Church Family,

This has been a fluid week and we are doing our best to be informed and use the most wisdom in the decisions we make, especially concerning our worship gatherings. In light of new information, we have made the decision to cancel all in-person gatherings at Valley View Church for the next two weeks. Please read to the end of this email for our full cancelation schedule.

This Sunday, March 15: No in-person worship service. We will gather online only.

• We encourage you to join us online at oldsite.vvchurch.org. We will go live at 11:00 AM with a full worship service and the message will focus on navigating the coronavirus pandemic with faith and wisdom.

We want to honor the request from healthcare providers, hospitals, and our national and local governments who have requested no large in-person gatherings. We seek to follow their guidelines as well as be a good neighbor and love our community well. All of us are learning about “social distancing” and “flattening the curve” related to coronavirus, staying healthy, and caring for our community. If we can help slow down the speed at which this virus is spreading we have an obligation to do so. This is critical for hospitals and healthcare providers to manage patient loads to give the best care to those who need it most. We encourage you to apply this wisdom in your personal life as well. This is not a “snow day” but a time of doing what is best for our neighbors and community, which is limiting our physical interaction. 

We want to honor our church members. Many nurses and healthcare providers who attend Valley View Church have advised us against meeting in-person this Sunday. We also recognize many who are in the at-risk age or who have compromised immune systems will desire to join us putting themselves at risk, even against our request for them to stay home.

Our Cancellation Schedule for March 15-28

1. We are canceling our Sunday in-person worship service the next two Sundays, March 15 and 22nd. We will have a live, real-time worship service available to watch online both Sunday’s at 11:00 AM.

2. We are canceling all Wednesday night services, including dgroups, student worship, Awana, etc for the next two weeks.

3. We are closing the office for the next two weeks. Pastors and staff are still available, working from home, and answering calls, emails, etc. We are praying for ways to serve our church and community in these days.

4. We are canceling our upcoming Women’s Retreat. Everyone who is registered and paid will receive a full refund.

5. We are canceling all on-campus meetings and programs for the next two weeks. If you have scheduled a meeting or reserved a room please contact the church office. We have people on-call to assist you in rescheduling.

Spring Break March 29 - April 4
We will continue with our current spring break schedule, which includes no Wednesday night programming or meetings. We will inform you of other cancelations as decisions are made.

Church, these are unprecedented times. I hope you will join us online these Sundays. I hope you will continue to worship through giving these Sundays. I hope you will live full of faith and wisdom during these days. None of us know when the threat will end but if we will do our part, both as a church and individually we have a unique part to play in this pandemic. May the community and world see us and see a peace that transcends all understanding. 

There is hopeful news. People are recovering after contracting coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19.

• Over 50,000 people have recovered from the coronavirus around the world, according to Johns Hopkins.

• Kentucky’s first confirmed coronavirus patient is fully recovered and discharged from the hospital.

There is good news! God is still on His throne. One question to consider during this time- How can you turn a coronavirus conversation into a gospel conversation? What an opportunity we have. 

Praying with you,
Pastor, Staff, and Elders of Valley View Church

As we continue to practice “physical" distancing we hope you are able to stay socially connected and engaged others and with Valley View Church. We are collaborating with ministry leaders, church consultants, and pastors from around the country to navigate this pandemic with faith and wisdom. We want to keep you informed, encouraged, cared for, and equipped as we navigate this time together.

Read to the end for help and resources!

Update on our Schedule. No in-person gatherings through April 4th
To honor the request from the White House, national and local government, as well as healthcare providers and pandemic experts, including their request that no groups larger than 10 people should meet we have decided to have no in-person gatherings through April 4, 2020 (including Sunday, March 22 and 29). We will reevaluate at that time as we receive updated information and guidelines.

Sunday Services
We hope you will join us online at 11:00 AM for our regular worship service. We will worship through song, the study of the Word, and through giving. We hope you and your family can join us at oldsite.vvchurch.org or on the Valley View Church Facebook page.

Adult Life Groups
The weekly Life Group lesson will also be available Sunday morning online at 9:30 AM and taught by our Director of Life Groups, Robert Price. Just like the Sunday service, you can watch this lesson on our website or Facebook page.

We realize it might not be safe to gather with others from your Life Group, but as you practice physical distancing we hope you can still be socially connected. We recommend that you use Zoom to meet online as a group to discuss life and the weekly lesson. It is a safe and easy way to stay social even though distant.

Along with Facetime, Zoom is a great way for students and children to stay connected with friends and family members in a fun way. Check it out: https://zoom.us/

Life Groups for Children and Preschool: Eddie Lee and Brooke will email material for families to use so parents can have Life Group at home. If you have children, look for Eddie Lee’s email for details and other encouraging resources.

Wednesday Services
Our adult mid-week service is also available online. Our pastoral staff will share updates and an encouraging devotion from Scripture every Wednesday night at 6:30 PM.

Students: Pastor Ryan and Braydon are meeting with students every Wednesday on the student Instagram account and Facebook page. We encourage your students to join in as they will find encouragement and connection with our staff and their friends.

The student small group leaders are meeting with students online through Zoom every week as well. If you have a student look for Ryan’s email for details.

Everyday Connection
Our staff is hosting daily devotions through the YouVersion Bible app. We are all doing the same study and started on the same day. We encourage you to join one of our groups for daily encouragement, connection and focus on Jesus and His Word during this time. Its never too late to join in! You read on your own time and leave a comment. Throughout the day people comment, react and interact together.

You can join here: https://oldsite.vvchurch.org/dailystaffdevos/

Need help?
We want to serve one another during this time, especially if you are in a high-risk category (elderly, sick, homebound). Please let us know you need by emailing our Executive Pastor of Ministries, Chris Arnold at chris.arnold@oldsite.vvchurch.org. We have a team of staff and deacons ready to assist you with errands, grocery pickup, pharmacy, etc.

Need Prayer?
We would love to pray for you! We have a team of people set aside to pray specifically for your prayer needs during this time. You can submit your prayer requests on our website or prayer page.

Need Resources and Activities?
Through this season we want to be a resource for you and your family. We hope you are staying active and intentional with your time physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Look for emails from our staff related to your ministry area. We will send resources you can use to stay active and encouraged.

For Example:

• Here are several resources to help you and your family discuss this pandemic together. Leading Your Family through Coronavirus

• Right Now Media has a portion of their library available for free. Find biblically-based videos, shows, and lessons for adults, students, and children. Visit: www.rightnowmedia.org

• Is your child or student dealing with anxiety related to coronavirus? Axis Ministry is offering free teaching you can do together to find comfort and hope. Visit: Axis

• Do your kids need to exercise but can’t get out of the house? Beachbody is offering free and fun exercise videos for kids!  Visit: Beachbody Kids

We love and miss you! 

Pastor, Staff, and Elders of Valley View Church