COVID-19 Update: March 18, 2020

Friends, the world is changing right in front of us, and we are doing our best to adapt with wisdom and faithfulness. This week, Session made the unprecedented decision to move all of our services online through the end of April, and to cancel all in-person events on our UPC Campus during that time. This unanimous decision was made out of an abundance of love for the vulnerable among us, and to do our part to stop the spread of the Coronavirus.

We will still have worship together online, which you can watch by visiting our website at upcfresno.org. You may watch the services live, and the services will remain on our website if you would prefer to watch them later.

We are working together with our small group leaders to find creative ways for us to connect with one another virtually, while we are not able to be together in person; more news on that early next week. We have also created a place for us to offer care and support for one another, by giving and receiving help with concrete needs that might arise in the next few weeks (grocery pickup, childcare, etc). We are the body of Christ called to care for one another - please ask for help when you need it and give it when you can.

We are also aware of how this crisis will affect our financially vulnerable neighbors, whose jobs are in jeopardy, and whose children may not be able to receive school meals in the coming weeks. Because of this, we are moving our Food Distribution to every Saturday, as long as we are able to. We have new safety precautions in place, and encourage our regular volunteers who are high risk themselves to stay home. While I know all of us want to be there to help, there is no guilt or shame in staying home for one’s own safety. Only you know if this is an acceptable risk for yourself, and we encourage you to be loving towards yourself as well as others. That being said, we will need upwards of 30 volunteers each week (at various times) to help bag food on Thursday afternoons and distribute it Saturday mornings. Please help us serve our neighbors if you can.

This is an unprecedented time, and yet, it is an incredible opportunity for us to share God’s boundless love in creative and powerful ways. It is not the building that we meet in, or the hour that we spend together on Sunday mornings that make us who we are. We are the body of Christ - you and me together - and our commitment to sharing God’s boundless love is what makes us the Church. Let us continue on in faith.

Blessings,

Pastor Renn & Pastor Dustin