Dear Congregation,

 

After much prayer and counsel, the pastoral staff of Calvary Chapel Rialto has determined the best course of action in regards to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is to cancel services and temporarily close the preschool and school. Our goal as a pastoral staff is the safety of all those who call Calvary Chapel Rialto their home fellowship. At the same time, we are in full support of our Commander in Chief, our President. We, as believers need to be in support of our state Governor, and the County of San Bernardino. It has been a challenge with information from our county, state, and federal government changing hourly. 1 Timothy 2:1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 

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The temporary closing of Calvary Chapel Rialto preschool and school is effective as of today, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. We will be closed until the end of March. We will be canceling services on both Wednesdays and Sundays beginning tomorrow, March 18, 2020. In lieu of services, we will be offering live streaming of the message on Sunday mornings at 8:30 am, and Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm. Live streaming can be accessed at www.ccrialto.com or the Calvary Chapel Rialto app. 

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We, as a congregation, have never had to walk this path regarding a pandemic. Please be patient with us as we, like you, are navigating through new territory. Our President is calling for people to meet in groups of 10 or less and the Governor of California has recommended the cancellation or postponement of gatherings of 250 or more people, which would include such things as sporting events, movie premieres and concerts. These changes will likely last "at least through March," as the state grapples with a worsening outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19). San Bernardino County is also quoting the same number of 250. As I write, the County of San Bernardino has approximately 2 ½ million people with 2 confirmed cases testing positive to the Coronavirus. One of the many problems is that persons can have the virus with little to no symptoms, which they can unknowingly pass on to others. 

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This limitation of 10 persons or less has been difficult because Pastors’ are shepherds who are called to care for and instruct those of the congregation. This pandemic has forced us to change our way of ministry. We are experiencing a period when people are being gripped with fear, hoarding food and supplies, and even participating in fist fights in stores over supplies. 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” It is an amazing time to minister to hurting people. With all of these things taking place, we are forced to turn to digital technology to continue to care for and instruct the congregation. As a fellowship, Calvary Chapel Rialto has never offered live stream video of our services before. Pastors are to be real people called to minister to real people, which can never be replaced through digital technology; I have personality resisted this. However, in light of the Coronavirus pandemic, with all of its unknowns, we must curtail our interaction with larger groups and have decided to cancel gatherings greater than 10 persons. 

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The church and school office will continue to be open for calls to answer any questions and for those that would like to meet with the Pastors. We also have the added resources of the church website at www.ccrialto.com or Calvary Chapel Rialto app. This would be a good time to download the app, which will have push notifications, sermons, notes and a calendar of events. There is also a Calvary Chapel Rialto Facebook page. If you are in need of prayer or counsel, the church can be reached at 909-820-7300. As always, we are available to care for those in need. Please do not hesitate to contact the church office if we may be of assistance in any way on this journey that we are experiencing together. 

In Him, Pastor Terry 

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