West Sub’s response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Update 6/8/2021:

The State’s Covid restrictions will be lifted this coming Friday, so, beginning next weekend (June 12-13), we will be operating at full capacity, and you will no longer have to register for services. We invite everyone to come back and join us Sunday mornings to worship the Lord together.

Update 6/14/2020:

Hi everyone,

Finally, Good News!  We are planning to reopen for a worship service at 10 am next Sunday, (June 21^st) for 50 people initially, for safety sake.

Please read through the guidelines we will be following when we reopen (See guidelines here).   If you’re not comfortable following the guidelines, which we have developed to keep us all safe, please know that it is perfectly acceptable to continue watching the services online.

If you are at high risk for infection, or in doubt about assembling with a large group people, we would urge to stay home as well, and continue to watch the services online, until things change.

We are taking this week by week, working toward gradually returning to normal worship services.

You can begin registering for next Sunday’s service today at 5 pm on our website.  https://westsub.org/registration

Thank you for your patience and prayers.

Pastor Jim, for the Elders

 

Update 4/15/2020:

Giving Up Control
Aaron Bacon
March/April 2020

To My West Sub Family,

I’m sure many of you know that I am an elementary school principal, and that I am retiring at the end of this school year. Well, I can honestly say that this crisis is not how I had envisioned finishing my career. I had a lot of thoughts and ideas regarding the end of my last year, and they didn’t include any of this. It just wasn’t part of my plan. Neither was not being able to assemble for worship with all of you.  And that’s the point!

You see, I like to be in control, I had a plan, and giving up control is something God has been trying to teach me over the years, but it has been a hard lesson. I’m a slow learner.

So here I am again, needing to realize that I am not in control. My way is not the best way. Isaiah 55:8 & 9 says,  8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. 9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

So, I don’t know how this school year will end, and I need to be okay with that, because God’s ways are higher than my ways.

What lessons are you learning through this crisis? What is it that God is asking you to give up control?

Psalm  27:14 says, “ Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.”

Lean into Him during this time of uncertainty, for HE IS in control!

Praying for all of you,
Aaron Bacon for the elders

Good Friday Devotional:

https://westsub.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Good-Friday-Devotional.pdf

Update 4/8/2020:

Dear West Sub Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I’m writing to you on my knees praying that you are enjoying the kind of peace that only the one true God can provide us in the midst of this worldwide storm.  The peace of knowing that our God is the Creator and Master of the universe and everything in it.  I’m also praying that standing securely on that peace will free us to reflect God’s light in the current state of darkness.

Isaiah describes God’s people reflecting His glory in the millennial kingdom:

“Arise, shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.  For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you.  And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your shining.”  Isaiah 60:1-3

Isaiah is not speaking of a light that originates from us but the light of God’s glory reflecting on us as His Church.  I’m praying that what we do in the midst of this world wide crisis would glorify Christ to the whole world.  That we would model Christ’s grace, His submission to God’s will, His compassion and His servanthood and in doing so present the stark contrast between God’s light and the world’s darkness.

I’m asking the Holy Spirit to prompt me to reflect God’s light to my immediate and extended family, neighbors, co-workers, my fellow West Subbers, the stressed out worker at Wal-Mart and even to that  person who took the last bottle of hand sanitizer from the store shelf!

I wish I could give you all a big hug right now but that will have to wait a little while.  In the meantime the Elders and our COVID Task Force will continue to develop ways to keep us connected, engaged in our spiritual walks and ways to be a servant to our community.

Staying Strong by Relying on Him,
Steve Gutierrez for the elders at West Sub

Update 4/1/2020:

Update 3/25/2020:

Hi everyone,

I trust that you are doing well, and that the Lord is providing for all your needs during this crazy unprecedented time.

The elders, prayer team, some community groups, and the task force continue to meet together via video.  Randy Toltzman created a beautiful banner we’re putting on the internet to invite people to our livestreamed service on Sundays. We are praying for you, and can’t wait until we are all back together again!

Below is a note I put together to encourage you to keep your eyes on the Lord.  One of us will send out a note like this to encourage you every week.

Watching the unleashing of the world-wide drama of the COVID 19 Coronavirus brought to mind a sci-fi movie I saw as a boy in the 1960’s during the fears surrounding the possibility of nuclear war.  The movie is called “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”   In a short period of time, the whole world came to a standstill.

And in a very short period of time our world has come to a standstill on many fronts.

While the COVID 19 Coronavirus continues its deadly rampage through the world it can remind us all that things happen in our lives that are beyond our control.  But for those of us who know the Lord, we have the confident assurance that God is in control, that He is with us through it, and that His good purposes will be accomplished.

As believers in Jesus, we, like the apostle Paul affirms in Philippians 4, have been given a special capacity to handle whatever comes our way, whether good or bad.

Philippians 4:13 is a much misunderstood and misapplied verse.  It doesn’t mean that any Christian can do anything.  We must interpret it in light of what comes before it.

Paul says:  Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

12  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

13  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

14  Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.

The “all things” in verse 13 refers to the good and bad we go through in life.  Christians can potentially experience both extremes.  “I can do all things” includes afflictions, the loss of retirement savings, recessions, job loss, not being able to buy toilet paper, and a myriad of other hardships.

Whatever God allows to happen, God gives us a special capacity to persevere through it by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit living in us.  And it begins by letting the Holy Spirit guide our thoughts to the truths God has given us in His Word, repelling the thoughts given to us in the world, our flesh, or the Devil.  Romans 8:6   For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 12:2   And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Philippians 4:14 also hints at another thing we learn about what God has provided in His grace to help us get through our hardships:  One another.   Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.

 

Please take every opportunity to reach out to individuals in our church family to see how they are doing, and help those in need.

Don’t forget to stream our worship service online on Sundays at WestSub.org, or on our Facebook page.

Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns you may have.  Ji*@we*****.net

May God protect and bless you and your family during this world crisis.

Pastor Jim for the Elders
West Suburban Community Church

 

Update 3/17/2020:

Hi everyone,

The elders have decided to cancel Sunday School, any meetings involving 10 or more people, and attendance at all our worship services until further notice.

However, we are planning to livestream an abbreviated worship service every Sunday at 10 a.m. that you can access online at either our church website, or on the church’s Facebook page, that will include special music and a message.   We are asking that everyone who is not part of these services each Sunday to stay home.

www.westsub.org

https://www.facebook.com/westsubchurch/

Those who are scheduled to be announcers, ushers and greeters should stay home, until we resume normal services.  And, there will be no Panera Bread available to take home.

 

In addition, until we resume our normal worship services, there will be no Easter choir rehearsals that we have planned for the next few Sundays.

We also want to encourage you to help us by continuing to give your tithes and offerings to the Lord to support the ministry of West Sub, until this crisis passes.

You can give online through our website, Facebook page, your bank’s BillPay app, or, you can simply mail it in to the church office.  Thank you for your continued support!

We will update you with any changes or new information each week.

Please help us by sharing this information with others who may not have internet access.

The elders also suggest that if you know of anyone who does not have internet access, you may want to invite them over to watch the livestream service with you.

Please keep our church body in your prayers,

“‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’”  (Isaiah 41:10)

God bless,

Pastor Jim Lennon, for the Elders

West Suburban Community Church

 

After prayerful consideration we’ve decided to suspend Kids in Action for the time being.  We’re so blessed to belong to the body of Christ right now and are praying our decisions shine bright Jesus.

Thanks,
Katie and the Kids In Action team

 

Youth Group is also cancelled tomorrow night (March 18) and next Wednesday (March 25).

 

Update 3/15/2020:

Dr. Ed Anderson has passed along this useful fact sheet from the CDC.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf

 

Update 3/14/2020:

 

Hi everyone,

The elders met today with Dr. Ed Anderson to discuss West Sub’s response to the Corona Virus.

We wanted to let you know that we are planning to have our normal worship service tomorrow, but we are cancelling Sunday School and the Sunday School nursery.  We are still planning on having nursery available for the service.

After the service, Dr. Ed Anderson will be giving a briefing on the Corona Virus and how West Sub is planning to respond going ahead.

We will keep you informed by email, the church website and Facebook of any changes from week to week.

We are still trying to decide whether to go ahead with the Children’s Concert tomorrow night and will let you know once a decision has been made.

(Update:

We just received word that they have decided to cancel the Children’s Musical  tomorrow night, out of concerns for the spread of the Corona virus.  They will reschedule it for a later date!)

We will be planning to implement preventative measures when we do gather, that will be explained tomorrow.

Please feel free to stay home if you are uncomfortable coming.  You can watch the service online at www.westsub.org.

 

Also, as believers, we do not want to succumb to our worst fears, but going forward we are trusting the Lord, who is sovereign over all (see II Chron. 20:20-21).

Jesus said to His disciples – “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.”  (Matthew 10:29-31)

 

Please keep the church Body in your prayers.

 

God bless,

Pastor Jim Lennon, for the Elders

West Suburban Community Church