I wanted to take a few minutes and give you an update of our plans going forward concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. The Administrative Board met on Sunday, and has decided to take the following actions concerning our regular meetings:

• • As of right now, we ARE planning on having regular church service on Sundays going forward. However, this could change as the situation develops or if there is an instruction not to meet from the UMC Conference, UMC District, or Government.
  • All other services have been canceled for the remainder of March. This includes Sunday School, Sunday Night Study, and Wednesday Fellowship. The Council will reevaluate the situation near the end of the month.

Please know that the Council’s decisions were made with a desire to minimize risk to our members, while still allowing us a time to gather and worship. However, if you feel that gathering during these next few weeks is too much of a risk to your health, please don’t hesitate to stay home. To help minimize the risk to those that do attend, we will be taking certain temporary actions including:

• • Stopping the use of plates for receiving the offering. Instead, we will have a designated area near the entrance to the sanctuary where the offering will be accepted.
  • Asking that people refrain from shaking hands or hugging.
  • Requesting that if anyone is feeling ill that they stay home.

We don’t know how long all this is going to last. I hope that it is only a few weeks, however, we need to prepare for the possibility that it might be much longer. I encourage you in this time to keep in contact with one another. Call and text each other often, especially those in our church family that might feel particularly vulnerable.

As always, I will attempt to keep you all as informed as possible. I will also keep the calendar on the website as up to date as I can, and I will send out information as I receive it. Look for updates on the website, Facebook, and via text message. If you have not been receiving text message announcements and would like to receive them you can sign up two different ways:

Click on this link: https://www.remind.com/join/umlonestar and follow the instructions, or,
text @umlonestar to the number 81010

Please remember that standard messaging rates do apply. And, If you have any problems, let me know and I will be able to help you.

As always, please know that I am available if you need me. For the next weeks or so I will be suspending all visitation unless there is an emergency. However, I am always available by phone or text. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you need to! I hope that you are praying for your church during this uncertain time, as I am. And I also hope that you keep the truth of scripture in your heart that Paul teaches us in Romans.

I encourage you to rest in this truth that the love of God will see us through anything that the world can throw our way!

In Christ,

Rev. James Walters
Pastor