Please read all updates to get a full picture of how we are responding to the COVID-19 situation.
27 January 2022 Update
Dear church family,
When we first decided to reopen in-person Sunday Celebration on Sunday, 28 November 2021, we were adhering to government restrictions (PPKM) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation that the percent positive rate remain below 5% for at least two weeks before reopening.
Given that in Jakarta the percent positive rate exceeded 5% as of 18 January 2022, exceeded 10% as of 23 January 2022, and has not yet plateaued, even though government restrictions still allow us to meet at 50% capacity, we will be moving Sunday Celebration back online via Zoom starting this Sunday, 30 January 2022, until further notice.
Nonetheless, we know that this will have adverse effects on the spiritual, relational, and mental health of our community as we have seen for many over the last 1.5+ years when we were fully online.
Therefore, our church is willing to support LIFE Groups (LGs) to meet at least once a month in person in smaller groups through subsidizing, for those who need financial assistance:
- two antigen tests at Rp 50.000/test (or one PCR test up to Rp 100.000) per month;
- two nights’ accommodation at Rp 250.000/night per person for the Church Online Conference (11-12 February 2022).
For the same purpose, LGs may also gather together in person in smaller groups for Sunday Celebration online.
Please note that everyone has different factors to weigh in their decision (e.g., mental, relational, and spiritual health issues from lack of in-person interaction; risk factors with older family members or young children; etc.), so even though financial support is available and appropriate health precautions should be taken in LGs, each person will ultimately need to come to their own decisions.
However, just a word of caution: especially when we are not speaking face-to-face and asking humbly for clarity of understanding from one another, it can be tempting to assume the best motives for ourselves and assign the worst motives for others. Please do not give in to such a temptation. Given that everyone has different factors that they are wrestling with when it comes to meeting in person and that this is not a simple decision of right or wrong, please be careful not to mistakenly bind other people’s consciences by your decision (when Scripture does not bind it) or to assume the worst of others for their different decisions.
Please continue to pray for our church—for love, humility, wisdom, and unity—as we navigate through this pandemic. Let’s also continue to place our trust in God, pray for those who are sick, care for one another, love our neighbors, and intercede for the end of this pandemic.
If you are a member of our church, please also know that we care deeply for you and are regularly praying for you by name, and please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Love,
Your Pastors
9 December 2020 Update
Dear church family,
We cannot believe that it is almost the end of the year!
We praise God that we are still able to gather virtually, but we also lament the loss of gathering physically. We miss being together in the same room; we miss giving each other handshakes, high-fives, and hugs; we miss sitting beside one another to hear God’s Word and standing beside one another to sing out God’s Word. However, we will need to wait a bit longer until we reopen and meet together physically again.
Given that Jakarta has seen a surge in COVID-19 transmission since late October, we will continue to meet virtually for all our church gatherings until further notice.
Nonetheless, may we not adopt a posture of passively waiting for the pandemic to be over and for things to go back to “normal.” Rather, let’s focus on new opportunities to live out our mission together as a church.
Especially during this season of Advent, how can we be in the Word together and reverberate it out to those around us? In the midst of this tumultuous year, how can we intentionally help one another soak in the hope, peace, joy, and love that have come to the world through Jesus Christ?
Even though we have not gathered physically over the last nine months, may we not become complacent with the ease of virtual gatherings, but may we continue to stir one another to love and good works, longing all the more for the embodied gathering of God’s people.
Again, if you (or others you know) are in financial need because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, please do not hesitate to apply for financial assistance through our Benevolence Fund. You can find more information and apply for the Benevolence Fund here.
Love,
Your Pastors
24 August 2020 Update
Dear church family,
Given that Jakarta has reclaimed the status as Indonesia’s epicenter of COVID-19 transmission, we will continue to postpone reopening and meeting together physically until further notice.
Therefore, along with Sunday Celebrations and Prayer Gatherings, when we start new LIFE Groups this week, we will be gathering virtually until further notice.
We know that it may be difficult to start new LIFE Groups over Zoom; undoubtedly, we would all prefer to have our normal, physical gatherings again. Nonetheless, we can still be thankful that God has provided us this virtual forum, so that we can continue to gather at all.
May we not withdraw from the church community because it is difficult, but because it is difficult, let us meet together and encourage one another all the more, considering how to stir up one another to love and good works (Heb. 10:24-25).
Again, if you (or others you know) are in financial need because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, please do not hesitate to apply for financial assistance through our Benevolence Fund. You can find more information and apply for the Benevolence Fund here.
This is a difficult time for everyone, but Christ still calls us to love one another as he has loved us; and by this, all people will know that we are his disciples (John 13:34-35).
Love,
Your Pastors
14 July 2020 Update
Dear church family,
It has been over a month since places of worship have been permitted to reopen by the government. Throughout this time, we have been prayerfully monitoring the situation in order to discern our next steps as a church in terms of reopening. With the increasing record number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, and carefully considering the caution from experts, we will continue meeting together virtually until further notice.
Although we have not been able to gather physically all together as a church or in our LIFE Groups over the last few months, it has been encouraging to hear how many of us have still been encouraged and refreshed through our times of gathering together virtually. Though it is no substitute for the norm of the regular, embodied gathering of God’s people, we are still thankful for this grace that God has provided us in this difficult season together.
Again, if you (or others you know) are in financial need because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, please do not hesitate to apply for financial assistance through our Benevolence Fund. You can find more information and apply for the Benevolence Fund here.
In this time of physical distancing, may we continue to yearn for one another with the affection of Christ Jesus and pray for one another that our love may abound more and more (Phil. 1:8-9).
Love,
Your Pastors
5 June 2020 Update
Dear church family,
As you may already know, the Governor of Jakarta announced recently that places of worship are able to open up this weekend. However, discretion is still needed regarding how we as a church ought to proceed.
Especially amidst warnings from experts and history, we want to be discerning and wise about reopening, so we plan to observe what happens with the spread of the coronavirus over the next 2-4 weeks before making any final decisions about opening up again.
Therefore, we do not know exactly when we will physically gather again as a church for our Sunday Celebrations and LIFE groups, but we have already begun working on plans and protocols for how we will operate when that time comes. We are all eager to meet together in person again, but let us continue to be patient as we wait and see.
If you are in financial need because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, please do not hesitate to apply for financial assistance through our Benevolence Fund. You can find more information and apply for the Benevolence Fund here.
Thank you for your understanding and flexibility during these times, and please keep an eye out for future updates.
May we continue to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:16).
Love,
Your Pastors
3 April 2020 Update
Dear church family,
It has been almost one month since we last gathered together face-to-face as a local church. While this season is difficult in many ways, it is encouraging to hear how many of us are still experiencing what it means to be part of a spiritual family in Christ during this time.
As we move forward, we as pastors are recognizing that COVID-19 will not just be a passing blizzard to wait out but a lasting winter to prepare for. Therefore, we will continue meeting virtually for our corporate church gatherings until further notice and we are starting a Benevolence Fund to help meet the felt needs of our spiritual family and our neighboring communities.
For our corporate church gatherings:
Firstly, we want to reiterate that meeting together virtually is the exception rather than the norm of how the local church should regularly gather.
The New Testament pattern of church life is that God’s people gather on the first day of the week to worship the Lord together. Of course, gathering virtually was not an option in the first century, but nothing sufficiently replaces the live, face-to-face experience of God’s people gathering together to sing songs to the Lord and to one another, to submit to the preaching of God’s word, to enjoy fellowship, and to regularly take of the Lord’s Supper as one body.
With the current limitations of this pandemic, we are doing our best as a church to still gather together virtually as an exception. But may this not produce a contentment for virtual gatherings, but a deeper longing for the norm of the regular, embodied gathering of God’s people.
Secondly, we will be live streaming our corporate church gatherings via Zoom starting this Sunday (5 April 2020).
Rather than meeting virtually in separate mini-groups on the Lord’s Day (albeit following the same order of worship and sitting under the same sermon), we believe that it is important for the whole church to gather together at the same time and place as best as possible.
For all of our corporate church gatherings, we will be using Zoom as our virtual platform; you can download Zoom here.
Thirdly, we will be taking communion together as one church virtually during our Good Friday Service (10 April 2020) and Easter Sunday Celebration (12 April 2020).
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, please prepare personal servings sizes of bread and “the fruit of the vine” (e.g. grape juice, wine) and have them ready to be taken before Good Friday Service and Easter Sunday Celebration begin. We will take of the communion elements together during our virtual services according to the instructions from the officiant.
Regarding other corporate church gatherings where communion will be observed, we will give advance notice to prepare the elements beforehand.
For our Benevolence Fund:
In light of Christ’s goodness, kindness, and generosity towards us when we do not deserve it, we also want to do good, be kind, and give generously to those around us. This is the reason why our church has set up a Benevolence Fund. Especially amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is (and will be) much need for such benevolence within our spiritual family and with our neighboring communities.
We are currently finalizing protocols and will soon begin forming a Benevolence Committee to steward the use of the Benevolence Fund in consultation with the Stewardship Team under the leadership of the elders. Applications for financial assistance will be made available shortly afterwards.
We are encouraged that members have already been giving towards the Benevolence Fund, and we are working hard to make it available to those in need soon.
Thank you again for your mutual understanding, flexibility, and care during these times. May the God of peace be with us all!
Love,
Your Pastors
17 March 2020 Update
Dear church family,
Within the last week, the World Health Organization has strongly recommended that Indonesia “scale up emergency response mechanisms including the declaration of a national emergency,” and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan have both urged the practice of social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Therefore, we will NOT be gathering physically but we WILL be gathering virtually for our corporate church gatherings for at least the next two weeks (until Sunday, 29 March 2020). To be clear, this is not a decision made out of fear and panic—for we have a secure and living hope in Jesus Christ—but one made out of respect for our government and world health authorities and out of love for our neighbor amidst extreme circumstances.
For Sunday Celebrations, we will meet virtually in mini-groups, which our LIFE group leaders will help coordinate. Video sermons will be available on Saturday night and should be watched before gathering virtually in mini-groups on Sunday morning/afternoon, where there will be corporate worship, brief discussion on the sermon passage, and prayer together. A guide for children’s worship will also be made available for parents with young children.
For LIFE Groups, we will likewise meet virtually in mini-groups on your normal LIFE Group day and time, where there will also be corporate worship, discussion on a brief text of Scripture, and extended time to share and pray together.
For Prayer Gatherings, we will NOT have normal prayer gatherings (originally scheduled for HMCC-JKT on 20 March and for HMCC-TGR on 27 March). Instead, we will meet virtually in LIFE Groups as described above.
For classes, we will postpone all classes until further notice.
Thank you for your understanding and flexibility during these times, and please keep an eye out for future updates.
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
Love,
Your Pastors
15 March 2020 Update: UPDATE FOR HMCC-JKT ONLY
Dear church family,
As there have been recent developments in the last 48 hours, the pastors need to communicate some further changes to our plans for this weekend, specifically for HMCC of Jakarta only.
In HMCC of Jakarta, we were originally planning to gather all together for Sunday Celebration. However, several people who play key roles in our corporate church gatherings are beginning to show signs of sickness (though only mild symptoms). In normal situations, they would feel comfortable joining, but given our current situation with the coronavirus pandemic and the precautionary measures we are taking as a church (per our previous pastors’ statement regarding COVID-19), out of love for fellow members, they will not be joining until they are no longer exhibiting signs of sickness.
Therefore, given the short timeframe, we will NOT gather as a large group for Sunday Celebration at Lotte Shopping Center today (Sunday, 15 March 2020). As of now, we are still planning to gather in subsequent Sunday Celebrations, making appropriate provisions to mitigate similar situations in the future as best as possible.
However, we are still planning to gather in mini-groups for Sunday Celebration at various locations today. Our LIFE group leaders will help coordinate these mini-group gatherings, where we can worship, receive God’s Word through the video sermon that we will provide, and pray together as God’s people. If there are people who are not involved in LIFE group but regularly come to Sunday Celebration, please personally invite them to a mini-group gathering today.
We also encourage everyone to still follow the guidelines recommended in our previous statement regarding healthy hygiene practices and self-quarantine (if applicable).
Please look out for further updates and thank you for your understanding and flexibility during these times.
Hebrews 10:23-25 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Though these are difficult times locally and globally, let’s continue to help each other hold fast to the hope that we have in Christ and be light to those around us.
Love,
Your Pastors
13 March 2020 Update
Dear church family,
We are in the midst of uncertain and anxious times right now with the recent coronavirus, COVID-19, being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and the steps countries and organizations around the world are taking to prevent its spread. In terms of individual responses, we may be all across the spectrum (from “business as usual” to overwhelming fear), so as pastors, we felt the responsibility to lead in giving clear guidelines for our corporate response as a church family.
The pastors have sought counsel from Scripture and prayer, historical precedent of similar cases (and the church’s responses), health-care professionals, other local churches, and other reputable sources (e.g. the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, etc.), and have agreed to take the following next steps.
As of now, we are still planning to gather in Sunday Celebrations and LIFE Groups. We believe that it is important that the church continues to meet together in order to be rooted in the Gospel and to minister to one another and to those around us, which is especially important in light of current events (Heb. 10:23-25).
When we do gather together, we ask that everyone take the necessary precautionary measures:
- Avoid close contact with anyone exhibiting symptoms (fever, cough, etc.).
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Stay home if you exhibit symptoms.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, and throw the tissue in the trash.
- Wash your hands after coughing and sneezing.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
For all our church gatherings, we are asking anyone who is showing symptoms of sickness to not come. Furthermore, if you have recently travelled by plane or cruise ship, we strongly suggest that you self-quarantine for 14 days from your arrival date to Indonesia, even if you do not feel flu-like symptoms. This is to monitor yourself during the incubation period of the virus. We ask that all travelers take this precautionary measure of self-quarantine as responsible global citizens in our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. Also, please inform your LIFE Group leader and/or pastor if you have travelled. Here is a self-quarantine guide for your reference: https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/documents/self-quarantine-covid.pdf. And if the above apply to you, please inform your LIFE Group leaders and the pastors. Please especially seek medical help if you are showing signs of sickness.
For Sunday Celebration, we will do temperature checks with a non-contact thermometer at the door; if your temperature appears to be 37.5 C or above, you will not be permitted to enter, and we strongly recommend that you seek medical help. For those who are unable or uncomfortable to attend in person, we are currently looking into options for live-streaming our Sunday Celebration, but for the time being, you can access all of our sermons in audio form on our church website, and we encourage you to find other ways to stay connected to our church family.
For LIFE Groups, we will allow each (mini) LG to decide whether they meet in person, through video call, or through some mix of the two based on the members’ ability and comfortability; again, especially during this epidemic, we believe that it is important to meet together (in whatever medium possible) in order to be rooted in the Gospel and to minister to one another and to those around us.
Personally for me (Andrew), I will be returning from Bangkok, Thailand tonight (Friday), and Nickey and I have made the decision to self-quarantine for 14 days. Our reasoning is that we want to be responsible in not putting people at risk and in joining the global community in restricting the potential spread of COVID-19.
Some might believe we are going too far in our COVID-19 response; others might believe we are not going far enough. We want everyone in our church to decide for themselves, according to their own consciences, whether they will attend our church gatherings in person or not. Regardless of our decisions, may we treat each other with love: if you are inclined to attend in person, please observe the necessary precautions and treat those who choose to stay home with grace and understanding; if you are inclined to not attend in person for a period of time, know that you will not be judged and remember to treat those who do choose to attend in person with grace and understanding.
This situation is obviously changing quickly, so we will be reevaluating week-by-week and will update our church of any further changes that may arise. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact one of the pastors. We are available to offer prayers and care for anyone who needs support during this global crisis.
In closing, we want to encourage us to respond in three ways:
- PRAY: Pray for governments and health-related agencies in preventing the spread and discovering a vaccine for COVID-19, for health care workers in caring for the sick, for those who are infected to be healed, for the general population to be protected, for Christians to be light amidst this situation, and for all around us to be saved by the hope we have in Christ.
- WORSHIP: Worship God for who he is; for what he has done for us in Jesus Christ; for his grace and presence with us now; and for the imperishable, undefiled, and unfading hope that we have and await with eager anticipation (1 Pet. 1:3-9).
- LOVE & SERVE: Amidst COVID-19, we want to be careful but not consumed by current trials; as our hearts are consumed by worship of God, may we respond with steadfast trust in him and steadfast love and service for those around us, that they may see all the more clearly the hope that we have in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 36:7 says, “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” May we find refuge in Jesus Christ and point the world to Him as our refuge in this time of trouble.
Love,
Your Pastors