Dear Friends of CitySalt:
After months of many social adjustments and “new normals” brought on by this pandemic, I wanted to reach out with an update on church related matters. Please know that I am grateful for your understanding as our church continues to support collective efforts to minimize the spread of the coronavirus, protect our vulnerable citizens, and follow the recommendations of Lane County Public Health and state officials.
With coronavirus cases and concerns on the rise, and expected to continue through the Fall/Winter season, I feel it is important to communicate our position as it relates to any kind of indoor worship gathering at this time. I have continued to meet and discuss our present situation with our church council and ministry leaders and we feel it does not seem appropriate for our church to be hosting public indoor worship services until further notice and likely through the winter season.
In the meantime I understand the fatigue brought on by the restrictions and the overwhelming desire to get many aspects of our lives back to normal. As we all patiently work with the present limitations, CitySalt will continue to make available a number of ways for us to stay connected. I realized this does not address many of the vital connections we enjoy when meeting together physically, but feel it is in the best interest of our entire community that we not create unnecessary health risks for people during this pandemic.
Moving forward, I encourage you to be creative and proactive with finding ways to connect with friends and family as you mitigate the risk within your social circles. Below you will find a number of ways I encourage you to fellowship and worship with us as we press through this awkward season together.
Sunday Evening Live Stream Service*
We continue to provide a live Sunday evening service each week at 5:30pm. This includes sharing, music, prayer, a message and ministry time that we trust will be timely and encouraging. You can participate personally, or as a family or small group. This service can be viewed or listened to in real time in one of the following ways:
*If you miss a live broadcast and would like to catch it later, you can find an archive of video recordings from previous services available on our YouTube channel or our Sunday Live Stream Archive.
Big Table Sunday/Communion
The last Sunday of each month includes sharing in the Lord’s Table and taking communion together and in solidarity with The Body of Christ around the world. This will be facilitated by our pastors as part of our Sunday live broadcast and you simply prepare and participate along with the group from wherever you view the broadcast.
Kid’s Meet Ups
Once a month families are invited to meet up with other parents and kids to do something physical and active. These plans are made with physical distancing measures in place to keep everyone safe, yet allow for getting out and doing something together. For more information on how to participate, contact Abby Wilday at abby@citysalt.org.
Sunshine Parades - (NEW)
Stay tuned for more information as we invite you to help us spread a little love throughout our CitySalt family during this pandemic. On Sunday’s each week from 1:00-2:30pm we plan to highlight a number of homes to visit and organize a follow-the-leader style parade of cars to circle the block and share a little light and joy throughout this holiday season. For more information, contact Julia Johnson at julia@citysalt.org.
Kids Zoom Fellowship
Kids and families are invited to connect on Zoom at 4:00-4:30pm on the last Sunday of each month (Big Table Sunday). This takes place right before our live broadcast of our Sunday Evening Service. For more information on how to participate, contact Abby Wilday at abby@citysalt.org.
All-Church Zoom Fellowships
Stay tuned for future Zoom fellowships (video conference tool) where we gather together to fellowship, see and hear from each other.
Weekly Email Newsletter
Tune in each week as the newsletter comes out Friday morning. You will find church updates, devotional thoughts and other details regarding outreach and events. If you are not on our email list, feel free to subscribe on our Homepage.
Salt Blog
Devotional writings each week as a source of inspiration, encouragement and reflection from various writers sharing from their lives and experiences. You can find an ongoing list of submissions on our Salt Blog
CitySalt Facebook Page
Another way to stay updated as to what’s happening at https://www.facebook.com/citysalt/
Prayer Team
Should a need arise and you would like to request prayer, you may fill out a prayer request by clicking HERE or sending an email request to Pastor John at john@citysalt.org.
Pastoral Contact
If you would like to request contact by our pastoral staff, you may do so by sending a request to info@citysalt.org or by calling (541) 632-4182.
Kindness Fund
This fund is intended to be a resource bank and network to help folks who are connected with CitySalt Church who find themselves in a unique time of need. Contributions can be made to this fund and are intended to meet immediate short term needs. If you need help or would like to submit a situation to be considered, you may access more information on our Kindness Fund page.
Online Tithes and Offerings
As part of our individual stewardship and commitment to each other we encourage you to practice this form of worship and trust in God. We appreciate the generosity of our members and contributors who support the mission, ministry and practical needs of CitySalt. As a charter member of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, we are a 501(c)(3) religious non-profit, which means your donations are tax deductible. For more information on ways to contribute, you may access our giving page on our Give page.
In addition to these, we will likely have online gatherings, small groups and classes that you can learn about on our website, Facebook page or in our Newsletter. Some may require pre-registration and are conducted via Zoom.
No doubt we are walking through complex and heightened social challenges that add a level of stress that we all swim in daily. I encourage you to press in and continue to practice the disciplines that keep your mind, body, soul and spirit alive and refreshed. This may be more important now than ever. Even though our normal rhythms, preferences and options may be limited, it does not mean we can’t be creative with how we live, love, serve and engage with life and those around us.
Julia and I love you and remain grateful for you.
We value the love and trust you have extended to us as we walk through this difficult season and we look to God for perspective and strength. May the love, grace, hope, inclusion and mindfulness we find in Christ Jesus, be our light and salvation for all, even in a global pandemic.
Praying and contending for you!
Pastor Dusty
“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Psalm 27:13-14 NLT