Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2020-05-22

Friday 22 May 2020
 
Members and Friends of 
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
 
Dear Friends, 
 
Last night the Session appointed a Covid-19 Response Team. Your staff and worship teams have been talking about this for many weeks with Peter Yau’s input; those people realized we needed a larger group to think more widely about opening and other issues. Please pray for them and be in touch with your observations and ideas.
 
Motion to Session: That the Session of First Presbyterian Champaign elect a Covid-19 Response Team coordinated by the Head of Staff for the purpose of discerning how and when our church reopens, and all matters related to the Covid-19 World Pandemic. The Team will function as a permanent committee of the Session until such time as the Session dissolves it. The Team will have advisory role only unless the Session elects to allow otherwise in specific circumstances.
 
Members shall include the following.
 
1 Peter Yau
2 Ron Deering
3 Judi Geistlinger
4 Ken Chapman
5 Matt Matthews
6 Eric Corbin
7 Mark Schoeffmann
8 Ruth Craddock
9 Tim Young
 
 
* * *
 
I’ll ‘see’ you on Sunday.
 
Expect a miracle.
 
Turn on your “device” and find us at:   FirstPres.Live
 
Pay attention to God’s activity in the world around you.
            Be amazed.
                        Tell somebody.
 
PEACE,
 
Matt Matthews
864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church
 
 
* * *
 
New fun photo challenge! Each Friday the Nurture Committee is challenging us to read an assigned scripture about Jesus and come up with a representation of the story using whatever you already have around the house and share it in photo form.

CHALLENGE #6
CRUCIFIXION – Matthew 27:32-56
Betrayed by a friend, Jesus was arrested
He was tried by a court and his death was requested
On the saddest of days, our Savior did die
But within the dark moment, our salvation did lie

When Jesus died on the cross, his disciples and friends lost all hope. But God had a bigger plan. A beautiful plan that was way bigger than they could see at the moment.
We remember the cross as a place of suffering but also as a place of hope for all eternity.

With your family find or a make a cross and take a picture of it.

Post your photo to:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/firstpreschampaign/ 
 live@firstpres.church
 For Instagram @fpcchampaign

Example

  
 
 
* * *
 
The Covid-19 Response Team has considered these and many other resources. I share them with you so that you aren’t in the dark, and that you might share your resources with us.
 
 Required reading:
 
 PCUSA response:
https://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/covid-19/returning_to_public_worship_may_2020.pdf
 
Wisconsin Council of Churches
https://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/covid-19/returning-to-church.pdf
 
Why every organization is now a startup:
https://journal.praxislabs.org/leading-beyond-the-blizzard-why-every-organization-is-now-a-startup-b7f32fb278ff
 
41 in worship. 24 get Covid-19. 2 dead. The pastor has regrets:
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/mobile/i-would-do-anything-for-a-do-over-calgary-church-hopes-others-learn-from-their-tragic-covid-19-experience-1.4933461?fbclid=IwAR0e8AuLEORMcaASNFvFRabP7lKI9XKJJz9Y-Wd36nBMsjVh1UkhsWsz7Bg#_gus&_gucid=&_gup=Facebook&_gsc=g255pgZ
 
NYTimes: How do churches reopen? One pastor’s personal story:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/us/church-reopening-coronavirus.html?referringSource=articleShare
 
Corona comeback? NYTimes
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/11/health/coronavirus-second-wave-infections.html?referringSource=articleShare
 
How Pandemics End NYTimes
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/10/health/coronavirus-plague-pandemic-history.html?referringSource=articleShare
 
Useful websites:
 
Presbyterian Outlook keeps a resource list:
https://pres-outlook.org
 
PCUSA has a good Covid-19 page:
https://www.pcusa.org/
 
CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/

^