Dear Wildwood Bible Church Family,
As our world changes so rapidly, each day, with new fears, health dangers, personal freedom restrictions, and financial instability, we can rest assured that true freedom from these fears does not result from the absence of these changes and crisis, but the presence of an unchanging God who is sovereign over all good and calamity. The world is broken, but the cross of Jesus and His resurrection has promised us redemption and the perfections of the kingdom yet to come, and the grace we need for today. In the meantime as we walk by faith and hope, we need to take steps of love and precaution.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has now recommended suspending all gatherings larger than 50 people for the next 8 weeks (until May 10th). This is an effort to minimize the inevitable spread of the coronavirus before it overwhelms the state’s medical capacity.
The elders believe these are wise recommendations for the protection of the population during a time of uncertainty and unknown risk. It is beneficial for the health of our families, our church family (especially our senior saints), a way of loving our neighbors, and being a good witness as citizens submitting to God-ordained authority (Romans 13:1-5).
To follow the CDC recommendations for the next 8 weeks (we will notify you closer to May 10th, as to what the CDC advises), the following measures are effective immediately:
1. We have suspended all general CHURCH ACTIVITIES (worship services, youth ministry, choir practices, women’s bible study)
-Each home bible study group can determine if they will meet occasionally for fellowship and prayer. Discretion is advised. Considerations for using Zoom are in the works.
-The Women’s Conference has been postponed until October 16-17.
2. We will LIVE STREAM a Scripture reading, prayer, and sermon every SUNDAY at 10am and Youth Sunday School following the sermon at 11:30. Youth ministry mid-week study will continue live stream every Wednesday at 7pm. Youth Ministry Sunday school and Wednesday meetings will be live streamed on Zoom and Facebook. The links for watching these will be set up on the homepage of our church website, www.wildwoodak.org
3. Members without live stream capabilities should contact
the church office so we can arrange for you to be able to view the
services.
4. Please share the link to our church live stream with friends and neighbors
who may want to watch. And feel free to meet in small groups in your homes, on
Sundays at 10am to watch the service and to sing and pray together. We may
have some music during the service.
5. Financial giving is part of worship and necessary to support our
missionaries, staff, and the fixed expenses of our facilities etc.
Giving:
Thank you for your sacrificial giving to the Church during this difficult period. There are at least three options for giving during this time.
1. You can mail your check to
Wildwood Bible Church
16832 Hanson Dr.
Eagle River, AK 99577
2. You can schedule a direct check payment from your bank account to the church. There is no extra transaction fee that you or the Church pays for this service. To do this
– go to Bill Pay
– select “Add a new Payee”
– select “Add payee manually”
– enter the contact information from #1 above
– select an amount to give and a date you want your bank to mail the check
3. You can pay via a secure Paypal link on the Church’s website. Please note that if you choose this option and use a credit card to make the payment the church is charged a transaction fee (there is a transaction fee associated with credit card payments for all electronic payment systems).
– go to the church website – www.wildwoodak.org
– select the “Donate” button
– enter your payment information
– your credit card information will be processed by Paypal, which is a secure service
Our goal, as we considered options and make decisions in the days ahead, is to
both honor God and care for you, our church family, and be a witness to the
community as well. Please visit the Facebook page (Wildwood Bible Church)
for regular updates and encouraging counsel that I will be sharing during our
social distancing days.
Our prayers are for wisdom and discernment as to how to walk through these trying days in order to glorify the Lord in all we do. Thank you in advance for joining us in these prayers.
Psalm 56:2 “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you, in God whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”
On behalf of the elders,
Dan