June 5, 2020
Dear Church,
I want to express my appreciation of your collective efforts to honor the social distancing guidelines as we all work to mitigate the impact of this pandemic. It seems Oregon has done a good job adjusting to the necessary changes and has been spared a potentially more deadly outcome.
As Oregon continues a path toward returning to our new normal, I want to update you with regard to the physical gatherings of our Sunday evening services.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown recently announced that Lane County is approved to enter Phase 2 of the reopening efforts at this stage of the pandemic. The restrictions summarized as part of Phase 2 include individual, social, civic and faith-based gatherings to be limited to 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors. It is highly possible that Oregon will be at Phase 2 through the summer and maybe even the Fall.
Essentially we are still encouraged to maintain social distancing measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 and it is strongly recommended that when in public gatherings all wear face coverings to protect you and others.
In preparation for Phase 2, last week I met with our CitySalt ministry leaders to discuss the consideration of returning to physical gatherings at The Box. Our discussion was guided by recent recommendations from our Foursquare President-Elect, Randy Remington, that aimed to help church leaders as they wrestle with when to reopen their buildings. He suggested the following considerations and questions and we have prayerfully taken them to heart:
Considerations:
What is our context?
What is the tone and values of our community?
How do we love and honor our neighbors and not do things that compromise our witness?
What are the existing polarities?
How can we honor differing opinions and views on the pandemic? (ie. masks, social distancing and pandemic importance)
How do we consider those with compromised health or concerns?
Questions:
Is it permissible?
(State/County/City policy). Under Phase 2 it is permissible for our church to gather physically if we practice social distancing with under 50 people indoors and under 100 people outdoors.Is it ethical?
Even if it is technically possible and permissible, does it violate a value for life and the welfare of others?Is it missional?
Can we continue to be a people “on mission” even though we don’t gather for a weekly worship service for a while? Since love is our mission, it seems that we are free to continue to be the Body of Christ “on Mission” in many creative ways.Is it practical?
Do we want to gather if it requires social distancing and likely requires a mask?
What about handshakes or hugs? What about singing?
Are the required cleaning and disinfecting protocols reasonable?
Is our congregation ready to gather physically again?
How would we protect our Kids Ministry volunteers?
What about other groups using The Box before us?
After prayerfully considering all the above, our team decided not to resume physical gatherings at The Box at this time. We believe this step aligns us with public health recommendations and supports a larger collective effort to minimize the potential spread and protect our most vulnerable citizens.
In the meantime, I believe we can individually and collectively explore new and creative alternatives that can be a source of encouragement and fellowship with those we share life and faith with.
I also invite you to continue participation in the following:
Join us on June 9th for a CitySalt day of Prayer and Fasting.
Small Groups: Consider forming a small group fellowship, bible study, or Triad with some people you like or want to get to know better. Take the initiative.
Be Spiritually Aware: Be discerning, creative, and engaged. If God puts someone or something on your heart, maybe He is asking you to initiate something that normally you would expect “the Church” to do. Now is the time for us to be the church scattered rather than simply the church gathered.
Personal Devotion: Allow this time to try and practice spiritual disciplines and traditions like Sabbath-keeping, stillness, solitude, silence, rest, devotional reading, and prayer while providing loving care for loved ones, neighbors, and co-workers. Try a new book, podcast, or video series.
Check out our live stream service on Sundays each week at @ 5:30pm for a time of connection and encouragement with pastors, leaders, friends, and guests. Feel free to share our live stream services with friends and loved ones by viewing and interacting through Facebook, YouTube or from our CitySalt Homepage at www.citysalt.org.
Pre-Service Zoom Fellowship @ 4:30pm. Join us each Sunday (before our live stream service) for an all-church Zoom Fellowship. This is a pre-service video conference using Zoom that allows households to connect and interact together online. To participate you will need to download and set up the Zoom App on a phone, tablet, or laptop that has a camera and has a strong internet connection. Once you are set up, you can join the group video session, at 4:30pm each Sunday. Link can be found on our Upcoming page.
Benevolence Fund - To help with financial needs that will arise for individuals and families as this health crisis impacts our economy, in addition to your regular giving to support CitySalt, you can make a tax-deductible contribution specifically to our Benevolence Fund, that is dedicated to providing assistance to those with practical needs. To make an online contribution, you can visit https://www.citysalt.org/give. Or, if you prefer to write a check it can be mailed to CitySalt Church PO Box 5830 Eugene, OR 97405.
In addition to the above, we will be looking for some creative ways to encourage fellowship and learning that may include outdoor gathering, small groups, bible studies and book discussions.
Also, if you have any questions or would like to request a meeting with a pastor, please feel free to contact Mike D’Eliso at (541) 632-4182 or mike@citysalt.org and he can help you get connected.
Thank you for your support and diligence through this unique time and season.
Together in His Grip,
Pastor Dusty