Dear First Congregational Church,
   Yesterday afternoon the three Bridge Conference Ministers of the Southern New England Conference strongly recommended that the 608 churches in the Conference suspend in-person worship for at least the next two Sundays, to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.     After consulting with staff and church leadership,  the decision has been made to close the church until the end of March, which will require us to postpone all church meetings and events, and to “worship” without gathering.  This Sunday morning at our normal 10:00 AM start time, I will be “live streaming” worship. You can watch live or later at your convenience by visiting the First Congregational Church in Falmouth Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pg/FirstCongFalmouth. (or follow the link below)
     Closing our church is a sacrifice that we are making, it is an act of love for the most vulnerable within and around our church community.   It is not an act of panic, but a proactive decision based on awareness, compassion, and the hope of prevention. 
     Experience from past pandemics and this one suggest that social distancing BEFORE the virus is widespread is extremely helpful. This “flattens the curve” of disease transmission, easing the strain on our health system for those who need acute care due to COVID-19, flu, or other unrelated issues.
     As we practice social distancing in person, we will need to work harder to stay connected in other ways. We will actively be communicating via church-wide emails and our Facebook page.  Laura Cole, along with our wonderful Care and Connection team, will be establishing a phone tree to insure that everyone in our Church directory receives a phone call.  We intend to stay in touch with one another, and believe me — we are all in this together.  So during this time of uncertainty, I encourage you to to reach out to someone at church (call, text, email) and ask them how they’re doing. Stay connected, and let us all try to spread love and not fear in these days.
     Please don’t hesitate to call me directly at 617-480-9812 if you have any questions or concerns, or if you just want to talk.

 Go now and live,  Jonathan