Eugene Church Members,
There have been “Covid-19 Updates” every day this week … and several just today! Here is a portion of the latest notice sent to all churches in the Oregon Conference. As you can see, there are several points that impact how we do church.
Here’s what to expect from Oregon Conference Entities,
effective immediately, and until APRIL 8, 2020:
Churches
On Wednesday, March 11, 2020 Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced a prohibition on large public gatherings in the state of Oregon effective immediately and until April 8. Out of concern for the public health of our communities and abundance of caution, all Oregon Conference churches will comply with the Governor’s order and cancel (or move online) any events in which a TOTAL ATTENDANCE of 200 or more is expected. At this time, we expect that all churches will have no more than one service on a Sabbath.
In addition, all churches in the Oregon Conference will discourage individuals at high-risk for severe symptoms of COVID-19 from attending ANY public events.
These high-risk groups include:
- Any individual who is immunocompromised.
- Any Individuals age 60+ who have underlying medical issues
such as heart disease, diabetes, or lung disease. - Any individuals age 70+ in any health condition.
For some smaller churches, these measures may make it prudent to cancel events and church services.
For all events, it is imperative that anyone exhibiting any symptoms of respiratory infection be sent home to self-quarantine immediately.
We also expect that all potluck meals will be cancelled until April 8.
For your own safety and to help limit the possibility of the virus spreading through our community, we ask that you follow these guidelines closely. Also follow the personal hygiene guidelines - wash hands, sanitize your hands, cover your mouth with your sleeve when you cough or sneeze, don’t touch your face with your hands.
We will be having our church service on Sabbath but do not come if you fall into any of the above categories. We will be exploring ways to broadcast our service on our website.
I’m not sure if Karen Waterson will be at church this week and live-streaming with her phone. I’ll check and let you know tomorrow. In the meantime you might want to download the PERISCOPE app which will enable you to watch our service through Karen’s broadcast.
Pastor Greg