Cypress Creek Church family,
Pastor Jose here with a quick update about our gatherings. In the last three weeks, we have begun our in-person gatherings at church and continued to live stream. So if you’ve been tuning in to the live stream you know that the camera has had a front-row seat to the gathering the entire time. And if you’ve been here in-person, you know that we’re recommending that everyone wear a face mask, we even have face masks available for anyone that wants one. We’ve stayed physically distant throughout the gathering, and we’ve been meeting here, outside in the open air. We have done all of this to adhere to the CDC guidelines, to Governor Abbott’s Executive Order, and after consulting local medical professionals in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The bottom line is that the choice is yours. We want you to do what’s best for you and your family. If you want to come to church and gather here in-person or continue to tune in to the live stream. We began meeting in person knowing that we ran the risk that someone could come to church with the virus.
So in the spirit of continued transparency, I want to let you know that this last Sunday, May 24th, someone with the virus came to church during 2nd service. They were asymptomatic when they were here, later developed symptoms, and then tested positive for COVID-19, confirming that they had the virus when they were at church this Sunday.
There are three things to know that are really important:
- First, they are recovering at home. We are in touch with them, meeting their basic needs and we’re praying for a quick recovery in Jesus’ name.
- Second, we are honoring their request for anonymity.
- Third, if you were here during second service, you may be wondering if you were exposed. Did I come into contact with this person? Out of their concern, they have talked to those that they interacted with and who were exposed on Sunday.
So what now? What are we going to do?
When the Overseers received this information, we prayed and talked at length about the steps moving forward. We came to the decision that we are going to stay the course and continue to meet both in person and via the live stream. The reason is that we were prepared for this. This is exactly why we have these safety measures in place. Ultimately, however, the choice is totally up to you.
Church is essential. Just like you can go to H-E-B or Ace, or anywhere else that may be open, you can come to church on Sunday knowing that there’s a risk but also knowing that there are safety measures in place to keep you safe. We are going to stay flexible and take this week by week, praying that God will give us the wisdom to know how to move forward.
Hear me say that I want you to do whatever is best for you and your family. Whether that’s to stay home and continue to tune in to the live stream, or to gather in person. If you choose to come to church on Sunday morning, I am asking you to please continue to wear a face mask, to please physically distance and follow the guidelines as we meet outside for this season.
From the beginning, we, Cypress Creek Church, have said that we are going to choose hope over fear. No matter what our circumstances look like, we know that our hope is in Jesus Christ. We can anchor our hope in who He is. He is in control and is over everything that is going on. Second, we are going to choose sacrifice over selfishness. We have all sacrificed a lot during this season. But our sacrifice does not even begin to compare to what Jesus has sacrificed for us on the cross. He gave his life for us so that we can have life abundantly here on earth and for eternity. Let’s remember that. Third, we are going to choose peace over anxiety. John 16:33 says that Jesus has told us all of these things so that in Him we may have peace because in this world we will have trouble but we can take heart knowing that Jesus has overcome the world. Jesus is in control, Jesus wants us to come together, and we’re so fortunate that we can do that both in-person as we continue to meet outside and via the live stream. Ultimately, again, the choice is yours.
I love you. I am praying for you. And I look forward to seeing you on Sunday, whether via the live stream or here in person.
May the God of peace be with you.
Pastor Jose