Initial Response | March 12, 2020

Like so many of you, we have been learning about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the impact it is having on our world. As a church, we are following the news and information closely to stay up to date with recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the City of Allen. We deeply care about our communities and are taking steps to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone who calls City Point Church their church home.

1. We plan on having our normal Sunday service this week.
2. Our team is working hard to provide a clean and sanitary space on Sundays with additional care to ensure a clean children’s ministry area.
3. On Sundays, we ask that you substitute hugs and handshakes, for waves and smiles.
4. Please practice good hygiene by washing your hands regularly and covering your cough or sneeze.
5. If you are sick or at risk, we invite you to please stay home and encourage you to watch our services on the app.

Here’s what we are doing as a church staff:

• Trusting God – Viral disease is a fact of biological existence and part of creation. Keeping perspective and not panicking apply here, just as they do for all risks we face as creatures in a finite world. No matter how dire circumstances get, the Lord remains our refuge and strength, “an ever-present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1). To trust in the Lord amid trouble is to experience and bear witness to the power of Christ.
• Praying – We must pray for the sick and the scared, for public health officials, for doctors and nurses, for researchers, and for caregivers. As Christians, we believe prayer has power, so we seek help from the Lord.
• Staying Informed – The media is inundated with daily updates and it’s impossible to read, absorb and respond to every news report, Tweet, or latest rumor. We’re following a reliable list of information for educational, planning and management purposes. We will also be sitting on regularly scheduled phone calls with the Allen Fire Department to get trusted local updates to the virus.

Here’s what you can do to help:

• Pray for our community and those directly affected by COVID-19. Pray for the health care workers that are treating the sick and those public health administrators making difficult decisions. Pray that God would protect our community from further spread of the virus.
• Reflect Christ. In these anxious days, the church (all of us) can shine as a light of hope, care, faith, patience and prudence. We can demonstrate for the world how our faith provides true assurance against worry and fear.
• Practice recommended personal hygiene. Wash your hands frequently. Avoid contact with the sick. Stay home from public functions if you’re sick.

We will continue to update you as this situation develops. We are so thankful for your flexibility and understanding during this time. When situations like these arise, City Point has always shown that you are a community ready to respond. Our hearts and prayers are with those affected and we will continue to pray for resolution. We love you and we’ll see you this Sunday for regular church services.

Thank you,

City Point Church

“Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7)