Dear Siblings in Christ:

We are living in difficult and fearful times. Most of us haven’t had the experience of leading congregations in the midst of a global pandemic. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers, and we are here to provide support, resources and counsel as we care for those whom God has called us to serve.

The Governor’s office has now called a state of emergency and has closed all K-12 schools through April 5, 2020. Half of the reported cases of infection with the COVID-19 virus are within the bounds of the Presbytery of Lake Michigan.

Stated Meeting is cancelled

Since this is the case, we are cancelling the Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of Lake Michigan scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2020. We will re-schedule at a later date. We will also be closing the Presbytery office and asking our staff to work from home until April 5, 2020. We will re-evaluate our status at that time. The staff of the Presbytery of Lake Michigan will be available, as usual, by phone and email.

Recommendations

We are recommending, but not mandating, that congregations within the bounds of the Presbytery of Lake Michigan cancel in-person worship services and either live stream their own services or join the live stream service of another church within the bounds of the presbytery.

Resources to help churches plan

One big challenge in this situation is the rapidly changing details and finding resources to reference as decisions are made quickly. Click here to access a web page established by the Presbytery of Southern New England that offers links to a wide variety of topics from providing a virtual worship experience to responding to a pandemic to information released by the CDC or WHO.


This is not a time to panic, but to lean upon the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding. Please remember that even if we are physically isolated from others, we should be present in other ways. If you have questions or need to speak to us directly, please do not hesitate to call.

Your Servants in Christ,

Rev. Cal Bremer and Rev. Fran Lane-Lawrence