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Dear ERBF Family,

We have cancelled our Sunday morning service for March 15th in order to do our part to help slow the Coronavirus outbreak.  As texts like Leviticus 13 show and tell us, sometimes what love for our neighbours and their well-being requires is for us to take precautions to limit the spread of infectious diseases. Limiting major gatherings is an effective tool our leaders are recommending we use to care for our communities, especially its most vulnerable members.

As a church leadership team we will be meeting this weekend to pray and plan for how we can best respond to the ongoing needs of our congregation and community.  We covet your prayers for us as we do so.

As a church, we continue to pay close attention to both the flu season and COVID-19. Currently the risk to anyone in our community is low. Even so, we desire to be responsible and put into place a few protocols to facilitate our gatherings. Our goal as a church community is to remain open and healthy, continuing to be a welcoming place for all people to experience the light and life of Jesus.  As such, we are taking steps to ensure the continued well-being of our church family and community: 

  • The most important thing we can do to prevent coronavirus and other illnesses is to wash our hands regularly and avoid touching our face. We have put signage around the building to remind us to wash our hands. We have hand sanitizers mounted on the walls around the church. Please take time to look for them and utilize them.
  • We should also cover our mouths when we cough or sneeze so we are not exposing other people to our germs. Either cough into a tissue and dispose of the tissue into the garbage or sneeze into your elbow. We ask that you stay home If you are feeling sick or if you have visited a high-risk area recently. Our messages will be posted online Monday morning so you can still receive great teaching at home.
  • The Provincial Health Officer also asks us to refrain from customary greetings such as handshaking and hugging during the remainder of the flu season. Welcome people with a wave and a smile.
  • A significant change you will see is that we will be taking our offering at the end of the service and ushers will hold the offering basket at the back of the room when you exit. This means we don’t need to touch the basket as it passes by us in the seats. Remember you can also give electronically at the Welcome Centre or on-line at our website: erbf.com/pages/giving
  • We will also be making adjustments to the way we take communion so the bread and juice trays will not be passed through many hands.
  • If you are away from the church because of any kind of illness, please call or email the church so we can be aware and pray with and for you. Our desire is to be a compassionate and helping church family.
  • Join us in exercising your faith by praying for those serving in health care as they wrestle through the challenges of the flu and COVID-19, and for families affected by this illness. God is in control, we encourage you to remain calm, be courageous, wise, and always ready to do good in our city and world.

 We love being together with you at our weekend gatherings and during the week! See you soon!