Greetings Church,
Recent developments on the spread of the virus has caused much stir and even fear in the hearts of people. While I acknowledge the risk of a new virus, I would like to remind everyone that this doesn’t even come close to the deaths and infections of the flu virus in the last few years. In 2018 the CDC reported 49 million Americans we infected and 960,000 were hospitalized. That year 80,000 Americans died of that infection! You read that right! 80,000!
To put that in perspective, this morning's numbers from the CDC website reports that there are 1,215 cases in the United States and 36 people have died.
I say all this to remind you the there is no need to enter into the hysteria and hype but instead to do what we should be doing all along.
1. Be wise
No virus is fun and all sickness is potentially serious. If you are sick, don’t mingle with others. The most vulnerable to any sickness are the young and elderly. We have both in our church and this is a good time to give them their space.
2. Be clean
We ought to washing hands and covering our mouth when we sneeze or cough. This seems common sense but it is good to be reminded.
Hand washing regularly is said to reduce the chance of virus sickness by 25-40% (https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/why-handwashing.html)
3. Be Considerate
Some are more susceptible to sickness and more at risk for serious illness.
Those who are most at risk are the Saints Alive group!
Refrain from shaking hands or hugging right now.
Another group are our young children.
Be careful how you interact with them.
4. Be Calm
The devil is the master fear monger. His lies incubate in fear and produce panic. As God’s children we are not to be fearful in anything. He has "not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of Love and of a sound mind."
One ditch is panic and the other side of the road is apathy. Don’t fall into either.
Right now we are planning to go ahead with our upcoming events.
Homeschool Recital - This Friday at 7:00
Serenity Concert - Next Friday at 7:30
These will go on unless we are required by law not to have them. That will come through the office of either the Governor of Ohio or the City of Broadview Heights.
I am so thankful we have the truth of God’s word to guide us through these end times!
I am praying for each of you that we may have a good testimony in this. God can use us even now to show the world who he is!
Sincerely,
Preacher