Dear Florida Conference family,
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to weigh heavily on us, the reality of the times we are living in is very apparent. We are sure many of you feel the same as we do – Christ’s return cannot come soon enough!
As we continue to follow government and CDC guidelines, the doors to our offices and churches will remain closed through April 30, 2020. Sadly, the Volunteer Lay Pastor Retreat scheduled for May 29 in Sarasota, Florida has also now been canceled.
We challenge each of you as Christians and leaders to remain vigilant. This is a stressful time of uncertainty, but there are things that we can do to help bring peace to ourselves and those around us:
- Stay safe. Follow guidelines and practice social distancing by staying home as much as possible.
- Stay in touch with friends, family, and other church members.
- Stay relevant. If you have more, give to those who have less.
- Stay in the Bible and in prayer. Remain grounded in the Word and seeking God.
- Stay hopeful and share your hope with others.
We know that each one of you will be affected by this pandemic in some way. Our hearts are with all those who are sick or have encountered loss during this time. We are praying for each one of you, and we are thankful for each one of you.
To our teachers: Your dedication and hard work to continue teaching our youth both obvious and marvelous. We know this dedication does not come easy, but it is so admired and appreciated. To our pastors and church leaders: We know that you face countless challenges leading your flock from a distance. We see you; we pray for you; we appreciate and support you. To our treasurers: Thank you for your tireless efforts to steward us safely through this challenging time. Yours is the unenviable task of deciding where to allocate precious financial resources to keep churches and their mission active.
To everyone: Recently, so many of you have been called upon to do things that you have not faced before in your current roles. Your willingness to rise to the occasion and meet the needs of your congregations has been nothing short of amazing. Words cannot adequately express our gratitude for your commitment.
We know that God will remain faithful during this time, and our prayer is that many of you have been able to connect to our OpenChurch platform to be encouraged by all the contributions from around our Conference. Please mark your calendars for a special Easter message this Sabbath, April 11, at 6:30 pm from our President, Dr. Allan Machado.
Remember that God has promised to meet all of our needs. When we trust in Him in the midst of trouble, PEACE flourishes. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.
Thank you,
Florida Conference Administration