Story by Michele Joseph, reprinted from the ASI Columbia Union Chapter’s April 2020 newsletter
Daniel Reed could do little as his business “came to a complete stop.”
As the number of positive COVID-19 tests grew and Virginia’s governor called for stricter social distancing measures, customers’ calls to Nova HomeWorks, in Sterling, went from new orders to postponements and cancellations.
How is the coronavirus impacting life, mission and ministry? How are Seventh-day Adventist members, pastors and leaders in the Columbia Union Conference coping with the disruption and uncertainty? Watch episodes of Visitor News Live to see more.
5 Ways Columbia Union Members are Creating Community
The Covid-19 pandemic seems to have overtaken every facet of life. Five Columbia Union churches are attempting to ease the heavy load and stress we’ve been carrying by virtually meeting the needs of their community.
1. Chesapeake Conference’s Highland View church in Hagerstown, Md., is delivering communion items to members’ homes Friday to virtually take part in their livestreamed communion service on Sabbath.
“We’re in survival mode right now and it was really sudden. There wasn’t a whole lot of preparation [before the Covid-19 hit the United States], said Marissa Leslie, M.D., chair of Psychiatry at Adventist HealthCare in the Columbia Union Visitor’s “Coping in the Time of Covid-19 conversation series.
“We heard the news stories and it seemed like it was far away. It seemed like as soon as the schools closed, that is when panic set in,” shared Leslie. “And every few days a new restriction would come for public safety, but we just lost the sense of control and when you lose the sense of control psychologically you try to control something. It may be the kids online school or it may be your husband making dinner. Your body starts to feel tenser.”