Friends,  

Since our update this past Wednesday, Jackson County has clarified and amended its statements regarding group events during this period of a state of emergency. While not applied exclusively to religious groups, the county, in concert with other surrounding governing agencies have removed the exemption of faith-based or religious activities from their original state of emergency.  

With that amendment, the elders at SWBC are amending our previous statements encouraging Growth Group leaders and discipleship groups to consider how they might meet together during the state of emergency.   

We are asking all of our discipleship groups, Growth Groups, and any other small group gathering connected with our church to not meet over the next two weeks.  

Instead, we do encourage such groups to consider alternative ways to keep up with one another through video conferencing, phone calls, email, texting, and other social media options available.   

Video meetings can be conducted using a number of free software options such as FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Skype, Zoom (free accounts are limited to 40 minutes) and many others. While these are unprecedented days, we have access to unique means of staying in touch with each other.   

Of course, we are encouraging all of us to find some way we can keep up with one another, especially to discern any unique challenges any of our members may be facing. Again, if you learn of a unique need, please communicate that to us by email (elders@swbcls.org), or through our newly created online form that will allow us to discern the best way the resources of our church can be used to assist. Know that we are looking at every option available to us to be able to aid our members, especially those who will find themselves out of work and in potential financial need during these days. 

Know of our love for you and our prayers for each of you as we navigate through these new and very choppy waters.