After much prayerful consideration, First Church has decided to cancel all Sunday morning activities – services and Sunday School -- until further notice.

Thursday, March 12, Governor Lamont issued an order limiting events to 250 people in order to minimize COVID-19 exposure. He went on to say he recommended limiting events to 100 people. We want to honor the spirit of what he is asking and do our best to help during this time. Also on Thursday, Wethersfield School System announced it will be closed until Friday, March 27. 

Several of our programs follow the school system’s schedule; so we are cancelling our Pre-K school, Trail Life, and Mastering Motherhood until the schools reopen. In addition, we are altering Wednesday evenings. Our goal is to keep groups under 50 during this time. We will not be hosting dinners, but Wednesday evening classes will continue. The church is still open. Smaller groups throughout the week are still meeting. We have strengthened our cleaning and disinfecting efforts throughout our buildings.

Like many of you, we are monitoring the situation and will continue making programming decisions in light of new information, still seeking to make God’s presence real to those around us.

All of this can be overwhelming, but let us remember who God is, and who He calls us to be:

• “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
  
• “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7
  

Would you join with us as we pray for those around the world impacted by this outbreak and its effects? Pray for healthcare workers on the frontline. Pray for others who can’t afford to miss work. Pray that we would be able to be the salt and light that God calls us to be.

There are lots of voices speaking into this circumstance, so here are a few items of importance we want to clearly communicate:

• If you or someone in your family is not feeling well, please don’t come to church. Consider staying home as a way to “serve others.”
  
• Your health is very important to us and so we want to encourage those who are older or those who have compromised immune systems to be wise and stay home. 
  
• We are here for you; please let us know if you are in need of prayer or special care. 
  
• God is greater than all of this. He is still on the throne and He is always with us. 
  

May God bless you during this time.