On Thursday afternoon, March 12th, the Byron Area School superintendent's office called to notify us that due to precautionary measures being taken at the school in connection with COVID-19, Coronavirus, we will not be able to gather this Sunday at the Byron High School.

As such, The Village Church will not gather this Sunday, March 15th, 2020.

The elders made this decision very carefully, through prayer and much counsel. We are not giving in to fear, as God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). We hold to the biblical truth that God is Sovereign in all things (Isaiah 46:9-10) including a global public health crisis. We are also not giving in to hysteria, as 2 Timothy 1:7 also says that God has given His children a spirit of self-control, a sound mind. At this time our small group ministries do not have plans to cancel. If that changes, we will let you know on a by case basis. Until then, plan to gather in these small settings (see Village Homes link blow for more info).

During this time, we strongly encourage increased devotion to prayer. Her are a few specific things you can pray for:

the light and love of Jesus Christ to shine through us during this time, leading people to the Good News of Jesus and helping to calm fear.
the protection of our church family and community from this virus.
wisdom for church leaders during this time
wisdom and strength for our government leaders

I will be live on The Village Church Facebook Page on Sunday morning at 10am, Bible open, talking about faith in times of personal and public crisis. Join me at www.facebook.com/thevillagemi.com. You do not need a Facebook account to watch our live videos.

If you have any questions or would like to talk through this, please feel free to contact me by email at jwhite@thevillagemi.com or by phone at (989) 372-0750.

Grace & Peace,
John