Dear Members and Friends of IBCZ,
It is good to be back with you after several weeks of vacation with our family in the US. We had a wonderful time and are so grateful for the time we shared with our loved ones. And now we are glad to be back with you – our church family. Of course, we are not fully back with you yet as we have to fulfill our ten-day quarantine period. Both Daniela and I took Covid tests just before returning, and we both tested negative, so we are grateful for that. However, Switzerland still requires that we quarantine, so we must remain at home for now.
The main thing I want to share with you this week is an update regarding our worship services. Your Elders and Deacons held an online meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 20, to discuss whether or not we can resume in-person worship services. As much as we all long to worship with each other in the sanctuary, we agreed that now is not the right time to do so. The virus is still quite prevalent in Switzerland, and even in our specific location. The new variant of the virus makes it all the more troubling. We do not want to be controlled by fear, but at the same time we must try to be wise and make the best decisions we can as we trust the Lord for His guidance.
Therefore, we will continue to offer online only worship through the month of February. Toward the end of February, the Elders and Deacons will meet again to consider worshiping together in March.
Along with that, our General Meeting is postponed until at least the end of March. We will update you regarding that as soon as we are able.
We want to thank all of you for your continued commitment to and support of IBCZ. Let us all pray for the Lord’s grace and favor over our congregation now and in the future.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Bob