COVID Updates 

LEAD PASTOR UPDATE

February 18, 2022

Dear Christ Church Family,

I write to update you today on some coming revisions to our church’s protocols for public gatherings. As of Monday, February 28, we will go fully Mask Optional at all activities of our church and for all ages regardless of vaccination status. The one exception will be in our Early Childhood Ministry where, for the time being, those who serve in the ministry and work in childcare will continue to wear masks. 

We believe that the preponderance of current data supports our planned shift:

• New cases of COVID in our county are down by 55% over the past two weeks to fewer than 35 per 100,000 people*
• Hospitalizations have decreased at a similar rate and ICU beds are readily available*
• COVID-related fatalities are now below one person per 100,000 each day*
• More than 85% of eligible residents of DuPage County have been vaccinated*
• Information about COVID risks and available mitigation practices is now ubiquitous
• Many churches in our region have already implemented Mask Optional gatherings
• The State of Illinois is relaxing its indoor masking mandates on February 28 as well

In a church as large and diverse as ours, I’m aware that no “policy” will meet with universal approval. Despite all the thought and prayer that goes into decision-making by our Board and Staff, our church’s past practice of requiring masks has been disappointing to many; and, no doubt, the fact that we’re now adjusting in a new direction will be troubling to others. I wish this were not so, as every one of you matters to me and to the life of Christ Church. 

As we go forward, we will fully respect those who choose to wear masks and continue to provide masks at our entrances for those who wish to use them.  Some of our best teachers, musicians, staff and hospitality ministers will continue to exercise this option.  We’re grateful that our facilities are large enough to give you social distancing options.  We will also continue to provide a dependable livestream or Zoom option for many of our ministries.  At the same time, we believe that external conditions have changed enough over the past months to make a Mask Optional policy appropriate at this time. As always, we’ll adjust as needed should circumstances demonstrably change.

February 28 is just two days from Ash Wednesday, the start of our Lenten journey toward Easter. I hope that you will return in person, as possible, to celebrate this season of spiritual renewal with us.  As always, our Family Ministries team is prepared to welcome you and your children. We’ll have refreshment service going full steam.  Whether face-to-face or online, I look forward to sharing this journey ahead with you and pray that Christ Church can be the community where you find God’s lifting power and grace.

With love and gratitude for you,

Dan Meyer
Lead Pastor 

*Source: New York Times Daily Coronavirus Tracker or local health professionals

I pray that you may enjoy good health
and that all may go well with you,
even as your soul is getting along well.
(2 John 1:2)

Dear Christ Church Family,

I am writing today to let you know how Christ Church is responding to the well-publicized spike in COVID-19 virus cases in DuPage County and the region beyond. From the beginning of the pandemic, our leadership has closely monitored medical data, our community’s transmission levels and best practices for sustaining Christian worship, fellowship and work life. By God’s grace, we’ve been able to set standards that have maintained a safe and welcoming environment for everyone who visits, worships and works at Christ Church.

The elevated cases of virus transmission currently affecting DuPage County and the region around us lead us to believe that it is now time to adjust our protocols. By acting preemptively now, we hope to do our part in warding off a return to the prolonged period of lock-down that so negatively affected our health, economy, and way of life last year. So, effective Sunday August 15, the following protocols will be in place:

• Whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, all people are asked to wear a mask when  indoors at Christ Church campuses (except for select worship and public meeting leader roles).

• Face coverings are NOT required for outdoor gatherings.

• We will temporarily pause indoor food and beverage service.

• We will continue disinfecting certain high touch areas.

I assure you that we have not arrived lightly at the decision to alter our practices. Like you, perhaps, we are discouraged by what feels like a step backward. However, we’d much rather endure a bit of short-term inconvenience in order to help return us to longer-term “normalcy” as soon as possible. We’ll monitor conditions week-by-week and reset our masking protocols as rapidly as the data warrants.

Let’s continue to lean into God’s unceasing love for His children and church and be grateful for His many blessings. God has used and is using Christ Church as His witness in our community and around the world. We know He will give us confidence and courage to rest in His promises and power.

Please pray for God’s guidance, our community, nation, and the thousands of people working to fight the spread of this vexing virus. Know that we in leadership are also praying for YOU. If we can come alongside you and be of support, please email us at help@christchurch.us or call the church office at 630.321.3949.

Yours today and always,

Rev. Dr. Daniel D. Meyer

Lead Pastor 
Christ Church | Oak Brook & Butterfield

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
(Isaiah 49:10)

CHRIST CHURCH SPECIAL COVID-19 FOOD/SUPPLIES DRIVE

COVID-19 and the accompanying economic disruption bring new financial hardship to thousands. As hourly workers are laid off or see their hours reduced, previously solvent families now find themselves without income, behind on rent and unable to purchase food and essential supplies. What’s more, COVID-19 has impacted the ministries of our mission partners who care for those in need here in our neighborhood and nearby in Chicago.

Drop off dates and hours: June 4 through July 31, 2020
Mondays/Tuesdays/Thursdays/Sundays | 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.

Donation Drop off Location: Christ Church Butterfield  
2S361 Glen Park Rd, Lombard, IL 60148
Note: There is NO DROP OFF or collection of food at the Oak Brook campus.

Curbside Drop off: As you enter the parking lot, you will see a cart near the entrance to the building that is clearly marked “Food Pantry.” Please leave all items on the cart or in a box beside the cart so volunteers can pick them up and sort them at regular intervals throughout the day.

This Food/Supplies Drive will serve those affected by COVID-19 through various channels:

• The Salvation Army/Christ Church Food Pantry (Oakbrook Terrace)
• Breakthrough Urban Ministries (Garfield Park)
• By the Hand Club for Kids (throughout Chicago)
• World Relief (throughout Chicagoland)

Ready to Help? Shop for items from the lists below to serve God’s people in need! (Note: The greatest need currently is for Cleaning Supplies & Personal Protective Equipment.)

Food and other home items:

• Baby formula
• Pasta & Pasta Sauce
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Cereal
• Canned Goods (Vegetables, etc.)
• Flour & Rice
• Hamburger Helper
• Toilet paper, paper towels
• Puzzles & Board Games
• Craft Supplies (paper, pens, markers, etc.)
• Bibles
• Children’s Books

Cleaning/Sanitizing Supplies, Medical Supplies & Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):

• Alcohol wipes
• Clorox wipes
• Lysol, disinfectants, all-purpose cleaners
• Cleaners with bleach
• Surgical and N-95 masks
• Cold and flu medication
• Feminine hygiene products
• Liquid soap and refills
• Hand sanitizer
• Spill kits
• Thermometers
• Trash bags
• Odoban
• Latex and non-latex gloves
• Lozenges
• Laundry detergent & fabric softener
• Bleach

Additional Donations: Breakthrough Urban Ministries’ “Trunk Party”
Breakthrough is hosting a Trunk Party on August 1 for 50 high school graduates in the Garfield Park community who are headed off to college. At the party, guests will fill the student’s “trunks” with essentials for college such as bedding, towels, toiletries, laundry supplies and more. “We are asking our Breakthrough donors and volunteers to help us throw this party and provide the items our students need as they head off to college,” Breakthrough wrote.

For more information on the Trunk Party, click here. 
For the gift list, click here.

About Our Partners

Breakthrough Urban Ministries demonstrates the compassion of Christ by partnering with those affected by poverty to build connections, develop skills and open doors of opportunity. Each year, Breakthrough works alongside more than 6,000 individuals through housing, education, violence prevention, food access, job training and spiritual formation.

By The Hand Club For Kids is a faith-based after-school program that emphasizes academic excellence while nurturing the whole child — mind, body and soul. By The Hand provides a safe environment; mentors and tutors children to academic excellence; provides for their physical wellbeing with nutritious meals and healthcare, including dental checkups/cleanings and eye exams; and invites them into the good news of the Gospel.

World Relief DuPage/Aurora empowers the local church to better love its neighbors without fear of cultural, religious or racial difference by helping refugees and immigrants living in DuPage and Kane Counties. World Relief also offers practical and tangible help to its clients.

The Christ Church Food Pantry Team partners with the Salvation Army Food Pantry to meet the nutritional and clothing needs of people in the local DuPage County area, serving to develop healthy communities.

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Dear Members & Friends of Christ Church,

In the past few weeks, the church’s staff and Trustees have listened carefully to a wide variety of voices seeking to inform or learn of our decision-making about returning to in-person gatherings and activities. While I don’t know where you personally stand on these matters, the graphic below suggests just some of the messages moving our way.

As the State of Illinois moves into Phase 3 of its recovery plan, I want to share how we are presently thinking about the gradual reopening of church gatherings, but begin by identifying the important values we seek to hold together as we frame our approach

WHAT VALUES MATTER TO US?

Genuine Community – Few gifts are more precious to us than the chance to be part of a vital Christian community. We are grateful that even when we can’t be together physically, modern technology has made it possible for us to “do life together” in virtual ways. COVID-19 has spurred us to get better at utilizing digital means for sharing content and building relationships and we plan to keep moving on that front long after this crisis has past. If you have not yet joined one of our sermon study Connection Groups or found a place in one of the many other wonderful communities that meet online, please write us at help@ChristChurch.us and we will help you find such a circle.

At the same time, it will be wonderful when we can experience again the kind of worship and fellowship that happens even more fully when we are in the same space. God knows that we are made for rib-to-rib relationship and not isolation (Gen 2:18). The Bible declares, “Let us not give up meeting together” (Heb 10:25). For all these reasons, Christ Church’s leadership is working to restore in-person community options for those who want them, as soon as we safely can.

Religious Freedom – We believe the right to worship God freely is embedded in the Constitution of the United States and in the call of Jesus to “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Mark 12:17). By this same warrant, we are free to exercise civil disobedience where we believe that human government is exercising an excessive constraint of public worship.

Respect for Government – At the same time, God’s Word warns us NOT to do this lightly or prematurely. The Apostle Paul endured actual persecution from his government, yet he wrote: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established… whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted” (Rom 13:1-2). In view of our State’s very tight strictures and the prospect of being limited to gatherings of no more than 100 people into 2021, I confess some temptation to rebel. In the spirit of Romans 13, however, it seems important to try communicating with Caesar before conflicting with him. For this reason, I have co-authored a letter to Governor Pritzker that has been co-signed by more than 400 other pastors and church denominational leaders and will, we pray, lead to some constructive dialogue and creative action in the days ahead.

Love & Witness – I want to observe that in the debate over returning to in-person worship, there has been much talk about putting “Love for God” first or asserting the “rights and needs” of Christians. Fair enough. It is also essential to note, however, that Jesus closely linked loving God with the call to “Love our neighbor as ourselves” (Matt 22:39).  We could certainly please some folks by resuming public worship in the next week or two. But, until the medical data is more encouraging and our own safety systems are better developed, opening up the church could still endanger us and our neighbors. For the sake of people’s well-being and our public witness, we need to act prudently and patiently.

Authentic Worship – It is also crucial that we not idealize what in-person worship would be like if we resumed it swiftly.  Testimony from churches who have opened up already is that “It wasn’t what we hoped.” Much like the pattern of beachgoers after a shark attack, people are not yet going back into the water in significant numbers. Putting the relatively small number of people who ARE ready to come back into spaces the size of our worship venues… then socially distancing them… then expecting them to sing through masks (or not singing at all out of concern for creating a “Spreader Event”)… may feel a lot less like the “authentic worship” for which we yearn.  Livestream worship starts looking pretty good!

SO, WHAT’S OUR PLAN FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS?

In the month of JUNE, we will…

• Start to re-inhabit church offices on a limited, as-needed basis;
• Hold online Town Hall meetings to solicit members opinions and answer questions;
• Survey the congregation on your readiness to return to the church facilities for any purpose;
• Continue to provide the highest quality online worship services and grow ministry resources we can;
• Supply resources for in-person Watch Parties and Family Worship in private homes;
• Explore the possibility of using outdoor spaces on our campuses to support small groups or personal prayer.

During JULY AND/OR AUGUST, we will…  

• Open up our Oak Brook and Butterfield campuses for select in-person leadership gatherings or prayer times;
• Start experimenting with in-person worship services in limited numbers, IF health data is encouraging;
• Consider sponsoring select in-person Family Ministry events (times and locations to be announced).

In the FALL, we hope to move on further and…

• Expand the size of in-person worship gatherings, while continuing our livestream for those at home;
• Resume in-person meetings of midsize communities and small groups, while continuing to provide online access.

In all of these scenarios, we’ll practice safe hygiene and social distancing, use personal protective equipment, and strongly encourage the vulnerable to let us serve them at home. We will also adjust our plans, as needed, based on current facts.  As we do all this, please know that your faithful stewardship and prayers for our leadership are greatly needed and appreciated. On the journey ahead, let’s always remember that WE ARE CHRIST CHURCH, wherever we are – a people of steadfast faith, unswerving hope and generous love.

Yours ever in Christ,

Daniel D. Meyer | Senior Pastor

Food Drive Continues: 
Donations Accepted through May 31 at Christ Church Butterfield
 

COVID-19 and the accompanying economic disruption bring new financial hardship to thousands. As hourly workers are laid off or see their hours reduced, previously solvent families now find themselves without income, behind on rent and unable to purchase food and essential supplies. This pandemic has impacted the ministries of our mission partners who care for those in need.

This month our Food Drive will offer emergency food assistance through the Inner City Impact (Chicago) Food Box Project. 

Ready to Help? Shop for items from the list below to serve God’s people in need!

Drop off location: Christ Church Butterfield at 2S361 Glen Park Rd, Lombard, IL 60148
Drop off days and hours: May 4–31
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays | 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
and Sundays | 9:00–11:00 a.m.

Curbside Drop off: As you enter the parking lot, you will see a cart near the entrance to the building that is clearly marked “Food Pantry.” Please leave all items on the cart or in a box beside the cart so volunteers can pick them up and sort them.

Food List

• Spaghetti (16 oz.)
• Canned pasta sauce or stewed tomatoes (12-20 oz.)  
• Rice (16-32 oz.)
• Canned soup (12-20 oz.)
• Canned black/pinto beans (12-20 oz.)
• Macaroni and cheese (6-12 oz.)
• Peanut butter (plastic container only)
• Jelly (plastic container only)
• Apple sauce cups/pouches 
• Granola bars
• Mashed potatoes (powdered)
• Pancake mix

About Inner City Impact
Inner City Impact (ICI) works with children and teens in neighborhoods where the challenges of daily life severely affect their ability to pursue healthy, happy childhoods. ICI provides after-school programs, camps and leadership development opportunities for children in Chicago’s Humboldt Park, Logan Square and Cicero. ICI exists to present the living Christ to kids through discipleship and by integrating them into the local church. ICI creates family-like environments where kids find acceptance, are listened to, and are given the tools they need to redefine themselves and their futures. ICI develops programs where kids can feel safe, be engaged in wholesome activities, build healthy relationships, expand their self-worth, and develop the life skills they need to move confidently toward a better future.

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Date Extended for Special COVID-19 Food Drive: 
Donations Accepted through April 23 at Christ Church Butterfield

COVID-19 and the accompanying economic disruption bring new financial hardship to thousands. As hourly workers are laid off or see their hours reduced, previously solvent families now find themselves without income, behind on rent and unable to purchase food and essential supplies. What’s more, COVID-19 has impacted the ministries of our mission partners who care for those in need here in our neighborhood and nearby in Chicago.

This year’s Spring Food Drive will meet the needs of those affected by COVID-19 through three channels:

• The Salvation Army/Christ Church Food Pantry
  (Oakbrook Terrace on April 11)
• The Fresh Market Food Pantry at Breakthrough Urban Ministries (Garfield Park)
• Emergency care packages distributed by By the Hand Club for Kids (throughout Chicago)

Ready to Help? Shop for items from the lists below to serve God’s people in need!

Donation Drop-Off Information:
Drop Off Location: Christ Church Butterfield at 2S361 Glen Park Rd, Lombard, IL 60148

Note: There is NO DROP OFF or collection of food at the Oak Brook campus this spring.

Drop Off dates and hours: March 25 through April 23
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays | 9:00–11:00 a.m.

Curbside Drop Off: As you enter the parking lot, you will see a cart near the entrance to the building that is clearly marked “Food Pantry.” Please leave all items on the cart or in a box beside the cart so volunteers can pick them up and sort them at regular intervals throughout the morning.

Food and Home Products
Serving the Salvation Army/Christ Church Food Pantry (Oakbrook Terrace)
and Breakthrough Urban Ministries’ “Fresh Market Food Pantry” (Garfield Park)

• Pasta
• Cereal
• Canned goods
• Pasta sauce
• Hamburger helper
• Paper products (e.g. paper towels, toilet paper)

Medical/Cleaning Supplies
Serving Breakthrough Urban Ministries’ shelters, support centers, food pantry
and child care centers

• Thermometers
• Surgical and N-95 masks
• Cold and flu medication
• Feminine hygiene products
• Lysol, disinfectants, all-purpose cleaners and cleaners with bleach
• Liquid soap and refills
• Hand sanitizer
• Alcohol wipes
• Clorox wipes
• Spill kits
• Paper products
• Trash bags
• Odoban
• Latex and non-latex gloves
• Lozenges
• Laundry detergent, fabric softener, and bleach
• Boxes of cereal to distribute to families in the Fresh Market
• Ink pens, crayons, children's workbooks

About Breakthrough Urban Ministries
Breakthrough demonstrates the compassion of Christ by partnering with those affected by poverty to build connections, develop skills and open doors of opportunity. Each year, Breakthrough works alongside more than 6,000 individuals through housing, education, violence prevention, food access, job training and spiritual formation.

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Emergency Care Packages
By The Hand Club For Kids is distributing emergency care packages to the families of their students in this time of crisis.

• Dry food (bread, cereal, crackers, pretzels, etc.)
• Canned food
• Lysol
• Toilet paper
• Disinfectant wipes
• Bandaids
• Hand soap
• Puzzles
• Board games
• Craft supplies (paper, pens, markers, etc.)
• Children’s books
• Bibles

About By The Hand Club For Kids

By The Hand Club For Kids (By The Hand) is a faith-based after-school program that emphasizes academic excellence while nurturing the whole child — mind,
body and soul. By The Hand provides a safe environment; mentors and tutors children to academic excellence; provides for their physical wellbeing with nutritious meals and healthcare, including dental checkups/cleanings and eye exams; and invites them into the good news of the Gospel.

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Mission Partner Update: March 31, 2020

On March 22, we reported that one of our global mission partners and his wife had been diagnosed with COVID-19. At that time, our partner (whose name has been withheld for their security) was recovering in the hospital.

Today we are pleased to report that our partner and his wife have both been released and are recovering together comfortably at home. Thank you for your prayers for their healing, the protection of their family and the continuation of their ministry! This couple leads a ministry that reaches tens of thousands of people via radio and TV; please pray that their thriving witness would continue to be a light for the nations even in the midst of these challenging days. 

Please also join us in praying for our many other mission partners around the corner and across the globe — that God would protect them and their families from the virus; that He would allow their ministries to thrive; and that He would empower them to continue serving people in need and spreading the Good News of the Gospel to all nations.

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March 28, 2020

Friends,

I wanted to share with you what I have found to be a very helpful briefing from critical care physician Dr. David Price of Weill Cornell Hospital, New York. Dr. Price shares what he and his colleagues have learned over the past 3 months and how you can protect your family in this season.

Daniel D. Meyer
Senior Pastor | Board Chair

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Special Covid-19 Food Drive: March 25–April 9
Donation Drop Off: Christ Church Butterfield

COVID-19 and the accompanying economic disruption bring new financial hardship to thousands. As hourly workers are laid off or see their hours reduced, previously solvent families now find themselves without income, behind on rent and unable to purchase food and essential supplies. What’s more, COVID-19 has impacted the ministries of our mission partners who care for those in need here in our neighborhood and nearby in Chicago.

This year’s Spring Food Drive will meet the needs of those affected by COVID-19 through three channels:

• The Salvation Army/Christ Church Food Pantry
  (Oakbrook Terrace on April 11)
• The Fresh Market Food Pantry at Breakthrough Urban Ministries (Garfield Park)
• Emergency care packages distributed by By the Hand Club for Kids (throughout Chicago)

Ready to Help? Shop for items from the lists below to serve God’s people in need!

Donation Drop-Off Information:
Drop Off Location: Christ Church Butterfield at 2S361 Glen Park Rd, Lombard, IL 60148

Note: There is NO DROP OFF or collection of food at the Oak Brook campus this spring.

Drop Off dates and hours: March 25 through April 9
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays | 9:00–11:00 a.m.

Curbside Drop Off: As you enter the parking lot, you will see a cart near the entrance to the building that is clearly marked “Food Pantry.” Please leave all items on the cart or in a box beside the cart so volunteers can pick them up and sort them at regular intervals throughout the morning.

Food and Home Products
Serving the Salvation Army/Christ Church Food Pantry (Oakbrook Terrace)
and Breakthrough Urban Ministries’ “Fresh Market Food Pantry” (Garfield Park)

• Pasta
• Cereal
• Canned goods
• Pasta sauce
• Hamburger helper
• Paper products (e.g. paper towels, toilet paper)

Medical/Cleaning Supplies
Serving Breakthrough Urban Ministries’ shelters, support centers, food pantry
and child care centers

• Thermometers
• Surgical and N-95 masks
• Cold and flu medication
• Feminine hygiene products
• Lysol, disinfectants, all-purpose cleaners and cleaners with bleach
• Liquid soap and refills
• Hand sanitizer
• Alcohol wipes
• Clorox wipes
• Spill kits
• Paper products
• Trash bags
• Odoban
• Latex and non-latex gloves
• Lozenges
• Laundry detergent, fabric softener, and bleach
• Boxes of cereal to distribute to families in the Fresh Market
• Ink pens, crayons, children's workbooks

About Breakthrough Urban Ministries
Breakthrough demonstrates the compassion of Christ by partnering with those affected by poverty to build connections, develop skills and open doors of opportunity. Each year, Breakthrough works alongside more than 6,000 individuals through housing, education, violence prevention, food access, job training and spiritual formation.

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Emergency Care Packages
By The Hand Club For Kids is distributing emergency care packages to the families of their students in this time of crisis.

• Dry food (bread, cereal, crackers, pretzels, etc.)
• Canned food
• Lysol
• Toilet paper
• Disinfectant wipes
• Bandaids
• Hand soap
• Puzzles
• Board games
• Craft supplies (paper, pens, markers, etc.)
• Children’s books
• Bibles

About By The Hand Club For Kids

By The Hand Club For Kids (By The Hand) is a faith-based after-school program that emphasizes academic excellence while nurturing the whole child — mind,
body and soul. By The Hand provides a safe environment; mentors and tutors children to academic excellence; provides for their physical wellbeing with nutritious meals and healthcare, including dental checkups/cleanings and eye exams; and invites them into the good news of the Gospel.

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Mission Partner Update: March 22, 2020

Several of the hottest spots in the world for COVID-19 are also countries where Christ Church has supported global mission partners. Rev. John Klingelhofer is in regular contact with each of our partners in these locations to see how they are doing and to coordinate their prayer requests. Although our last update indicated all of our partners were doing well, things are changing rapidly and we are sad to report that one of our global mission partners and his dear wife are now sick. 

Today is his third day in the hospital, he is doing well and is optimistic that he will be going home soon to rejoin his wife who is recovering after her own ten day illness. Both of them are grateful for your prayer support. Would you please pray for the rapid healing of their bodies, for protection from the virus for their large extended family and staff team, as well as strength to continue to reach out to others who are suffering. This couple leads a ministry that reaches tens of thousands of people via radio and TV. Please pray this thriving witness would continue to be a light for the nations even in the midst of these challenging days. 

Italy is one of the largest hotspots on the planet today with the news media reporting a huge spike in the numbers of COVID-19 illnesses and a mounting death toll. One piece of very encouraging news from our partners in Italy is the recent addition of 5,000 new hospital beds for the sick. Several large cruise ships sitting idle off the coast of Italy have been repurposed during this critical time. This is a welcome development in an otherwise bleak situation.   

Please pray for our mission partners who are serving alongside the very small indigenous evangelical church in Italy. Give thanks to God they are both still healthy and active in their ministry even though they are homebound. Pray that many hearts will be softened in the aftermath of this pandemic so the church of Jesus Christ will flourish like never before and more people will come to put their faith and trust in the Lord. Finally, pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to fall afresh upon this nation as they emerge from this tragedy and once again turn their hearts and minds to the One who can bring them comfort and peace.

Mission Partner Update: March 21, 2020

We are grateful for the many calls and e-mails inquiring how our mission partners are doing in the midst of this pandemic. We are pleased to report that as of today, Saturday, March 21, 2020, we are not aware that any domestic or global mission partner has been infected with COVID-19. Please continue to pray for protection from the virus for our partners, their families and the wonderful people they serve. 

As you know, everyone in the world is impacted by this pandemic so every mission partner we support is struggling to adapt to this new reality. In some parts of the world available resources to help the sick are significantly less than here in the States and the loss of life is incredibly significant. While the continent of Africa was initially reporting low numbers of COVID-19, that is changing and our partners are on their knees in prayer. Many of our domestic mission partners have either had to close their ministries temporarily or significantly reduce their outreach. Like many of us, they are staying in touch by e-mail, newsletter updates and ZOOM video conference calls. Please continue to pray for all our field workers. 

If you are interested in gaining more specific information about how to pray for one of our global partners please contact Rev. John Klingelhofer at jklingelhofer@ChristChurch.us  If you would like more information about how to pray for and/or even volunteer to help one of our domestic partners, please contact Peter Celauro at pcelauro@ChristChurch.us. 

One of our partners affiliated with SIM Mission Agency circulated a list of Prayer Points this past week that we commend to you for your own private and family prayers in the coming days. Thank you for lifting up our brothers and sisters in prayer as they seek to share the Gospel here and across the seas.

Pray for the body of Christ worldwide, that the church would rise up to pray and to support the sick and their caregivers in practical and sacrificial ways. Pray for the church to be a light on a hill in hospitals, communities and cities where God has placed them. Pray for an outpouring of love, compassion and service in Jesus’ name in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.

But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.  Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.  
(1 Corinthians 12:24-27)

As we continue to navigate the days ahead, Pastor Dan Meyer offers encouragement and insight into how God is working through our church community and region. Take a look:

As we continue to express our open hearts toward others during these tense times, Christ Church hopes to provide some sense of calm and normalcy through a host of enriching resources for our community and their families to maintain healthy faith practices. This week, Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Daniel Meyer shared a heartfelt message on Facebook. Rev. Meyer encourages us to use this time of transition to grow closer to God through prayer and immersion in Scripture, as well as to reach out to others to let them know they are remembered. Watch now:

March 13, 2020

Dear Christ Church,

In my letter to the congregation on Thursday March 12, I outlined the approach our church was taking in response to the COVID-19 crisis. I also pledged that we would continue to weigh incoming facts and make whatever course correction we believed was in the best interest of all. I write today to share that based on additional data and the State of Illinois’ new mandates we are changing course.

Effective March 14, we will suspend our normal weekend worship services and move to livestream worship services until it is prudent to resume our usual schedule. We are NOT canceling “church.” We are simply altering the ways that we will BE the Church in these unusual times. By closing our building on weekends and refraining from large group gatherings, we will help protect more people, reduce the danger of an overloaded health care system and speed the return of our community and world to its normal rhythms. We believe that our good God is in control and that His providence will carry us through this season.

Each Sunday, we will be able to worship together in Church Online. We’ll provide a wonderful classic/traditional service at 9:00 a.m. and a great contemporary service at 10:45 a.m. You can still enjoy the music you love and each of the compelling messages in our current CrossWords series. Perhaps consider gathering a few friends or families to share in this experience and pray for one another and our world.

To keep us connected and growing during these days, we’ll soon provide a link on the homepage of our website to the most current updates and an expanding list of resources for prayer, doing church at home and other ways that many of our usual ministries (for youth, women, men, senior adults, etc.) will be meeting and teaching online.

If ever there was a time when staying connected to God and His people mattered, NOW is that time. We hope you’ll keep gathering with your small group and take advantage of the additional resources we’ll make available to you. Thanks, too, for helping our church continue to minister to people through your online or mailed gifts.

If you would find it helpful to talk with someone or have a special need with which we might help, feel free to contact Christ Church’s Pastoral Care office online or by calling 630.321.3936. You are also always welcome to stop by during the week at our Oak Brook or Butterfield campus to visit and let us know how you are doing. We will be praying for you and looking forward to being together again.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees,

Rev. Dr. Daniel D. Meyer | Senior Pastor

March 12, 2020

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in times of trouble.
(Psalm 46:1)

Dear Members & Friends,

This letter comes to update you on our church’s response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causing concern and calamity in so many places.  As new information comes in, we continue to refine our thinking and planning and pledge to stay in clear communication with you about all this. Your health matters greatly to our church’s leadership, as we know that the health of our church’s ministry matters to you.

Our present approach is consistent with the statement shared during worship last weekend. We want to be about… FACTS not fear. CARE for the vulnerable.  CLEAN hands. OPEN hearts.  Let me quickly address each of those.

First, we seek to root our response in current FACTS about the nature and extent of this illness.  We are consulting a variety of medical professionals and reliable information sources.

• As of this date, we have no reported cases of the coronavirus afflicting anyone who works at or attends Christ Church. We will let you know should this situation change.
• Statewide there have been 25 confirmed cases to date and only one in DuPage County.
• Infectious disease experts say that we can expect this number to go up. This illness will touch our families and circles of acquaintance.  We don’t wish to be naïve about this.

Secondly, we want to express assertive CARE for those most vulnerable to having the illness or experiencing its more serious effects.

• If you are part of an at-risk group because of age or preexisting ailments, this is a good time to stay away from big crowds, including church gatherings.
• If you DO develop any signs of fever, coughing, or sneezing illness, we ask that you refrain from coming to church and encourage you to consult a nurse or physician to determine the nature of the problem; the earlier the better. 
• In either case, please remember that you can join us for worship any weekend through our livestream ministry and gain access to a wealth of other spiritual growth resources through our online media library. You continue to be a vital part of our church.
• If you are suffering from illness or dealing with an unusual amount of anxiety and would find it helpful to talk with someone, feel free to contact Christ Church’s Pastoral Care office online or by calling 630.321.3936.

Thirdly, to help us stay as healthy as possible, we are going CLEAN in multiple ways:

• We’re foregoing handshakes on both our campuses. A warm smile or a foot or elbow tap works just fine to say hello. It is important to respect each other’s boundaries.
• We’ve instituted intensified cleaning procedures on all the surfaces human hands touch in our staff, classroom and public spaces – and will be applying disinfectants over the course of our weekend programming too.
• Starting this weekend, we are enlisting the help of staff and volunteers to limit the number of people touching door handles etc., and have also eliminated for the time being all finger foods and beverages on both campuses. Please feel free to bring your own.

Finally, we want to keep expressing an OPEN HEART toward others during these tense times.

• We believe that the local church is particularly needed as a community of stability, sanctuary and spiritual help during anxious times.
• We are aware of the immensely difficult circumstances faced by Christians in other parts of the world and the courageous witness they display.
• For the time being, the church’s doors and the majority of our programs will remain open as usual.  A few select activities will be cancelled or deferred.

Please be assured that if new FACTS suggest our current approach is no longer wise, we will change course. Doing right by you and Christ’s mission is our highest priority.  We are monitoring the data day-by-day. You can find current information about our church’s perspective and practices at http://www.christchurch.us/coronavirus.

Thank you for joining me in prayer for the strength and witness of our congregation – and the wider Christian community – in this sensitive season.  May God be glorified and His love extended through our faith and actions.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees,

Daniel D. Meyer

Senior Pastor | Board Chair

Links to additional information:

• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)
• DuPage Health Department