CACW’s Covid 19 Update

Week of April 3rd

  1. Links to our Sunday “Live Streaming” services will be posted on a permanent church webpage (https://www.cacw.org/livestream/).  A password is no longer required.  Please access the SAME web page each week as we will cease sending out weekly links.  We encourage you to fill out the online attendance form so that we know you’ve attended.
  2. All of our fellowships and bible studies are now conducting their sessions on-line.  It has never been a better time to join one while at home.  Please visit CACW webpage (https://www.cacw.org/ministries/) for contact information.
  3. Our Wednesday night Church-wide prayer meeting is going “virtual.”  For this unusual season, you can easily join with others for prayer from your home.  Please contact Pastor Alan ([email protected]) regarding dial in information or prayer requests
  4. If you need or you know of any elderly folks who need help with grocery run etc, please do let Sister Pei or Brother Shyhyann Lee know and we will be glad to help.

Week of March 15, 2020

Dear CACW Community,

After much prayerful thought, our Governing Board has decided to temporarily move CACW’s corporate gatherings *online* for the next two weeks (including Sunday 3/15 and Sunday 3/22). In other words, we will not hold face-to-face meetings for this period of time. We’re making this move in light of the Coronavirus situation, as an above-and-beyond measure to look after our church family’s health and peace of mind.

A few notes about this:

• We will not, for the next two weeks, be meeting in person for Sunday services, Sunday schools, prayer meetings, Bible studies, Youth events, or fellowship groups.

• We’ll continue to provide video feeds of our Sunday worship (both Mandarin and English) which will be available at our normal worship times. (More information coming!)

• We’ll be closely monitoring the health situation in our region, and will keep you informed of our plans as they develop.

• Our “annual report” membership meeting, scheduled for Sunday 3/22, will be postponed.

Please do keep closely in touch with us at this time. Feel free to let our pastors (emails below) know of any needs or prayer requests you have. We’ll be looking for ways that we can continue, during these few weeks, to connect, as well as to encourage one another in Jesus.

And—of course—let’s all be praying not only for one another, but for everyone impacted in one way or another by the coronavirus. May they—and we—experience God’s reality and grace in fresh, new ways.

Standing with you in Jesus,

The Governing Board @ CACW will be carefully tracking new developments and implementing measures that prioritize the health and safety of our congregation.

Here are some steps we’re taking for the time being:

  • Carefully adhering to both national and local governmental guidelines (Center for Disease Control [CDC], Westchester County D.O.H., etc.).  In line with this, we are:
    • Asking those who have travelled to affected regions (see our website or weekly update email for latest list of affected regions) to “self quarantine”–and refrain from attending church gatherings for 21 days after returning. (Note: although the CDC suggests 14 days, we are leaning toward extra caution and suggesting a self-quarantine of 21 days.)
    • Asking those with cold or flu symptoms–including sneezing and coughing–to refrain from attending.
    • Encouraging those at higher risk to stay home.  The CDC suggests that people at higher risk include older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease.  We encourage these folks to consider not attending our gatherings for now—and to please reach out so that we can offer encouragement, connection and support.
  • Providing information.  We’ve set up a special page on our website (www.cacw.org/ncov19) with the latest info about our policies and procedures in connection with the coronavirus.  We will also continue to send out our week email update.
  • Posting helpful signage.  We are putting up signs with guidelines and instructions that will be clearly visible in our front entry area.
  • Cleaning hands. We have set up hand sanitizer stations at the front entrance of our church building (and elsewhere), and are asking each person who enters to clean their hands.
  • Skipping lunch.  For now, we are suspending our lunch service.
  • Greeting one another.  We will continue a time of greeting one another during our worship services, but will request that we do so not with handshakes, but rather friendly waves or “elbow bumps.”
  • Rethinking Communion.  For the time being, we plan to continue our monthly Communion services.We will, however, take extra precautions in our means of serving and partaking.  We also welcome each person to make their own judgment call about participating or not.
  • Offering at-home alternatives.  We’re providing live-streaming for those who must (or choose to) stay at home. (We’ll be sending out a live-stream link each Sunday, five minutes before the beginning of the service.
  • Encouraging caring and compassion.  We’re asking everyone to help us extend attention and care to those in our church community.  (Let’s reach out, and also help one another know who is currently refraining from attending our services.  Let’s look for ways we can help out— for instance, keeping in touch with folks who are currently not attending, or bringing groceries to people who are self-quarantining.
  •  Promoting the peace of Christ.  At this time when so many people are feeling anxious or fearful, we want to remind one another (and the world around us) that Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) and that God is our stronghold (Psalm 18:2).

Please join us in continuing to pray for all who are affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus. Our goal is always, and especially at a time like this, to experience and extend the love of Jesus.

 In Christ,
CACW