Coronavirus Update

Update as of May, 2021:

As of May 2021, we’ve opened up to having in-person services again! You can find up to date info on attending in person here. If you’d like to join us online via our livestream, you can find more info on that here.

March 17 updates:

1. This Sunday, March 22, we will be streaming our entire service at 10am, and will continue to do so each Sunday at 10am until further notice. Details on how you can participate will be available soon on our website, our social media channels, and within our app.
2. As it stands, most events or gatherings we had in place through the end of March (and possibly beyond) have been cancelled or moved online. This includes:
   • Gathering Groups
   • Cultivate classes and other classes
   • Men’s Bible study
   • Prayer Together
   • Refuge support groups
   • 65+ April Potluck
   • Echo services
   • Live worship services
3. If you have any questions about a specific event, please contact the staff person in charge of that ministry area. Any general questions can be directed to us at info@whchurch.org.

Thank you again for your understanding and patience as we navigate this quickly changing situation! Stay safe and unafraid, and we hope you can join us online at 10am this Sunday!

March 13 updates, 3pm:

1. In response to the governor’s announcement today, in which the Minnesota Department of Health recommended limiting gatherings to fewer than 250 people, we have decided to cancel our services this weekend.
2. Unfortunately we aren’t prepared to stream our services on such short notice, so Greg will be videotaping a message. That sermon will be available on our website by 9am this Sunday morning.
3. Next Sunday, March 22 we plan to stream our entire service at 10am. Next week we will share details about how you can participate; that info will be available on our website, social media channels, and our app.
4. Our leadership team is having conversations about whether and how our regular weekday operations will be impacted.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we try to make the best decisions we can, given the nature of this developing situation. We are committed to being as thoughtful and careful as we can about minimizing the spread of the Coronavirus. However, we also want to protect against being overly fearful and encourage you to do the same!

March 13 updates, 10am:

1. Our staff has been busy making sure our building is clean and disinfected this week in preparation for our services this weekend. We also plan to clean chairs after each service and throughout the weekend, we will regularly clean any frequently-used surfaces like door handles, countertops and Children’s Ministry check-in stations.
2. We will not be serving coffee this weekend as an extra precaution against the potential spread of germs.
3. We don’t plan to pass offering buckets during our services – again, to minimize the chance germs could be passed around.
4. If you don’t feel well, or if you are in a high-risk demographic for complications from Coronavirus, please stay home this weekend.
5. We want to continue to be wise and take reasonable precautions to minimize the potential spreading of illnesses, but don’t want to be consumed by fear. We look forward to seeing those of you who choose to join us this weekend!

Original post from March 11:

Last weekend during his sermon, Greg spent some time talking about how, as Kingdom people, we might think about and respond to the current Coronavirus/COVID-19 epidemic. If you didn’t catch it, it’s worth your time – you can listen or watch here.

As this unique and challenging health situation has developed, we’ve also had a number of staff conversations about practical matters for the coming weeks. Greg mentioned some of these during his sermon, but we want to get them all collected in one place:

1. If you’re sick, stay at home and rest up. This has always been our attitude, but it’s worth repeating now. Take care of yourself, and lower the risk that you’ll pass any illness on to others.
2. We could really use help cleaning and disinfecting surfaces in our building. Shoot us an email if you’re able to help!
3. Download our church app. It allows us to send out notifications, which we use when we need to make changes to our service times for any reason. (Usually due to weather.) We’ll also post changes to our website and social media channels, but the app’s notifications provide a more immediate way to communicate updates. Details and instructions here.
4. We have no plans to cancel any of our services or events, but we’re working on contingency plans should that need to change.

As Greg said: we’re not worried about this health issue, but we do want to be prepared. We may have a unique opportunity to display other-oriented, self-sacrificial (but also wise and pragmatic) love to our neighbors. Pray with us that no matter what happens in the coming days and weeks, we are able to represent the Jesus-looking Kingdom of God in our communities!