on pause for the next two weeks, at which point Council will reevaluate the plan moving forward.
While this was a difficult decision to make, we also take heart that the church is not a building or a location. We are reminded of the Israelites in exile, of the early church who met in homes, and of our fellow brothers and sisters around the world who continue to meet in small groups without a central location of worship. Jesus, himself, taught us that where two or three are gathered in His name, He is with us (Matthew 18:20). To this end, we do not view this period of time as a cancellation of our worship together. Rather, we pray that God would give us a renewed vision for what it means to be the body of Christ.
As a ministry staff, we were reminded of the friends of the paralytic, who upon finding the way to Jesus blocked, went to creative lengths to find a way in, going so far as to tear open the roof (Mark 2). While we won’t be tearing apart any roofs, we are praying for a similar creativity as we work to find new ways to be church together for the next couple of weeks. Here are a few ways we can already begin to do that:
- Streaming our Sunday Worship Service Online — Starting this Sunday @ 9:30am, we will be offering a live-streamed version of our worship service online. In this way, you can join us from home (or wherever you are!) as we continue to worship together and work through our Lenten Exodus sermon series. This service can be found on our website (seymourchurch.org), or you can follow us on Facebook, or subscribe to our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmjUw0lcviWvzTPGnAJcnwA).
If you have trouble connecting to the live stream, we will have our technical support gurus available to call Sunday morning at (616-245-8726) and (616-460-5830).
These services will also be recorded, put online, and made available as a DVD for those who cannot join the live stream on Sunday morning. - Gather as House Churches — During this time of disruption, we encourage you to continue to meet together as family and small groups for Sunday worship, as seems appropriate and safe. We particularly encourage you to reach out to brothers and sisters who may not have an internet connection of their own. Along with the streamed service, we will be providing materials that you can use with your family or small group to participate in the service at home. These materials will be made available on our website (seymourchurch.org) and by email.
- Shepherding and Pastoral Care — Our deep desire is that during this time we will not only maintain our connection as a church community, but even deepen it. If you are in need of special care, if you have any anxiety or concerns (COVID-19 or otherwise!), if you are in need of prayer, please reach out to one of our pastors or your shepherding elder or deacon. We will be working together to ensure that this does not become a time of increased loneliness and anxiety, but that we can all receive the comfort of Christ’s Spirit.
- Reach out to friends and neighbors — As this is a time of great anxiety for many of those around us, as you feel able, we encourage you to reach out to friends and neighbors, and particularly those who may be feeling lonely and anxious.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the church office (616-245-8726), your zone elder, or one of the pastors.
We look forward to gathering together in Spirit on Sunday.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Brian