Staying Open for Now

    The pandemic situation in Hidalgo County remains critical.  In particular as the leadership of Calvary McAllen, we are very concerned with the hospitalization situation.  You can click and see the Hidalgo County hospitalization charts (01-25-21) here.  We receive and review these daily.  The current situation urges us to be prayerful in regard to this pandemic as well as to be prudent and safe in all we do.  Every week we learn of people in our congregation who test positive, some of them who are hospitalized, and too often people we know and love who die due to COVID-19.  It hits too close to home!    

    Although we are concerned and very vigilant about the situation in our area, our ministerial staff has decided to keep our campus open for now.  Our advisory team along with the staff had considered closing our campus when the hospitalization rates reached the current levels.  However, we have shared with the advisory team our rationale for staying open as follows:

1. Our protocols seem to be working thus far.  As we follow our protocols of mask wearing, social distancing and sanitizing we have prevented the spread of COVID-19 on our campus.  We do not know of any cases where someone contracted here.  We do not feel like our church is contributing to the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
2. Our in-person attendees seem to be both active and cautious.  Those who are attending in-person are most likely going to work, to the store, and other places, with apparent caution.  If we were to close our campus, it most likely would not reduce the number of people who are out in the community.
3. Our staff and volunteers are healthy and willing.  So far we have not had a staff or volunteer COVID-19 breakout that would prevent us from holding services on campus.  As long as our staff and volunteers remain healthy and willing we can continue to do this.

    Thus we are remaining open for the weekly activities that were already scheduled, such as Sunday worship services, a couple of ABFs who have arranged to meet on campus, and our weekly Remedy service.  We will also keep the current events that have been placed on the calendar.  However, we will not add any other weekly activities on campus or events other than the ones currently planned as long as the situation remains critical.  We also reserve the discretion to cancel any activity or event should we deem it unsafe for our people.

    This pandemic has taught us to live one day at a time.  We plan humbly while we are aware that the future is not ours.  For now, we believe that our current plan might be in place at least through Easter Sunday.  However, we are also aware that things can change before that or that things may need to get extended beyond that.

    We continue to be grateful as we launch the spring semester for the many ministries that will continue to operate virtually including EQUIP, ICC, Children's Bible Study, WIT, ABFs, Home fellowships, prayer groups, etc.

    In the meantime, we ask you to be supportive in the following ways:

1. PRAY.  Pray for the COVID-19 situation in our county, for front-line workers, for county officials, and most of all for COVID-19 patients.  Pray for our church leadership, our ministerial staff, our deacons, our volunteers, our committees and our advisory team.  Pray for wisdom and for protection.  Pray for our congregation, some of whom are battling this virus; others who are grieving for loved ones they've lost.  Pray for our missionaries who remain on the field under dire circumstances and for those who remain on stateside uncertain of when they will return to the field.  Pray for protection health and healing.
2. PROTOCOLS.  Help us to continue to follow our protocols on campus rigorously as a way to love each other and care for each other.  We will continue to wear our masks, respect social distancing, wash our hands, use hand sanitizer, avoid physical contact, observe traffic patterns, etc.
3. PREPARE.  Prepare to make adjustments as necessary.  One of the immediate ways in which we foresee necessary adjustments is in regard to our overflow space.  The last couple of Sundays the attendance has increased in our 11 AM and 12:30 PM services.  In our Spanish language service we have reached our current social-distanced capacity for the last two Sundays.  That means that it is possible that over the next several Sundays people who arrive later will be redirected to our overflow space in the Student Center.  The Student Center has been fitted with comfortable social-distanced seating and a giant LED screen where the service from the worship center will be transmitted.  We trust that people will be prepared to cooperate with this in every sense.  Be prepared as well in case we have to close the campus due to spread among our congregation or our staff and volunteers, or if our government leaders recommend that mass gatherings be suspended temporarily.  We hope that does not happen.  But we should always be prepared: hope for the best, prepare for the worst!

    As always the principle that guides us is loving our neighbor as ourselves!

    We have begun a year that holds many uncertainties and challenges.  Rather than lamenting and waiting for all these to go away, we will learn to worship and serve God in the midst of it.  We do pray for the pandemic to be over but we will not wait until then to live out our purpose as God's people.

Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV)

12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)

3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

James 1:2-5 (NIV)

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.