Damascus Community Church & Damascus Christian School update on COVID-19 emergency, April 4, 2020
We find ourselves in the midst of continuous changes related to COVID-19. During the course of the last couple weeks, more guidelines have been implemented to continue efforts to limit the spread of the virus. With these new directives, we continue to further limit access to our campus, specifically our church and school offices, as follows:
Church Office:
- There will typically be no more than 2-3 people on site at a time
- Office hours willnow be from Noon to 4pm Monday through Friday
- We continue to ask for your patience as we do our best to follow up on phone calls, emails, etc.
- If you have an urgent matter and need to speak to someone right away use our “after hours” phone number (503-489-7297).
School Office:
- There will typically be no more than 2-3 people on site at a time
- Office hours will be irregular
- We continue to ask for your patience as we do our best to follow up on phone calls, emails, etc.
We want to take a moment and thank God for his protection. We continue to not have any confirmed cases of the virus presented by anyone associated with Damascus Community Church and Damascus Christian School. However, due to the spreadable nature of this virus, it would be unrealistic to assume that none of our families haven’t been exposed to it in some way or form. That is why it is critical to continue to take the proper steps to ensure the health and well-being of all our church and school families and staff is working. Please continue to partner with us in our efforts to “flatten the curve” by following all national and state orders and guidelines. these Church and School guidelines stated in previous updates:
Church Activities:
- This Sunday April 5 will be Palm Sunday and we plan to partake in Communion together remotely. So please get the proper supplies to participate with your family at home.
- No in person Sunday Worship Services on campus until at least May 3. However, we invite you to join our live-stream worship service each Sunday at 10am on our YouTube Channel.
- All other in person activities, events, and meetings are cancelled or postponed until further notice. However, we are encouraging all ministry leaders to connect online through video conferencing tools.
- Please continue to support the ministry using on of these methods:
- Online at our website: Please use our Giving Portal to set up a one time or recurring gift.
- Bank Bill Pay: Most banks offer a bill pay service that can be used to set up a recurring gift.
- U.S. Postal Service: Simply drop a check in the mail.
School Activities:
- All in person school classes and activities have been suspended through April 28, 2020. However, through a digital and distance learning platform, the school have resumed teaching students as of April 1.
- Teachers will be onsite in a limited, intermittent capacity to prepare lesson plans and curriculum for both take home packets and online distance learning. However, they will primarily be working remotely.
Please remember that it is critical for families and staff to check emails and our website on a consistent basis to stay up to date on all the latest information. Below is the list of communication tools that the church and school are using to continue to keep our families and staff informed.
Church Communication:
- Website
- Prayer Chain & Emails
- Our weekly DCC Newsletter
- Some announcements or updates may be shared during the livestream on Sunday mornings at 10 am, so be sure to tune in.
- Throughout the week we will also be sharing things like:
- Articles or links we’ve discovered related to the virus that might be helpful
- Worship songs and encouragement to get you through the week
- Reminders of announcements, schedule changes, etc.
- Opportunities to serve others in this difficult time
- Ways for parents to engage with their children in family worship
- And something we’re calling “Pandemic Ponderings”
- We have set up a special page at the website as a source of information for our families. Click on the button labeled COVID-19 Resources and Updates on the front page to access it.
- Also, In an effort to help our community groups stay connected, we have added group update links on our Community Groups page.
School Communication:
- Website
- Emails
In closing, we want to thank you all for your patience and flexibility during this difficult season. We are praying for the health and safety of all our church and school families on a regular basis and we look forward to the day when we will be able to once again gather together in person.
By His Grace,
The DCC Elder Council / DCS School Board