Shall I cancel potlucks?
The Seventh-day Adventist Church values the health of its members and also keenly senses an obligation to the larger community of which we are a part. Because we desire to do all we can to slow the spread (“flatten the curve”) of infection and protect the most vulnerable we believe our churches should to be at the forefront of community efforts. Therefore, we recommend the following during this pandemic:
- Full cooperation with the prevailing Public Health Recommendations of the jurisdictions in which our churches exist.
- All fellowship meals (at church, home, parks or any other public places) must be cancelled until such time it is deemed safe by civil and church administration. (Fellowship Meals do not lend themselves to adequate social distancing, and they pose significant hygienic challenges in both food preparation and serving.)
- Doing this is a practical way of demonstrating love for our “neighbors” in these serious times.
- We suggest that fellowship meals be temporarily replaced by virtual support group meetings (through phone calls, text messages, Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom, or other virtual methods) to maintain social interaction and check on the wellbeing of church members.