Local churches are holding true, encouraging those in the community to have courage, and are opening their doors this Sunday, despite worldwide concern with COVID-19.

Senior Pastor Rod MacIlvaine for Grace Community Church in Bartlesville released a letter on Saturday morning for all to read. He told Bartlesville Radio that the letter states that Grace is taking the coronavirus seriously, they are taking adequate precautions, and that they wanted to create expectations for this Sunday's service, because there is no time to be casual about what has been reported.

At this point, the outbreak in Oklahoma is low. Pastor Rod - as many people know him - said that the church feels as if those that are healthy can come to church to enjoy fellowship with others. He said they have gone the extra mile to clean the church (located at 1500 Kings Drive) and change the etiquette in which they greet one another.

BELOW IS THE LETTER DELIVERED OUT BY PASTOR ROD ON SATURDAY:

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"Dear Grace Family,

This has been quite a week!

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus to be a pandemic. Of course, this led to wide-ranging consequences in all sectors of our country.

As most of you know, many large-scale events are cancelling ranging, from NBA games, to MLB spring training, to the Masters. Many schools are shifting into fully online education, at least for the next several weeks. Others are extending spring break and some even closing until further notice.

The pandemic is also affecting churches.

In some states like Washington and Kentucky, churches with more than 250 members are prohibited from meeting for several weeks. Others are voluntarily closing their doors.

Oklahoma has not been impacted like other parts of our country. So far, only three people (that we know of) have been infected in our state. Thankfully, one of them has fully recovered.

In light of these recent developments, I have postponed my trip to Seattle, so that Sean, and I, and the rest of our staff can devote ourselves vigorous leadership as new circumstances develop. I want to assure you that we are monitoring this situation day- by-day, and we intend to make the best possible decisions for the health and welfare of our entire congregation.

So, what about this Sunday?

We’re on!

This Sunday, March 15th, we will hold all Sunday services at GCC as scheduled: 9:15 and 10:45 a.m.

We have gone the extra mile to make sure our church is clean and that we have plenty of soap and hand sanitizer in the appropriate places.

Here are the guidelines we will follow this Sunday:

• We will change our greeting etiquette. Rather than shaking hands, please give an elbow bump, or a present a thumbs-up, or place your hands together with a slight bow, or you can salute. This may seem awkward, but a warm smile and a hearty laugh go a long way to dispel discomfort. (I know that Paul commanded us to “greet each other with a holy kiss,” but we’ll suspend that until the pandemic is over.)

• Our worship guides will be self-serve. They will be stacked on the tables near the doors, and you can pick them up at your leisure as you enter the auditorium.

• We will not pass the offering plate. Rather we will place large metal tubs in the back of the auditorium. You can place your offering there. If you are not already using Pushpay, this would be an ideal time to shift to online giving. You can do that at here at the Pushpay portal on our website. We especially appreciate your faithfulness in giving, at a time like this.

• We will provide time for prayer over this national crisis. Our president declared that Sunday, March 15th is a National Day of Prayer, and we will include a time for intercession in our services.

• And most importantly, we will not fear! Anytime something like this takes place there is the temptation to give into anxiety. Yes, there is indeed cause for appropriate concern! However, we will balance wisdom with confidence in God. Consequently, we urge you to be wise. If you have a compromised immune system or if you are not feeling well, we invite you to stay home. Take an hour this Sunday to connect with God to pray, and then, when the message is posted to our podcast, listen!

We are going to work hard in coming weeks to build a fully online presence at gccbartlesville.org, so that if this pandemic persists, and we’re forced to shut our doors for a time, you will encounter Grace Community Church online. We are probably three weeks from our online presence, but we’re working hard to make it happen.

Above all, please take courage.

This situation will pass. We will be a stronger nation. Our economy will rebound stronger than before. And we will be stronger followers of Jesus, having experienced Romans 8:28 in tangible ways.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.

Looking forward to seeing you Sunday

Confidently in Christ,

Rod."

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Grace Community Church continues to monitor what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are saying about COVID-19. Pastor Rod said they are assuming that Governor Stitt will make some sort of a statement to the State of Oklahoma down the road. He said the moment Gov. Stitt makes the call to discourage groups over 250 in total from gathering, the church will comply.

Until then, Grace will stay open. Pastor Rod said they will always strive for what is best for the congregation and the City of Bartlesville. He said should things go south, they are going to rely strongly on their online presence.

While they are still three weeks to a month from implementing an online service, Pastor Rod said they will be ready to transition to streaming services should the need arise. Even then he said people who are healthy should keep meeting in their small groups to encourage one another to share the Gospel, live for Christ, and pray for the community.

As it is written in Jeremiah 29, Pastor Rod hopes everyone prays for the welfare of the community, because in its welfare, we will have welfare. He said we should pray for our neighbors who are experiencing troubles and might be living in need. This also means helping them meet their needs as we keep reaching out to those around us.