Hello friends of Cold Spring Church.
Thank you for your faithfulness in taking care of yourself and others during the pandemic. We continue to pray for and stand with those serving on the frontlines, those who are sick, and we mourn with those who have lost loved ones and neighbors to this disease. We miss seeing each other, and being with each other: in person, in the sanctuary, and in ministry we enjoy across our campus. Also, thank you for continuing your generous financial support and participating in our Worship Online each week. While the State of New Jersey has announced measured re-openings, and hopefully some relief for small businesses, building restrictions are expected to remain in force through June and we should be prepared for a longer period of time. Our session and pastor remain in consultation with neighboring communities of faith and with our amazing presbytery leaders as we consider the many variables for even partial church sanctuary openings.
Let us not grow discouraged or dismayed as we wait to gather together in our sanctuary. Let’s prepare one another for the new reality, a new way to safely gather in worship. Emerging guidelines for congregations are particularly hard to hear regarding many aspects of worship that we have grown accustomed to. For example, limiting the spread of COVID-19 will severely limit or eliminate the use of hymnals and Bibles, bulletins, congregational singing, and affect the way we enter and exit the sanctuary. Our commitment to the health and wellness of everyone will require strict adherence to six-foot social distancing and mask protocols, and may require other safety or screening measures. We will get through this, together, as we co-create a new reality of corporate worship. Christ is our hope and God’s emerging future will be filled with grace and abundance.
There are three important ways you can experience new spiritual energy today!
Remember to practice social solidarity and not spiritual distance. You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Our thriving faith community puts God’s love into action to help make greater Cape May a better place.
