Church during the viRus
“Here is the world.
Beautiful and terrible things will happen.
Don’t be afraid. ”
Being the church is about more than Sunday morning worship. Unlike eating out or going to a movie theater, being the church isn't something we can really afford to opt out of for a few weeks, especially during times of heightened anxiety. We need each other and our shared pursuit of God because, well, that's the whole thing. So while we are preparing for extended disruptions to our Sunday morning gathering due to the coronavirus, we aren't canceling “church” and our belonging to one another. On the contrary, these days ahead will provide opportunities for us to be present to one another in creative and sustaining ways. Read on for more information about how to keep being the church.
Stay in the Flow
We will be creating resources and reflections through this season of uncertainty. But creating the content is only half of the process—you have to be able to access new content easily. We have added text updates as a seamless way to stay informed and encouraged. Before reading any further, make sure you are set up to receive text message updates from your church leaders by clicking the button below.
We have shifted our entire website to address the uniqueness of this crisis for our church community. Think of this online space as a calm refuge for your soul. It will resemble a living scrapbook from our church community to the world in need of hope and comfort. Share this website with your friends and families. Encourage them to sign up for text updates so our efforts can reach more people. SUNDAY LITURGY is the place to engage our weekly worship experience, which will include a new episode each Sunday morning for as long as necessary. GUIDANCE & COMFORT is a place to hold all of our new content. When we post new stuff here, we will notify everyone by text and email. Make sure you are signed up for text updates by using the button below. If you prefer email, you can sign up here for that. OUR PLAN is the page you are on! It is our homepage in this season. PRAYER WALL is a collection of our community prayers, shared with permission by our friends and family. Add your own by using the buttons at the top of that page. GIVING is the place where you can support the work of FBC Pasadena. We expect significant financial disruption as our public gatherings are suspended, so those of you who are able, it is crucial that you strengthen your financial generosity while others will need to pull back their giving. We want to keep our ministries sustainable through this crisis, so that on the other side we are healthy and ready to expand our work into a hurting world. Finally OTHER PAGES has all of our previous website pages from before the crisis. Recent Sunday teachings, staff info, about us, etc. This set of pages reminds us that there will be a future after this moment of crisis, gesturing at hope with some normal content from before the virus spread.
Safety
It is kind and compassionate to keep people as safe and informed as possible. Thus, as this pandemic becomes more widespread, it is imperative for individuals and institutions like churches to take coordinated actions with regard to safety. The most critical practices at the individual level are simple but crucial: frequent and thorough hand washing, not touching one’s face, and practicing physical distancing as much as possible. If infection rates continue to escalate, we should anticipate community-wide isolation practices to intensify. As a congregation organized around face-to-face gatherings, we are suspending services and gatherings as part of a wider effort to slow the growth curve of infections. Click below to make sure you receive the latest updates from us about upcoming program changes as this situation develops.
ConnectIon
In times of collective anxiety, stress and fear can do funny things to us. The approach and arrival of a viral pandemic are understandably disorienting. The wicked part of a viral crisis is the way it disrupts our natural desire for human connection. It turns our bodies into sites of infection and transmission, and we put up layers of distance to protect our vulnerability. This is normal but has the residual affect of isolating us from one another. In an effort to mitigate the loneliness of social distancing, we will be creating time-tested ways of connecting with others. We need people to help with this work, so if you would like to be part of our connection team, please reach out to our pastors using the button below. This is going to take all of us working together in creative ways.
Support
We don’t yet know how widespread the disruptions to normal life will be, but we are committed to providing whatever support we can as different needs unfold. Schools have closed, forcing parents to find alternative childcare and learning opportunities. Stores are already running low on supplies due to disrupted supply chains and hoarding behaviors. The healthcare system will be strained by an influx of critically ill persons. Global crises often hit people in disproportionate ways based on class and status. We recognize that some of us will be able to absorb the unforeseen disruption costs, while others will find the financial stress one more terrifying prospect. Let us know if you need practical support in the coming weeks. This might mean asking for things like extra prayer, childcare, or help with medical bills. We want to stand together in the joys and the struggle.
Resources
Adjustment Reactions: The Teachable Moment in Crisis Communication. By Peter M. Sandman
This article is key for developing and maintaining self-compassion when emotions get elevated. It is tempting to feel guilty for feeling anxious, but your body and emotions are doing what they were made to do in a scary situation. Seek understanding, not self-criticism.