What SFC can do to help prevent the spread of COVID-19?

Mar 13, 2020 | News

Dear SFC team,

In light of the spread of COVID-19 and statements from many of the institutions around, it seems like the right time for the SFC Support Office to comment on the issue. While the community that we serve and interact with tends to fit into the healthier and less vulnerable categories of the health spectrum, it is important to consider the implications of SFC activities to the community as a whole. Some of the attendees of SFC activities could be interacting with those in their community with compromised immune systems, or the elderly. These have been found to be of the most vulnerable to the disease. Our goal is always to love and serve those around us well, both in the shred community and beyond.

Our team is working to follow the best advice from sound minds in crafting suggestions for the SFC Community moving forward. Here is a guide for Christian leaders we found particularly helpful from thought leader and journalist, Andy Crouch. Love in the Time of Coronavirus – Andy Crouch

As our winter ministry season wraps up, and in the spirit of loving the vulnerable people around us well, we have these suggestions for SFC activities for the remainder of the season:

– Consider limiting remaining activities to smaller-scale meetings of 50 people or less.
– When possible, show up early to clean your location, shared surfaces, doorknobs, etc.
– Wash your hands before and after activities, and strongly suggest participants do the same.
– Limit any food service to individually wrapped items when possible, and have your team serve them while wearing gloves instead of offering self-service options.
– Consider social distancing options when possible in the way rooms are arranged. Give people more space to sit and even consider limiting or stopping handshakes or high fives.
– On-hill shred activities remain a great way to connect. Gloves, goggles, etc. should assist in limiting the potential spread of the virus.
– Limit non-essential travel for the coming weeks.
– Show love, grace, and compassion to those that choose to not attend an activity because of precautionary measures.

We are not encouraging anyone to put a halt on their “relationship-building”, but we are encouraging that it happens in a different way than we might have planned. We understand that these precautions may feel over-the-top to some, but we feel that making small sacrifices like these for a short time in order to love our neighbors well is worth the inconvenience. What we choose to do (or not do) in order to protect our community at this moment will greatly impact our witness, testimony, and reach both now and into the future.

We are also presented with a great opportunity. 

It is thought that one of the greatest advancements in the early Church came during the plagues when Christians chose not to flee city centers to protect themselves, as many in the day did. Instead, they made the sacrificial decision to stay and care for the sick and vulnerable. This meant a greater risk of harm, but it also modeled Christ-like sacrifice. We have such great hope in Jesus that we don’t have to be afraid. We have the opportunity at this moment in time to serve and protect our communities (especially the vulnerable) and share the great hope that we have, even in an age of uncertainty and fear. 

Please, go boldly and wisely into the remainder of this season.

If you have questions or concerns feel free to reach out to Randy at [email protected] or 612-850-1816. 

Love,
The SFC Support Office Team.

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