Corona Virus Information

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1900 1st Street, Sparks, NV 89431   (775) 358-0743
Rev. Jonathan Oetting, Pastor
March 12, 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 
As you are likely aware, on Tuesday, February 25th, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) gave a press conference updating the country on the current status of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and what steps should be taken moving forward. We wanted to share with you some of the steps our congregation is taking to prevent the spread of illness across our campus, and plan for the possible spread of the coronavirus in our community. 
Given how quickly the global situation is evolving, we are monitoring new developments and will continue to reevaluate our steps and actions daily. In the meantime, the most effective way to stay healthy and minimize the spread of infectious disease is to follow basic health best practices: 
● Enforcing great hygiene, such as washing hands thoroughly and covering up coughs/sneezes. 
● Asking everyone who are feeling ill to stay home until they recover. 
Our congregation is prepared to alter our procedures and planning should the situation change. We will communicate any changes when the time is appropriate.
It is important to remember that handling the spread of a serious contagion like the coronavirus is primarily a task for public health agencies. Any directives from the World Health Organization, CDC, or local governmental organizations should be followed. 
We urge preparation, not panic. 
Our partners in ministry of the Pacific Southwest District of the LCMS have created a section of their website to be a repository for COVID-19 information and updates. This repository can be accessed at psd-lcms.org/coronavirus. As new information and resources emerge, it will be updated for easy reference. We will be placing a link to this repository on the home page of our church website as well, with thanks to our sister District. 
Currently available resources include:
•        Personal precautions and illness prevention 
•        Church and school precautions and planning resources 
•        Links to US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and other sources of official information 
•        LCMS pandemic planning resources 
What Should We Do As We Gather For Worship and Bible Study?
We are encouraging that touching, handshakes, etc. be replaced by fist or elbow bumps, especially during greeting practices such as “Passing of the Peace”.

A special word about the Lord’s supper. Please note that the link above urges use of the individual cup for sanitary purposes. We acknowledge that practice of the Common cup, using a precious metal chalice, wiped and rotated after every participant, can be equally effective in thwarting the transmission of contagious illness. We will be urging our communion assistants to strive for careful and cleanly preparation. We are preparing additional individual cups for those who want to opt out on using the common cup at this time.

We are encouraging everyone to wash hands frequently and thoroughly (at least 10-20 seconds). We have placed smaller bottles of hand sanitizer in various locations throughout the sanctuary.

Our janitorial service company (they clean every Monday) has instructed their employees to focus on heavily touched areas, such as bathrooms, kitchens, door handles, light switches, etc. Each employee has also been instructed to wear gloves and wash their hands after job completion. 
We are considering a more frequent cleaning schedule for our facilities, that is, disinfecting door handles and knobs, and other surfaces that are often touched. If you would like to help with additional cleaning then please contact the office. There will be a deep cleaning of all the buildings on Grubby Saturday, April 4th from 9AM – 12:00 Noon. Please consider joining us that day.
In times like this, we are particularly grateful for the strength and togetherness of this community. Please continue to look for further communications from us on this matter. 
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. Psalm 91:1-3 
Peace in Christ,
Rev. Jonathan Oetting 
Pastor

 

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