Monday 16 March 2020
A Daily Emailer from
Pastor Matt
 
To Members and Friends of 
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois

Dear Friends, 
 
Since our world is working so hard to practice “social distancing,” I’ve decided to reach out for an electronic “touch” every day. If all goes well, expect an email from the church every morning with a hello, a tidbit of news & congregational prayer concerns, a scripture, and a prayer. I hope you won’t mind my filling your in-box with seven mails per week. I think you understand why I think it prudent.
 
News:
 

1.   BAD MAIL. Fraudulent emails are going out from a scammer claiming to be “Pastor Matt.” Please note these emails are coming from pastormattmatthews@gmail.com, which is NOT my correct address. Please do not respond to these messages. My correct address is matt@firstpres.church. If you are unsure, contact the church office.
2.   PHONE CALLS. Your church will send occasional pre-recorded phone messages to you. We believe “human touch” is important, and if we can’t touch, we can (and should) be reaching out with our voice.
3.   SUNDAY WORSHIP. We will be worshipping next Sunday remotely on-line. Tune in on Facebook or firstpres.live
4.   REACH OUT. Telephone a church member or a friend to say “hello.” Social distancing may be wise to slow the spread of Coronavirus, but isolation is not good for our spiritual and mental health. So, “get out there” not physically but with a phone call, note, email, Facebook post, ZOOM call to family, et cetera. Forward parts of this email to somebody you love.
5.   EXPERTISE. Dr. Peter Yau is coordinating First Presbyterian Church’s response to Coronavirus. He’s monitoring the CDC and local Health Department and guiding us in terms of keeping our flock and community safe.

The Good Word:
Philippians 4:4-7                          
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
 
Let Us Pray:
O loving God,
to turn away from you is to fall,
to turn toward you is to rise,
and to stand before you is to abide forever.
Grant us, dear God,
in all our duties your help;
in all our uncertainties your guidance;
in all our dangers your protection;
and in all our sorrows your peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. 
                                                  (attrib. to Augustine of Hippo, 354-430)
 
PEACE,
 
Matt Matthews
864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church