Hey Everyone!
I know that we are well behind the curve in terms of a response to COVID-19, but it has taken us some time to figure out what to do with this. Our ministry is fundamentally about connecting people and facilitating in-person meetings and unfortunately, all of the public health guidance and shelter in place orders are about doing the exact opposite. That leaves us at a bit of an impasse on how to move forward as a ministry.
That said, there are still ways to show people in your neighborhood and social network that you care about them and I think we’ve been able to work out some details to leverage our technology in order to help us better “love our neighbors” and bear witness to the world for Christ.
With that in mind, I would like to ask you all to extend the kindness and grace of God to your neighbors in these uncertain times by prayerfully considering and sharing the below message.
“Hello There!
My name is (YOUR FIRST NAME HERE). I am one of your neighbors and I wanted to let you know that during these uncertain times, I and some of my friends from church, would like to offer help in any way that we are able to. That might look like something as simple as providing you with a spare roll of toilet paper, picking up groceries at the store for people over the age of 60, or meeting on the sidewalk (but keeping a safe distance) for some conversation if you are feeling lonely or isolated.
If there is something you need that we are not able to provide, we would love to direct you to additional resources, since we are connected to, and building a network of churches, non-profits, and government agencies that are working to help those in need. If I am not able to help you personally, I can check in with our network to see if there’s a way someone else can. We can’t promise to meet every need, but we will do our best.
To get in touch with me or another one of our volunteers, check out our app on the Google Play or iPhone App Store. Simply search for “Coffee with a Christian” and fill out a profile to find contacts in your area.
May God bless you and keep you safe,
(YOUR FIRST NAME HERE)
SIGNATURE”
If you are willing to join us in this campaign, I would like to encourage you to both personalize and print out the above message at least 10 times and share it around your neighborhood. You can leave it on a neighbor’s doorstep, in their mailbox, or staple it to a telephone pole, whatever you think is best.
Now more than ever, many people in the secular world are coming face to face with a sense of loneliness and fear that I am sure has been deeply exacerbated by the social isolation and daily newsfeed. I hope that like the early Church, we can lead the way in loving others as ourselves to serve the communities that we live in by demonstrating the love of Christ.
Please bear in mind, we are very much encouraging all of you to practice safe “physical distancing” and to be smart and conscientious of your own health needs. If you are in a high-risk group, immunocompromised, suspect that you may have contracted COVID-19, or if this is something that just do not feel led to do, please refrain from participating in this activity.
If, on the other hand, this is something that you would like to participate in, please change the top line in your BIO to read – “Available to help during COVID-19”. As always, if you have any questions or are asked to provide something outside of your means, please feel free to reach out to me directly so that I can coordinate resources.
Also, if you are just now deciding to volunteer, go ahead and log in to the app and ask one of the contacts in your area to approve you. They may want to video-chat with you first as part of the vetting procedure.
God often brings challenging times as a way to lead others to himself and I am praying that we, as the Church, can be an instrument to this end. Please let your neighbors know that you care for them and prayerfully consider this request. I hope that you will join me in loving others as Christ loves us.
Blessings!
Ben Goo
Coffee With a Christian