252. Added Safety

On Thursday, Ontario healthy officials reported the highest daily COVID-19 case count since the pandemic started, with more than 5700 new infections in a day. These are mainly the Omicron variant cases, and many people are very nervous about the recent surge.

However, according to a medical study in South Africa, those infected with Omicron were 80% less likely to end up in the hospital than those with the Delta variant and generally reported less severity compared to other variants. Despite its higher contagiousness, symptoms are “far milder” compared to previous variants, according to many sources. As we’ve done so far, we will stay cautious without being fearful. In any situation, we will not give into fear, but trust God. (John 14:27)

However, we will be making some changes to our in-person service to stay proactive about our safety. As we said before, we will move fluently with government directives and announcements. There was no change in the Sunday service gathering limit from the government’s announcement. However, given our limited space, we will reduce the number slightly to implement stricter physical distancing. I know it can be disappointing for some but view it as a short-term safety measure, not a greater restriction.

Also, remember that Sunday snacks are for “to-go,” not to be consumed onsite. Let’s pay extra attention to how we gather after service and stay cautious during the fellowship.

During unstable, anxious times, what matters more is not who is right but how united we remain. Let’s stay fluent, flexible, and focused on what is essential: loving God and loving others. Caring about each others’ safety is an excellent way to love each other.