Hello H2O Church!
As you well know, this has been an eventful week here in the state of Ohio, with our first confirmed cases of the coronavirus. For many, this has sparked concern and confusion as to how best to respond. First and foremost, as followers of Christ, our desire is not to respond in fear, but approach this matter with wisdom and faith. In light of this, we wanted to let you know what changes we are making in our congregation as a result of these health concerns.
As many of you now know, the Ohio State University has suspended face to face classes for the month of March, and have also asked all students organizations to suspend non-essential events until April 20th. Out of respect for these guidelines and desire to protect student health, for the remainder of the semester we will no longer meet in Hitchcock Hall for the 11:11 worship service. In addition, for the 2 weeks that OSU has suspended face to face classes, we will not have any official campus team or small group gatherings. (After the students return we will make a determination on how to proceed with teams/small groups in the month of April)
However, this does not mean we will be suspending all activities within H2O Church. As we closely monitor the updates and guidelines from local and state government, we will continue to have our 9:15am & 11:11am worship services at the H2O Building. At the moment we believe that we can worship together safely as long as we are wise and take the recommended precautions. That being said, we do not desire anyone to feel pressure to attend, and hope to also have our services accessible online so that anyone can participate in that way.
Revised schedule:
- On March 15th there will be only 1 Sunday service at 9:15am (at the H2O Building) **the special 7pm service has been cancelled
- For the rest of March and all of April, we will tentatively meet for both Sunday morning services (9:15 & 11:11am) at the H2O Building
- The Sister’s Banquet (originally on 3/21) has been cancelled
- There WILL still be a Prayer & Worship night on March 26th at 7pm at the H2O Building. (we have a lot to pray about!)
- Details/revisions regarding April events will be sent in the next couple weeks
In our efforts to keep our church healthy, we will continue to regularly clean all of our equipment and facilities, along with keeping any staff and volunteers home whenever they show any symptoms of sickness. In addition, here are some of the guidelines we would love everyone to pursue:
- Please stay home when you are sick. This includes but is not limited to: coughing, sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, fever, chest congestion, shortness of breath, etc.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Carry your own hand sanitizer so you can use it as often as you wish (We are also trying to have sanitizer available throughout the building).
- At this time, when greeting one another, we encourage you to smile or wave, but refrain from shaking hands and/or hugging.
- If you have traveled to a high-alert area (as currently identified by the CDC), please refrain from attending Sunday services during the 14-incubation period.
Your well-being is of great importance to us, and as things seem to be changing rapidly, we will continue to monitor the updates & guidance of local and state government and act accordingly. If you have any concerns or questions about the actions we are taking, or the status of any specific events, please feel free to contact Jon Shah (shah@h2osu.org), Abby Lewis (abby.lewis@h2osu.org), or Vivake Baranwal (vivake.baranwal@h2osu.org). We would love to serve you in any way we can. Please join with us in prayer that God would be glorified through our love for one another and continued trust in His power and goodness.
Grace,
The Leadership Team of H2O Church.
“Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” John 14:27
