May 5, 2020

Dear Brazil United Pentecostal Church Members,

Praise the Lord BUPC family! As you may have heard, based on the governor’s plan to reopen Indiana, including reopening churches on May 8, we plan to have our first in-person service on Mothers’ Day, Sunday, May 10, 2020, at 10:00am, although things will be different than normal as I will cover in a moment. Our plan is to continue having services at the church on the following schedule through the month of May:

• one service on Sundays at 10am, and
• Bible Study on Wednesdays, at 7:00pm.

As this is part of the gradual reopening of the state and the gradual easing of restrictions during the corona virus pandemic, we will include several precautions keeping in mind the safety of all who gather. We will keep this scripture in mind as a guiding principle:

Philippians 2:4 Look not every man on his own things [interests], but every man also on the things [interests] of others.

So, as we look out with concern for others, we will observe some temporary precautions per the recommendation of health officials because the risk of spreading the disease that is still very real:

• The building will be thoroughly cleaned before and after each service, particularly high-contact areas. Bro. & Sis. Floyd agreed to do this, but let’s all help out as we can.
• Sanitize your hands using hand sanitizer or washing your hands after arriving. Wearing gloves has been shown to spread germs, while washing or sanitizing your hands can stop the spread of germs.
• After using restrooms, clean contact areas like door knobs, sink, or toilet with Lysol disinfectant wipes provided.
• Refrain from handshakes or hugs. Give a wave instead. I know this is a hard one!
• Keep the required social distancing space of 6 feet apart, except among family groups that have been sheltering in place together, including before and after service. A good rule of thumb is to keep two empty seats on either side, and an empty row between family groups.
• Except for the speakers and praise team, we recommend wearing face masks, so please bring one. If you don’t have one, Sis. Connie made several that will be available Sunday morning.
• We will not run the bus and will not offer separate children’s classes at this time. We will continue to monitor the situation with hopes of restarting them both soon. A mini-children’s program will be offered as part of the main service.
• The Governor’s guidance asks that individuals who are 65 and above, or those who have underlying health risks, to continue to stay out of public places at this time. For those of you in this group, I just ask that you use wise judgment.
• If you are sick, stay home.

As you can see, these safety measures are significant and will change the way we have church, but haven’t we already had to significantly change the way we have church? And if you prefer not to venture into the public until there are less restrictions on gatherings and the environment is safer, you can still watch the services livestreamed in the safety of your home. Remember that God has not given us the spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7), but He does give the spirit of wisdom (Prov 1:23) to guide us in what we should do. So let us be mindful of others as we gather together to worship the Lord. Social distancing was part of the culture of the Bible when it came to protecting others from the spread of infectious diseases, so it is not contrary to godly wisdom. In sum, be safe for now so we can be healthy and more free later!

And last, if you do not have access to watch or listen to our services on the internet, starting with our May 6 7:00pm Bible study, you can now listen to our services from any telephone. Simply call this number at church time, (812) 221-1951, and you will be able to listen to the church service right from your phone! And if you miss it you can call in later to hear a replay of the last service. Thank you Bro. Kevin for setting that up. That is all for now!

Blessings to you,

Pastor Anthony Warner