COVID-19 Update 3/12

Dear Grace Church,

Due to rising concern surrounding the coronavirus and Governor Beshear's petition to church's to close services this weekend it seems a response and communication with our church is appropriate. We will not cancel our worship services this week. I would like to explain why and inform you how we will move forward. First let me say that I am very thankful for Governor Beshear and his obvious desire to prioritize the health of our Commonwealth. As Christians the call of Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 to honor all governments and ruling authorities is an important ethic of our faith and must be considered in these situations. However, at this point our answer to the this petition is "no" because we believe there is great importance for God's saints gathering to worship, especially in times of crisis or trial. John Piper says “Worship is when the mind apprehends great truth about God, and the heart kicks in with deep feelings of brokenness or wonder and gladness and admiration and gratitude, and the mouth says something like, ‘Blessed be God! O blessed and praised and honored and glorified be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.’” In no way is our decision a judgment on other churches in our community who may decide to cancel services. Nor are we trying to bind the conscience of our members to attend worship this Sunday. If you have concerns and choose to stay home, that is absolutely appropriate. Likewise, if you are showing symptoms of illness, we are, in fact, asking you to stay home out of love for the greater community. To our seniors and those with underlying medical conditions we understand that precaution is extremely important. Below are our current plans to promote wellness at Grace Church. We will have all common areas sanitized and well cleaned. We will have hand sanitizer at both entrances of the building. We will adjust components of the worship service in order reduce contact between people. We will evaluate other events that Grace is hosting in the near future. We will continue to give thought to the precautions needed. If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Trusting in the Lord,

Shane and Grace officers