* EDIT (March 16, 2020): We are gathering online through Zoom. Please check your emails or contact us at info@anchorcity.org for more information.
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Dear beloved Anchor City family and friends,
There is, understandably, a lot of anxiety and concern about the daily news we receive about Coronavirus/COVID-19. Professional sports suspending their seasons, universities closing down dorms and in-person classes, new cases being reported in our region — we could go on and on.
As your pastors, and as a community of faith in Jesus, we are writing both in the hope of alleviating anxiety with a reminder of God’s peace and offering ways to care for yourself, your family, and your community.
* For the time being, Anchor City will continue to gather on Sundays for worship in-person. We will continue to take all the necessary precautions to keep everyone safe and welcomed, while still fostering a sense of community and connection. You are welcome to express your level of comfort with personal space during our gatherings — we all understand! For example, during the greetings and passing of the peace, please start with a wave or other non-contact greeting. If you’d like to offer a hug or handshake, please ask first! The pastors leading communion will wash their hands before serving. Hand sanitizer will be available and we will continue to remind everyone to please wash your hands regularly.
We’re also preparing for the possibility of “gathering” for worship online or in alternative ways, should the need arise. We do this not from a place of fear, but of proactive faithfulness for the health of our church members and the greater San Diego community. As Shane Claiborne recently said, “I believe in prayer. I also believe in soap.” :)
In the meantime, in moments of particular anxiety, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to pray with you and talk through any fear you might be holding. Let’s remember to be community to each other as well. Texts, calls, and other support are vital reminders that we are not alone and that we have each other as family in Christ.
As Christians, we are a community of hope and love — this is the Good News of Jesus that we can offer to the world. We encourage you to offer hope and love to your neighbors at this time. If you have elderly neighbors, consider checking in on them and offering to run errands for them. Reach out to your friends and neighbors and see how they’re feeling, physically and emotionally. In the coming days, we will find suggestions for ways to help local and global communities who are hardest hit. “Covid-19 Checklist for Followers of Jesus” has some ideas for how we can respond. These are all ways we can demonstrate the truth of Scripture, “Perfect love drives out fear” — 1 John 4:18.
Beloved family, we will continue to monitor the situation and keep you up-to-date. We pray that God’s peace that surpasses all understanding would guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Grace and peace,
Pastors Jeya & Dan
Anchor & Hope Church 