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September 1, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Arcadia church,

After six months of shutdowns, facemasks, and restrictions while we have been seeking to be as wise as we can and keep our families and our loved ones and our neighbors safe, we are all no doubt weary and impatient and frustrated with this seemingly endless pandemic. Nowhere has this been felt any more keenly than in our church communities. We miss seeing each other, singing, being together, greeting, and giving hugs.

Your Elders have been praying and struggling mightily about what our most faithful and responsible responses should be. We have listened carefully to the reports and protocols issued by the various health and governmental agencies, and we have sought the counsel of other faith communities including our regional presbytery.

A “Re-opening Task Force” of Arcadia church members has been meeting and considering for more than a month, and along with your staff team has made their recommendations to the Session, the board of ruling elders of this congregation. In a decision made prayerfully at our Session meeting on Tuesday, August 25, it was decided:

That we should NOT consider re-opening indoor worship until after Christmas, or until a COVID vaccine is widely available;

It is felt by your leadership that

• Both online worship and online gatherings are working very well, and even seeing some  increase in participation;

• Even personal and pastoral crises are being handled well online... in some instances better;

• It would be a bad witness to open up in defiance of government regulations;

• It would divide the church to have some people who can come to worship while others are uncomfortable doing so because of compromised medical circumstances.

This is a very disappointing turn of events for all of us. This step is not taken lightly by your elders and staff. We had all hoped that we might be able to re-open the church campus by September and begin having worship together and provide facilities for all of the church family and for our nesting churches and those ministries which rent our property. But we feel that this is the most responsible and godly decision.

(Just to clarify, our Arcadia Church Preschool has been open and running since mid-June. This is because of the essential nature of childcare to families of the community, and because preschool protocols are regulated by a separate agency of the County. The facilities are cleaned scrupulously, and class size and participation has been severely regulated by county and state mandates.)

We are all devastated and shaken by the effects of this deadly COVID-19 pandemic. But like all the rest of the world, we are learning a new normal way to live in complicated and uncertain times. Our trust is in the God of the ages, Who has created all things and knows our needs before we can even express them. Jesus is Lord, even of these inconveniences and unexpected developments. Thanks for standing with us.

Sincerely in Christ,

Pastor Larry Ballenger and the Elders and Staff Team

The following measures are being followed at the church, on Sundays and throughout the week, in response to the worldwide health crisis.   Your elders and staff have taken the following steps:

1. Worship will not be held in the sanctuary in person, but online until further notice and will be decided on a monthly basis at the Session meetings.  

2. The church office is closed.  Staff will continue to work remotely form home.  All calls to the church office will be forwarded to Erin Cruz.  You may also reach her during office hours at (626) 367-2091. (From time to time there may be people in the office, but we ask that you contact us by calling the office or our cell phones.)

3. The pastoral/program team are on call and available according to the following schedule:

Pastor Larry Ballenger

626-807-0286

Mon, Tues, Weds, Thurs, Sat, Sun

Pastor Andrew Ritiau

562-569-0386

Tues, Weds, Thurs, Friday, Sunday

4. All on-campus social and spiritual events are postponed and cancelled until further notice. Contact your leadership.

5. Committees and boards, including Session, will meet online unless they are cancelled.

6. All of our rental groups have been cancelled for the present.  

7. Our three “nesting” congregations, Armenian, Taiwanese, and Indonesian, have been directed to follow current CDC and governmental guidelines and perform their worship services in a virtual or online format.