Our response to COVID-19

Dear Members of the Crossnore Presbyterian Church Family,

Life has changed for all of us this past week. If you are like me, it is difficult to digest all the information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and all the ways it is affecting our daily lives. We do know that the virus is very contagious. The elderly and those with underlying health conditions are at higher risk. Many denominational leaders in North Carolina, including the United Methodist Church and the Episcopal Church, are urging their congregations to not hold any gatherings for at least the next two weeks. In the words of some of North Carolina’s Episcopal leaders, such decisions 'are taken not in a spirit of fear, but rather in a spirit of creating a proactive, preventative, strategic impact to limit the spread of the virus.'

Cam Murchison, our Presbytery Executive, has issued the following statement to our congregations: "The issue of how our churches might best respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been on the minds of many. While the concern for the well-being of our fellow members is always paramount, we also have the opportunity to contribute to the well-being of the larger communities of which we are a part by actions we take. In the immediate future, public health officials suggest the best opportunity to constrain the spread of the coronavirus in our communities is to limit social gatherings as much as possible. For churches, this presents the challenge of finding ways to share worship and fellowship and engage in service without gathering face to face in the same space. To that end, a number of churches in the presbytery have decided to curtail all gathered meetings, including worship, until public health leaders advise otherwise. . . . Thus, the purpose of this communication is to share the judgment some of our churches have made in the light of the evolving challenge of the coronavirus, and to recommend your Session seriously consider making a similar judgment."

The Crossnore Presbyterian Church Session has decided to follow this recommendation and to suspend all church gatherings for at least two weeks. Pastor Kathy and the Session are available by phone and email and want to assure you that we will stay connected. Pastor Kathy will be sending you a Sunday service, including scripture, message, and prayers along with our current prayer requests.

In this time of change and challenge, let us never lose sight of the One who is always with us, the One who connects us to each other, and the One who showers us with blessings each and every morning. May the love of God, the grace of Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and with our world as we learn new ways of caring for one another in these challenging times.

Peace and Grace,
Pastor Kathy and the Crossnore Presbyterian Church Session