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Dear Ones:
This is a hard message to share, because in many ways it feels completely counter-intuitive to what you expect to hear from your Senior Minister. I hope you will take the time to read this letter and the subsequent special edition of the E-News in its entirety, so that you have the information you need and hopefully some encouragement for the journey ahead. I never imagined that this might be what the wilderness of this Lenten season would look like.
These are words that I never expected to be writing as your Senior Minister, but here we are:
DO NOT COME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY.
In light of the recent recommendations to limit the spread of COVID-19 issued by the Center for Disease Control and the White House, the board of Creekwood Christian Church met via Zoom last night to prayerfully discuss and discern what we would like to do as a congregation.
After thoughtful discussion, we have made the difficult decision to defer in-person gatherings for worship and community activities for at least the next 30 days. In lieu of meeting in person, we will gather for worship and seek connection via online platforms.
The board and staff of Creekwood will be closely monitoring ongoing developments regarding recommendations and protocols for community and faith-based organizations to follow as we continue to learn more about the spread and prevention of COVID-19.
Please know, this decision grieves each and every one of us. It was not the decision we wanted to make, but we believe it is the decision we needed to make for the following reasons:
- Our social responsibility to the most vulnerable among us is a theological imperative that we take seriously. We have members and staff who fall into the high-risk categories whom we do not want to bar from community life. We also do not want to make folks who belong to these populations feel obliged or tempted to attend worship or community events if we are gathering in person.
- We know the church extends beyond the confines of a building. We are confident that we can continue to be a community of faith, a worshipful body, and an extension of God’s hands and feet even if we are physically apart.
I may be asking you not to COME to church this Sunday, but I am definitely asking you to BE the church this Sunday when we gather for worship online.
The decision to move our worship experience and community events to an online model does require change, creativity, flexibility, and faithfulness on our part:
- Changes will need to be made to help folks gather online, to find the livestream easily accessible, spiritually uplifting, and an experience of church and community from their own living rooms.
- Creativity will be required to help connect us throughout the week through Bible Study, social media use, encouragement to make phone calls, and other inventive connection points.
- Flexibility will allow us to be gracious with each other as there will be new learning curves, frustrations, and questions that arise in this spiritual and social experiment.
- Faithfulness will help us to remain steadfast in our commitment to God and to each other—to journey together as community and to look for ways to continue being the church.
Already our staff have begun brainstorming ways to make livestream worship accessible, engaging, and uplifting. We have also begun conversations about how to encourage us to stay connected to Creekwood during the week. This entire email is chalked full of opportunities to connect, instructions for how to find us online for worship and community events, and a few fun ways to interact with each other without leaving the house.
I am sitting in my living room as I prepare this email. I want you to know, I will also be sitting in my living room on Sunday morning when worship begins this week. After taking Josie to the doctor yesterday for a slight cough and grumpy disposition, her pediatrician instructed us to isolate as a precaution because Josephine and I, both, have symptoms that are compatible with COVID-19. Because neither of us have spiked a fever yet, we do not meet the stringent criteria health officials are having to impose on a limited number of tests available. Admittedly, we are a little nervous, especially because Josie is so young and because I have two autoimmune disorders. I share this information with you for two reasons:
- You are our church family, and we appreciate your prayers. We know that through the power of prayer, our anxiety about worst-case scenarios will lessen and Doug's and Josie's patience with my compulsive temperature checking will increase.
- You are our church family, and I love you. Because I love you, I want all of you to know we are journeying together in this strange, wilderness land of navigating isolation, avoding infection, and finding ways to still feel spiritually connected while keeping our social distance.
So, let's do this! LET'S BE THE CHURCH. From our couches. From our kitchen tables. In our backyards. In our pajamas. Via text. Via livestream. We join our spiritual ancestors in their storied history of adapting how we gather, how we worship, and how we interact with each other in light of the culture and climate around us. We have tools and technology at our disposal that allow us to adapt quickly and faithfully.
Below you will find information, resources, and dates for how we will stay connected in the coming weeks without occupying the same physical space.
See you online Sunday,
Whitney
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Worshipping while at home:
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Though we will not be meeting in our sanctuary for worship each week, we will still be coming together as a community to worship our steadfast God. Here is all the information you need in order to join us for worship online.
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We're Worshipping LIVE Online!
10am EVERY Sunday
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Tune in each Sunday morning as we live stream our worship service. Each week our staff will gather to lead you in prayer and song, to share a message with our kids and our adults, and to unite together as a community even when we're not united together in a facility. To join us simply go to our facebook page!
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You do not need a Facebook account to watch our Worship Live Stream. Just click the link above, and it will direct you to our Facebook Videos. You can catch worship when it is live at 10:00am, or you can watch later in the day. All Worship Live Streams will be archived online beginning March 25. You can find worship links at http://www.creekwood.org.
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HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN WORSHIP THIS WEEK:
Every week, we will provide a couple ways you can feel more involved and immersed in our online worship experience. Here are a few ways you can participate in worship this week:
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SEND US A SELFIE!
One of the things we will miss most about worshipping in-person is a chance to see each other's beautiful faces. Good thing our staff has an idea for helping us still get to see each other and feel a little more connected.
Email Whitney ([email protected]) or text her (214-500-5480) a photo of you and your family at home this week. And wait to see how they pop up in the service on Sunday morning!
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GIVE ONLINE:
Putting money in the offering plate isn't just a weekly obligation while sitting in church. Its a way to practice gratitude and glorify God who provides. It is an act of worship.
You can continue this spiritual practice or make it a new spiritual practice in this new phase of life. Here's a few options. Choose the one that works for you:
Ways to give without any fees incurred:
Checks and cash:
As always, you can give with a check or cash. Just mail your gift to the church or bring it by the church on a Monday (the one day we are holding office hours).
Checks from Your Bank:
Contact your bank and use their "bill pay" system to give a one time or recurring gift to the church. If setting up a recurring gift, you can schedule the date each month you want it sent, and your bank will do all the legwork - remembering the date, cutting the check, and putting it in the mail. These checks can be designated as desired (General Fund, missions, lilies, etc.).
Ways to give that do incur a small fee:
Give Online:
You can give online through our website. Simply go to Creekwood.org and click on the "GIVE" button to start the process.
Give via Text:
You can give through "Text to Give" by sending a message to
833-420-7565
Simply text the word "GIVE" with the dollar amount you wish to give. You must use round numbers (NO decimals or dollar signs). For instance you can text "GIVE 50" and Creekwood will receive $50.
Giving online is a great way to honor God and support the church with a gift. There are, however, some fees incurred by the church for its convenience. You can choose to cover the fees as a part of your gift, or not. All gifts are greatly appreciated!
In attempt to fully disclose where your money goes, the possible fees incurred include:
2% + $.30 if given via bank draft
3% + $.30
If donated via credit card
4.1% + $.30 if given via AMEX or an
international credit card
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HAVE YOUR COMMUNION ELEMENTS READY!
Even if you don't have grape juice and communion bread at your house this week, there are other elements you can use for communion. One of the reasons Jesus used bread and wine is because they were common foods that pretty much anyone could find. So, for communion this week, find the foods that are in your house that also qualify as common.
A few ideas:
Cookies and Milk
Chips and Salsa
Water and Crackers
Let us know what you're using to take communion by posting a picture with the hashtag #creekwoodcommunion
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Connecting and caring for each other:
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Over the last few weeks many of you have contributed to and helped proofread a new directory. You will be receiving a PDF copy of this directory by the end of the week. When you do, you will notice that families are listed in alphabetical order. We are going to encourage every participant to connect via email with the family directly before and after them in the directory. Simply send an email, introduce yourself, maybe share something about why you're a part of Creekwood, and then share prayer requests with one another. Ideally everyone will find time to check in once a week.
We really hope that you will each actively join us as we seek to connect and care for one another. Just think, if we each engage with just two families, we will connect our entire church community with conversation and prayer. You might even get to know someone you've never met! This is an awesome opportunity for us to grow together in spirit as we distance ourselves physically.
More detailed directions will come with the directory later this week
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Social distance doesn't mean the end of your social life:
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We believe it is our obligation to protect "the least of these" and the most vulnerable in all things. With that in mind we are social distancing, but finding new and creative ways to stay socially active. Here are some things that you can be a part of:
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Theology on Tap ONLINE!
Monday, March 23 @ 6pm
The fourth Monday of each month, the 21+ crowd meets for some lively conversations, libations, and grub. This month we encourage you to grab a brew, grab a screen, and join us for a ZOOM* chat to talk about faith, fear, and even hope during this Lenten season as we journey towards the cross and eventual new life.
Zoom is a video conference call program that you can access from your smart phone or computer. To join us for Theology on Tap via Zoom,
click here.
Worried you're not tech saavy enough for Zoom? We promise you are! Whitney would love to help you figure out how to log on. Send her an email for help.
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This Year Order an Easter Lily FOR someone you care about!
Orders due by Monday, March 30
Every Easter we decorate our sanctuary with Easter Lilies to celebrate Christ resurrection. As we celebrate the gift of life, we invite our community to order liles in celebration or memory of the lives of their loved ones.
This year, since we may or may not be gathering in our sanctuary on Easter Sunday, we are inviting you to order a lily FOR your loved ones. If you have a friend or family member who lives within an approximate 15 mile radius of the church, you can order a lily and your Creekwood staff will personally deliver them. What better way to stay connected and remind someone that there is new life after times of uncertainty and loss. God offers hope and joy to God's beloved children through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We encourage you to find ways to share that joy and hope this Easter season, and sending a lily is one of many ways you can do that.
P.S. You can also order a lily for your own family if it will bring you joy this Easter!
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Cheers to You Creekwood Community! Lets Fellowship with Food and Drink... from HOME!
As we search for creative ways to stay connected over the next few days and weeks, you can expect some fun events to start popping up. Always wanted to have mimosas together at Sunday brunch? It might just happen. Missing the soup potlucks? Maybe we will soup it up from home and chat online. Life will definitely look different for a little while, but we can still find some ways to have fun and fellowship.
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What about Holy Week and Easter?
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Lent and Easter are not going to be anything like they've been before.
One of the most difficult and disappointing things about moving to online-only worship for the next several weeks is that we will not have the opportunity to commemorate Holy Week of celebrate Easter in person on April 12-- the date that the calendar tells us is Easter.
But, I want to promise you this: we will celebrate Easter as many times as it takes until we are celebrating it together in the sanctuary, again. There are, after all, four different accounts of that Easter morning that we find written in the Gospels. Why not join in on the mystery and majesty and also have a variety of Easter experiences this year?
Please know that we are hard at work to envision new ways to engage with the Easter story and to share the good news of resurrection. It is good news that we need to hear again and again, especially in this season of uncertainty and anxiety. I have faith that we will find a way to still shout, "Christ the Lord is Risen! Halleluljah!" loud enough to hear each other. That is, after all, the calling and challenge that comes with being resurrection people: finding ways to proclaim Christ's Good News even when the path before us is unknown. Thanks be to God that we get to journey with one another!
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