Please check our Currents Events for events happening real soon! ….see above.."Current events"!
COVID-19
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
It is with much prayer and a heavy heart that I bring an unprecedented action to you. You have read the recommendation from our Bishop and cabinet to cease all gatherings at the local church level. We will suspend all worship and small group gatherings until further notice. We plan to resume on Palm Sunday, April 5 and continue with our Holy Week activities. We have been fortunate here in Mohave County. However, we need to be acutely aware of our elderly citizens and those who have medical conditions. We are participating in these actions not to eliminate the need for worship and dialogue but to assure the “least of these” are taken care of.
We will continue our food distributions. Plans are already in place to continue this much needed ministry and to protect the safety of our workers. There are several groups that use our campus for meetings. They will be allowed to monitor themselves.
We will also proceed with posting devotions and sermons on our web-site (something new for us) and, as always these will available as a CD by your request from our office.
As disappointing as this news may be for some we pray we are being the best stewards of our ministry and our resources.
In Christ
Pastor Bob
For those who might be wondering, “How will I continue giving my offerings to the church,” we have several options in place. You can always go to our web-site and use our e-giving app. You can mail in offerings or drop them by the office.
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From the Bishop:
Date: Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 6:24 PM
Subject: IMPORTANT UPDATE on COVID-19 - A DSC Response
Dear Members and Friends of the Desert Southwest Conference,
Grace and peace to you in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ!
The Desert Southwest Conference office is closely tracking and following the recommendations from the CDC and state officials. In consultation with the Extended Cabinet, I strongly recommend Desert Southwest Conference churches suspend all in-person gatherings through April 6, 2020.
Today, March 16, 2020, Arizona Governor Ducey’s report included avoiding gatherings of 10 or more people and avoiding unnecessary trips to the grocery store and restaurants. Hospitals and care centers have also instituted a “no-visitors” protocol. The final decision to suspend specific ministries and small groups lies within each local church, but I urge you to heed the CDC’s and local government’s requests to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
Although church operated schools and childcare centers are not part of a local school district, I recommend that the local church or preschool/childcare board follow the local school district state’s guidelines for public schools and close your church’s school or childcare if your school district has announced closures.
Your Extended Cabinet is monitoring the news and will continue to update you. Tomorrow, March 17, 2020, we will share additional resources, plans for zoom town halls, step-by-step training for live streaming, and other recommendations to support you as we respond to the COVID-19 situation. Please continue to check the DSC website for an updated response https://dscumc.org/disaster-response-resources/.
Please continue to be in prayer for all who suffer from the Coronavirus, for the medical community, and for God’s guidance as we navigate through these changes. As followers of Jesus, let's keep reflecting on our many blessings and our call to be in ministry in Christ’s name.
Blessings,
Bob
Robert T. Hoshibata,
Resident Bishop
The Desert Southwest Conference
The United Methodist Church