Greetings Zoe,
Thanks for your patience as we discern the best path forward toward an eventual re-opening of our on-site services. We know that many of you have questions about when Zoe will re-open, especially in light of the fact that the President has declared churches essential and our governor rendered reopening legal in California.
We are encouraged by the government’s acknowledgement of how important we are to our community and the legal flexibility to move forward with on-site services if we choose. However, these important steps are just the first part of any effective reopening plan. Hence, we are not re-opening right away.
Instead, we have put together a task force consisting of health care professionals and ministry leaders to give us recommendations for the timing and terms of our re-opening. We plan to have a more precise sense of when and how we might re-open services at some point next month, at which time you will receive another update.
Keep in mind that the situation is fluid. The current trend in the country to ease restrictions might be signaling a shorter end to the quarantine than anticipated. However, there’s also the chance that reopening right now could be premature. We’ll definitely know more in the weeks to come.
However, for those of you who are anxious to get back to the facility, remember that the church is still open; it’s only our building that is closed; we are actually still as active as ever, reaching out to our local community.
In fact, recently, we gave a big virtual hug to some of our local first responders and educators by delivering gift cards and baskets to show how much we appreciate the sacrifices they’re making to keep our communities safe and cared for.
Speaking of community safety, we would be remiss if we did not call attention to some glaring challenges in this area:
The recent killings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Aubrey—along with several other unarmed black men by police officers and vigilantes over the last several years—has created for us a visceral reaction of disgust. We mourn their loss and lament the carelessness that has led to their deaths.
We are convinced that our communities can and will do better. We also believe that most of our law enforcement officers are doing good work. Unfortunately, the careless actions of a few cast a shadow on those who are doing their jobs with integrity.
We have already begun to reach out to our first responders to show how much we appreciate them. We will continue to build on this relationship to foster partnerships that honor the human dignity of our local communities and our law enforcement officers.
One way that you can show your support immediately is to sign-up to be part of our CarePortal Network, which turns you into a first responder. Once you join our network of Zoe responders, you will be updated on needs in our church and local community to which you can respond both spiritually and materially.
It’s because of our trust in Jesus and efforts like this that we know our future is bright, especially as we continue to walk in wisdom. In the meantime, continue to pray and continue to join us each week on our broadcast.
God bless you!
Dr. Joshua Smith