In an effort to give the very best response to the ever-changing Corona Virus crisis, we are changing our plans for our service this Sunday, March 22nd.  While Mayor Lenny Curry has restricted building occupancy to less than 50 people, we believe that it is most prudent to follow the President’s and the CDC’s guidelines and restrict those gathering in Church of the Messiah’s building to 10 people or less.  Obviously, that begs the question, “How can you have church with 10 people or less?”  Our response to that question will be three-fold.

First, we will livestream our service on Facebook Live.  We encourage everyone to watch on-line and to start their own “watch parties” and share the church service in this “Corona Virus era” way.

Second, we still urge that anyone showing flu or cold symptoms, anyone who is considered high-risk, and anyone who has traveled to a country where there has been an outbreak, as well as anyone who has been in contact with someone who has traveled to a country where there has been an outbreak to remain home and contact the church office or one our priests.  We are blessed to be able pray for you and to bring Holy Communion to you in such a way that you will not put yourself or anyone else at risk.  To be clear, those who are considered high-risk are those with cardio vascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, people in treatment for other illnesses, and those who are over sixty years old.  

We feel the need to reiterate the second point because our third method of responding to this crisis is where we are really breaking new ground.  As we livestream our service, we are opening our parking lot to those who are able to join us.  We encourage those who feel so led to join us in our parking lot and watch us via livestream for what we are calling “Drive In Church.”  You gather in your car in our parking lot and, when we have consecrated the Eucharist, at around 11 o’clock, we will bring the Body of Christ to those who are in the parking lot.

This is not a perfect solution.  It is far from it, but it does allow us adhere to the guidelines set by the President and the CDC, while addressing the two biggest shortcomings of just livestreaming our service.  Watching a service on your phone, tablet, or even cast up onto your television does not allow you to have the sense of community that is vital to a church fellowship.  We hope that gathering together in the parking lot will foster and strengthen that “we’re all in this together” sense of community that the Church has always had.  Secondly, your electronic device cannot ever give you the Blessed Sacrament.  While it is not prudent at this point to administer the Blood of Christ, we can still prudently and cautiously administer the Body of Christ to those who gather in our parking lot and remain in their cars.  We are working on the way to do this in the most sanitary, secure, and holy way possible.

We do not know how long we will continue to have our services in this manner.  We do not know how long this crisis will last.  As circumstances continue to unfold, we will continue to adapt to that we can continue to minister the Word of God and the Sacraments of the Church to as many people as we are able in the best and most responsible way that we can find.  For this Sunday, we look forward to you joining us on our livestream or in our parking lot.

God bless you all!