Greetings! I wanted to give you all an update about what is going on in our church community as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Administrative Board met Wednesday, March 25, 2020, to reevaluate the situation and has decided on the following course of action.

First, due to the Governor’s recent executive order and because of our continued concern for the health of our community, the Board has decided to suspend all in-person meetings at the church until further notice. As soon as the Governor lifts his executive order the Board will reconvene and assess when and how it would be appropriate to begin in-person gatherings again.

While we hope this continued disruption to our way of life will be brief, we have no way of predicting how long this “new normal” will endure. During this time, there will be regular messages posted online to the website and social media. I am planning on continuing to post sermons on Sunday mornings and I will begin posting a midweek bible study next week.

I encourage you all to remember that the church is not the building, it is the people inside it! So, no matter if we are meeting in our sanctuary or our homes, the church continues no matter what!

With that in mind, I also encourage you to keep in contact with others in our congregation. Call people regularly and pray for each other. Also, make sure that you share prayer requests with me and the rest of our church family. Remember that just because we might be socially isolating ourselves does not mean that we must feel alone.

I mentioned in my last update the address to mail your tithe and offering checks. That address again is:

Lone Star UMC
P.O. Box 166
Collins, MS 39428

Please know that we appreciate your continued support during these difficult times.

I want to leave you with this reading of 2 Corinthians 4:6 out of The Message:

16 So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.

This is a great reminder for all of us, that no matter how crazy the world around us can appear, we serve a God that is always in control and is always there for us. As always if you need me for any reason please do not hesitate to reach out. Stay well, stay safe and I hope to see you all again very soon!

In Christ,

Rev. James Walters
Pastor

Cell: (601) 341-8581
[email protected]