What do these recommendations mean for Sunrise Chapel?
1. Like last Sunday I will again offer an online worship service at the normal 11 o'clock time using our YouTube channel and our livestreaming capability. I will do my best to have a children's portion during the service in order to be as inclusive as possible. Everyone, especially if over 60, is encouraged to stay home and participate online (see below).
2. No Sunday School
3. No luncheon
4. No Women's Group meeting
5. I will be notifying all the 12-step groups that they are not to meet at Sunrise Chapel unless they meet in groups fewer than 10 people and everyone in the group is exercising appropriate social distancing during the meetings.
6. I will be working remotely primarily from home, going to the church office as needed.
NOW FOR SOME GOOD NEWS:
New online offerings coming ASAP!
1. I will be leading new online groups. As soon as next week I will lead an online meditation group, probably on Mondays at 9 am (Arizona time). I have been part of a similar group on Thursdays, and they want to expand this offering to each weekday. Please let me know if you are interested in such an online experience. I have already found
it to be very meaningful and helpful. More on this as soon as we get it up and running.
2. The General Church Office of Outreach is also developing other plans for online small groups, which they are working quickly to get up and running this week and next. I will be meeting remotely with colleagues Wednesday morning to learn more, and I will continue to provide updates as soon as I can.
3. We need to stay in touch with each other as best as we can! I need help from several people in the next couple of days to develop a "Friendship Phone Call System" for phone connection with as many people as want/need this. Please respond to me by email or phone/text if you are willing to help set up and be part of such a
system.
A FEW GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
As a measure of how big a deal this virus challenge is, here is a note from the CDC website: “The last time the CDC issued a quarantine was over 50 years ago in the 1960s, for smallpox.” In other words, this is a very unusual, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime event (hopefully!). And, thankfully, "this too shall pass" and we will soon be looking back at this difficult time with
greater insight, relief, and hope.
Please think of the initiatives we are taking as loving and thoughtful. It's important to take the health of our at-risk population seriously and slow the spread of the disease so that the healthcare system can handle the wave of serious cases that are inevitably coming.
