ECC Family,

The psalmist says in Psalm 84, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God…Blessed are those who dwell in your house they are ever praising you. Blessed are those whose strength is in you…Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere…For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.”

These words speak of longing for God’s nearness and presence as a passionate worshiper. While it alludes to physical space and the practices of the devoted, it is mostly about relationship with God. It speaks of a hunger and longing to know God, worship God, and serve God. This is a great reminder to us in this very different time when our normal practices of collective worship, gathering, and service have been disrupted by the health crisis in this world. Take heart, because these changes cannot take away our relationship with God. In fact, they should strengthen that relationship. As those believing in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sins, we have been given access to the God that gives us assurance, strength, and blessing. We can dwell with him, anywhere! Dwell in Him as we worship him, serve him, and love others in the name of Jesus, wherever he may place you.

I believe this reminder is important as we continue to assess the current health crisis in our country and the world. Daily, updated recommendations, to be a part of the solution, continue to encourage social distancing and restrictions on gatherings. Because of this we have made difficult, yet necessary decisions, on how to care for others and show responsibility in this pandemic. We do not operate out of fear, but out of love for our neighbors. Therefore, the following will apply to Eaton Community Church:

• Our Sunday morning worship gatherings will not take place at ECC on March 22 or March 29. We will be posting a video message plus interactive options for those mornings as we gather as the church, in many places. (More details to come.)
• Our Wednesday night ETCH gatherings will not take place at ECC on March 18, March 24, or April 1. Beginning March 24 we will have online videos, lessons and activities available for families and adults to conduct at home. (More details to come early next week.)
• Beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18 through April 4, our church building will be closed to all visitors, meetings, activities, and gatherings. The church office will be open for phone calls and emails.

We appreciate your understanding of these decisions as we seek to be obedient to the Lord in this time. Remember, we are STILL God’s church. While we must operate differently with routine practices and activities we are still the people of God that are on mission to Share Life, and Share Life in every circumstance.  (I will share in tomorrow’s update some specific ways to care and serve for others in this time.)

As I close today’s update I want to again encourage you to dwell (abide) in Jesus each day. I know these days are trying for us all, so cry out (pray) to the living God in dependence. Remind each other that we serve the “God who is a sun and shield”, providing for us in all ways. Remind each other that we worship a God of grace who “bestows favor and honor” and “no good thing will he withhold” from those who walk in trust with Him. Be the church God created us to be.

Take care of yourself and one another!

Pastor Dan

Out of care and responsibility to our country and community all services and activities for Sunday, March 15, have been cancelled.

Head over to my Facebook page for a brief accompanying video message.

Prayer

While we will not be gathering for worship at our campus, I’m asking each of us to observe a time of collective prayer at 10:00am on Sunday morning in our homes. Let the following verses be our guide in that time of prayer.

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:4-9

These verses carry some important reminders to us as Christ-followers, in this unprecedented time. Discuss the following points as a family or call a friend to share how you want to be faithful to God in this time. Use these prayer points as you STOP with God.

• We walk by faith, not by fear.
  • Not only do we seek God, but we find our strength, comfort, and even joy in all circumstances.
    • Pray for people to come to know Christ and not fear.
  • We have great opportunity to share our peace with others in practical ways.
    • Pray for opportunities to share with someone who may be experiencing uncertainty and chaos and it has led to anxiety and worry.
  • We walk with wisdom, not ignorance.
    • This is a complicated issue and requires us to make individual and collective decisions that show care and concern for others.
      • Pray for leaders in our country, our community, and our church as we make difficult decisions for the care and well-being of all.
    • We can be an encouragement to others who are weary, disappointed, and even heart-broken over the changes going on in our culture. Let the wisdom of the Holy Spirit guide you in this time.
      • Pray for the wisdom of health care workers who are giving much in this time.
    • We walk with humility, not arrogance.
      • We model the love of Christ, not by making statements that become divisive, but by making sacrifices that communicate the love of Christ.
        • Don’t make this an ‘us versus them’, the spiritual vs. the nonspiritual. We are all facing this together. Seek to be God’s church with a humble spirit, not an arrogant entitlement.
        • Be careful what you post on social media. It might seem funny to you, but incredibly insensitive to others. We are all in this together.
      • We will all likely experience additional stress, grief, and disappointment in this time. Let’s be the light of Christ to others by speaking and doing what is right, and good, and true.
        • Pray for a spirit of care and concern, not greed.
        • Pray for opportunities to model the love of Christ.

Above all pray for healing for our country in this health crisis. Our prayers should be prayers of physical healing for those who are sick and spiritual healing for those who don’t know Jesus Christ.

Let’s make it a priority to pray together at 10:00am on Sunday morning.

Further Updates

We will continue to assess the situation and update everyone about activities in the days ahead. Please check the website, LifeShare, and text alerts for the latest information.

Sharing Life, Sharing Christ…Together,

Pastor Dan

Church Family,

ECC leadership is assessing day by day the current health situation facing us. We are confident that during any crisis we have a firm foundation in Jesus Christ. Our faith is in God and His provision and we are determined to walk in faith and not fear. We have an opportunity each day to “Share Life, and Share Christ” in the midst of all circumstances, even those we have never encountered before. Our response, as God’s church, is to seek God’s wisdom in making decisions for our gatherings and to also care for those around us in this church and community. We want to embrace that role with the love of Christ.

Sunday Services

As of right now, we are planning to hold both services on Sunday. With no local cases in our area, we believe the benefit of gathering is an important step to encourage one another in faith and to care for one another. I plan to bring a special message about how to walk with Christ in faith in a time where fear and anxiety grip our culture.

• We understand that this situation is changing regularly, and we will continue to assess it up until Sunday services.
• Any changes in Sunday’s activities will be posted on LifeShare, ECC’s website, and through our text alerts.
• Team meetings and small group gatherings are at the groups own discretion

Please keep in mind the following as we gather:

• First and foremost, pray.
• Please stay home if you or a family member are sick!
• We are implementing a “No Touch” policy at worship, gatherings, and meetings. Greet one another warmly but avoid hugs and handshakes.

Common Preparedness Measures

We are encouraging all members and attenders to follow the guidelines issued by the Center for Disease Control  on their website:

• Wash hands regularly with soap and warm water for 20 seconds or more (about the same amount of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday)
• Use hand sanitizer, if soap and water aren’t available.
• Avoid touching your face as much as possible.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home if you or a family member are sick.
• Cover your mouth with a tissue or the inside of your elbow when you need to cough or sneeze.

We call for you to join leadership in praying for our community and country during this unprecedented time.

Praying with you and for you,

Pastor Dan