Regarding COVID-19 and City Church's March 15th worship service

Dear City Church,

In light of current developments surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19), we want to update you on the precautions we’re taking at City Church to create a space that nurtures the health and well being of our entire church family—it’s a responsibility we take seriously.

For now, here’s where we are…

At this point, we do not have plans to cancel this week's worship service. However, we want to share two modifications we are making: 

First, we will not celebrate the Lord’s Supper this week.

Second, all Children’s Ministry-related activities—that includes nursery, Children’s Worship, and City Kids: Play—will not take place this Sunday. As the leaders of our local public school systems have made the decision to close schools, we feel affirmed in this choice. The acts of caring for young children—passing out snacks, wiping noses, helping with bathroom breaks—present prime opportunities for germs to be shared. We know this change will present a challenge to some families, but we believe it is necessary for the well being of our kids and the volunteers who care for them. Please know that your children are always welcome in worship.

We will evaluate these modifications on a week-by-week basis and keep you informed of any updates.

We will continue to monitor this situation and listen to expert recommendations coming out of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). We will update you immediately through our website, email newsletter, and social media channels if anything changes on our end.

Additionally, we are continuing to think about the possibility of rescheduling other events (next week’s Visitors Dessert, Fancy Bingo, our Easter Party, etc.) and will update you as soon as we have additional details.

We will also continue to follow the CDC's guidelines for community and faith-based organizations. These recommendations include having hand sanitizer, soap, and facial tissues readily available for our staff, volunteers, and visitors—please use them! Our deacons and facilities team will also take steps before our services to sanitize high-touch surfaces like doorknobs, tabletops, and pews.

Please note: the most effective method measures for reducing the spread of this virus is to practice good hygiene (thorough hand-washing with soap and water) and to stay home if you or someone in your family or household is sick or has traveled to a high-risk area. During Sunday worship, we encourage you to avoid personal contact, particularly during our greeting time. Sorry, no holy kisses for a while, friends.

We know that during this time, some of our members and attendees will not be able to attend worship or will feel uncomfortable doing so. We understand, and we want everyone to feel the freedom to make the decision that makes the most sense for them. If you are not able to attend Sunday’s service, we hope you will still spend time on Sunday in prayer and worship. To help with that, we will post the readings, confession, and links to songs scheduled for Sunday’s service on our website (citychurchrva.com). We hope they’ll guide you through a meaningful time of worship until you can be with us again soon.

Finally, we hope you’ll join us in prayer for those affected by this virus, for those caring for the sick, for those in leadership positions tasked with keeping us safe, and for God’s provision and protection over all of us.

Let us all remember:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble…The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46: 1, 7)

Yours in Christ,
The City Church Staff