Dear Hillside Church Family,
As most of you probably know by now, Governor Gavin Newsom has asked that all Californians “shelter in place” and postpone all non-essential activities in order to slow the spread of the Corona virus and ultimately prevent hospitals from being overrun with sick patients. In an act of civil obedience (unlike last Sunday’s sermon!) we will comply with this request for both Hillside Community Church and Camp Julian Oaks. Effective immediately, we will postpone all further church gatherings including small mid-week Bible Study groups, weekend Sunday School, Saturday prayer, and all Sunday Services. In this way, we will prevent “community spread” and serve as a good witness to the town-folk. I will continue to update you (the Hillside body of Christ) and hope to post my weekly Sunday message on the book of Acts on our church website, hccjulian.org
We are experiencing suffering and anxiety on a global scale that we haven’t seen since WWII. So, what do we do in our itsy-bitsy corner of the world here in Julian? What should our response be as a local fellowship of Christians to the pestilence (as the Bible aptly calls these outbreaks of disease) that sweeps across a society, a nation, and the world?
First, we pray for God’s mercy, wisdom, peace, love, and courage …
– Mercy as it pertains to the severity of this virus and the extent of the death it could bring
– Wisdom in how to physically protect ourselves and our loved ones while at the same time helping to care for others
– Peace, a peace that passes all understanding in the face of chaos & panic
– Love for one another, putting the needs of others above our own
– Courage to step out in the name of Jesus Christ to help others in need
Secondly, we will comply with what the government has asked of us as a church
- In this way, we will be good witnesses of obedience, doing our part to stem the tide of the virus and “flatten the curve”
Thirdly, we make ourselves and our church available as instruments of comfort and healing, putting forth Jesus Christ as the true source of comfort & healing
- The church has a history of making its mark on society in times of crisis (wars, natural disasters, and pandemics). This could be our finest hour!
Trusting in Jesus Christ,
Pastor Tony