HEADS UP: Only ONLINE SERVICES This Weekend. Campuses Will Be Closed.

03/13/2020

IMMEDIATE NOTICE


Dear Saddleback Family,

For the health and well-being of our church family and community, ALL SERVICES at ALL CAMPUSES are moved online until further notice.

I am asking everyone to join us online for a special message, "What to Do in a Crisis: Our Response to the Coronavirus,"  on Saturday, March 14, at 4:00 PM (PDT). In this message I’d like to:

  1. Give everyone encouragement and calm their fears in these anxious days. We'll review all of the simple ways that you can protect yourself from getting the virus AND also protect yourself from feeling overwhelmed by worry and stress.
  2. Give healthy people a list of practical ways they can protect the most vulnerable around us: People over 60 years old with lowered immunity due to an illness like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or upper respiratory problems.
  3. Give the church three immediate ways we can serve our communities during this crisis.

I've been in direct contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  (CDC) this week because the national director, Dr. Robert Redfield, is a long-time dear friend of mine and Kay's. Bob has worked with us on the “C” of the P.E.A.C.E. Plan, “CARE for the Sick,” from the very beginning. He designed the prototype for our local church-based healthcare system we developed in Rwanda, which is now copied in many other places. Bob has spoken at Saddleback. Also because of our church's involvement in the AIDS pandemic and 33 national and international disasters, we are deeply connected to the healthcare leaders at local, county, state, and national agencies to devise a plan to serve our communities, and you will play a part!

Every crisis in our world is an OPEN DOOR to show God's love! Little did we know that when we set our 5 Open D.O.O.R.S. goals for 2020, we would be given the opportunity to start practicing and working on two of the goals immediately:

Outshine the Darkness and Serve People in Pain. Before we've even finished our 40-day introductory study, the coronavirus opened these two doors.

Don’t miss this weekend service online! Get together with your Small Group, choose a time to meet in a home and watch this service ONLINE together! You can watch it any time after 4:00 PM (PDT) on Saturday.

Please pray for me as I am praying for you!

More updates to come.

I love you and thank God for you!

Pastor Rick