Dear Calvary Grace Family,

As all of you are aware, the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic is changing daily. 

Today, the Alberta government released new measures to implement ‘social distancing’ for the purpose of containment.  They have imposed a ban on public gatherings over 250 people. 

Churches are exempt from the ban. 

However, the requirement is that the hygiene standards for cleaning surfaces be maintained. 

How does this affect Calvary Grace? 

Even though our church would be permitted to meet, the elders have agreed that it is best for us to suspend our public gathering this Sunday and suspend services on a week-to-week basis. 

The reason for this is that although technically our church is exempt from the ban, we are unable to sufficiently guarantee the sanitization protocols for surfaces in the church. This puts children, nursery volunteers, and sunday school teachers in greater risk to contract COVID19. As well, since many children and young people are asymptomatic, they may carry the virus to others unknowingly. 

Out of love for our neighbours, we do not want to be multipliers of COVID19.

What about the Livestream?

We intend to continue having a sermon preached this Sunday (Daniel 12) via the livestream. We will continue this practice as needed each Sunday, but will likely re-introduce shorter public gatherings as the threat of the COVID19 becomes flattened. 

I’ll send out further details about the livestream, but we will plan for a 10:45 start time as usual. 

What about fellowship?

We want to encourage you to continue to follow “the Word heard together”, even if we are not meeting together publicly. 

You can also meet with others from the church by mutual consent and with careful precautions taken. Seniors in our congregation have already been advised to stay home. Others who are at-risk with low immunity should stay at home as much as possible. 

Thankfully, phone calls, texts and social media can be redeemed to encourage each other during this time. 

Questions

We will watch the situation closely to see what will happen. For now, if you have any questions feel free to ask via email at info@Calvarygrace.ca. 

Let us remember to rejoice in the Lord, in a reasonable way, without anxiety, but prayerfully at rest in God.

That is what Paul calls us to:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:4-8)

Faithfully in Christ, 

Pastor Clint
on Behalf of the Elders. 

Some Useful Links:

A Pastor’s Update From Italy

Technical Article on the need to “Flatten the Curve” by Social Distancing

How Churches Responded in 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic

Alberta Government, March 12 Dr. Deena Hinshaw’s Statement