COVID Update for November 15

Good afternoon, my friends.

As many of you know, the Governor’s office issued new restrictions yesterday to limit the recent surge of COVID-19 in Virginia, including the greater Richmond area. The good news is we are still able to meet in person as we have been since June, provided we continue to take the necessary health safety precautions.

The most significant impact for us is the revised face mask requirement. Since late-summer, we have asked all individuals age 8 and older to wear a face mask during our Sunday gatherings in keeping with guidance from the local health department. Beginning tomorrow morning, all individuals 5 and older must wear a face mask while in our facility unless an underlying medical issue renders compliance dangerous to your physical health (e.g. chronic breathing difficulty). Signage throughout our facility will be revised accordingly. Thank you in advance for your support in honoring our governing authorities.

And keep this in mind, my friends, we’re not doing this just for the sake of honoring the authorities God has established (as important as that is). We’re also doing it to love our neighbors. We have a significant population of higher-risk individuals in our congregation who are only comfortable worshiping with us in person because we are collectively taking precautions like wearing face masks. As far as I’m concerned, that point alone merits compliance, regardless of what the governor says. If the Apostle Paul would gladly lay down his right to eat meat for the sake of the gospel, we should be willing to wear a face mask so members of our body can receive the spiritual nourishment of gathering with our church family. Jesus put our interest above his own when he laid down his life for us. Let’s follow his example!

I can’t wait to worship with you tomorrow.

Matthew