Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update March 14 - ALL SERVICES & ACTIVITIES CANCELLED THIS WEEKEND

Dear Fraser Lands Church,

It is apparent the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a rapidly changing situation in our world. And though the risk has not yet changed drastically in BC, it is changing all around us.

In light of the continual development of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, we will cancel all of our activities this weekend at FLC including Awana, small groups, fellowship groups on Saturday night and our Sunday worship services as well as other planned meetings. We would like to take every reasonable precaution to keep our community and our city safe by doing our part to flatten the curve of growth.

I have put together a devotional for you to use so that we can interact with the Lord and with each other. You can do this by yourself or with family as you gather to worship the Lord Sunday March 15th morning. It will be posted by 9:30 am on our church website, available in both English or Chinese. I will also post a short video message that I would like to address our church with. This will also be available at 9:30 am. The hope is you can do the devotional first and then watch the video after. I hope that we’re still able to gather as God’s people to worship Him together this Sunday on-line. Please take this opportunity to consider what the Lord may be saying to us in such a time as this.

Starting next Sunday, March 22, we will transition our worship services to live-streaming on-line instead. The respective live-stream links will be provided for you in the coming week. In order to stay connected during this time of not gathering for Sunday worship at FLC, we can remain in community with each other through small groups. We encourage you to meet on a regular basis according to your preferred form of gathering (whether it be in person or on-line).

Why are we changing the way we do things? Because of love. We need to change our practices because of our love for our vulnerable neighbors – the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Paul reminds us in Romans 15 that the strong must consider the weak. We are making adjustments to the way we gather for worship and fellowship not to minimize our own risk, but to protect others from risk. We change our practices not out of fear, but out of love for God and others – to be socially responsible.

We thank you for your continual worship of the Lord through giving as we are accepting donations by e-transfer. Please refer to the instructions found at: fraserlands.ca/giving. You can also drop off your offering during the week to the church during office hours (Tuesday - Friday | 9:30 am - 5:30 pm).

We are staying up to date with the directions from the provincial health officer and will adjust our procedures accordingly.  For more information and latest updates on COVID-19, you can visit the BC Centre for Disease Control website at: http://www.bccdc.ca.

In times like this, when worry and fear seem to be all around us, let us remember God’s promise in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.” During this time, what does it mean for us to be a loving presence of Christ in our neighborhoods? Let us continue to pray for our community, our city, our country, our world and, particularly, our health care workers and first responders. Let us pray together as a church and ask God to intervene. May God grant you good health and give you opportunities to demonstrate His great love to those around you. God bless!

Please check back for updates as to how this will affect other ministries in the church. We will keep you informed as developments arise.

Let us continue to keep one another and our world in prayer.

In His love,

Pastor Abe