Akron Adventist

Dear Church Family,

We have some important news to share with you regarding our church and the COVID-19 global crisis. With a desire to love our neighbors as ourselves and a concern for the members of our church family we will be suspending our Saturday morning worship service for the immediate future. Instead, beginning this Sabbath, we will be broadcasting our weekly worship service online. Our service will be recorded without an audience. We encourage you to join us for an hour of singing, preaching and prayer on Saturday morning. Watch for more details shortly on how to connect to the service and engage with your church family.

This decision was made based on the advice of our national, state, and city leaders as well as a love for our church family and surrounding community. We believe that one of the best ways we can serve our community right now is by taking proactive measures to minimize the spread of the virus and to protect the vulnerable. Your church leaders will continue to monitor the situation day to day and week to week, letting prayer and wisdom be our guide on how to move forward while following our mission statement of “Loving People – Sharing Jesus”.

In addition to the worship service, all other activities of the Akron First Seventh-day Adventist church are canceled until further notice and our church building is closed. Groups that meet through the week are encouraged to explore alternate means of staying closely connected with one another. We will be announcing more details soon on “Church Connect” and how we can continue to stay engaged as a church family.

Finally, if you are ill, unable to leave your home or need assistance of any kind, please let your church leaders know. I encourage you to contact us for assistance with things like shopping or picking up and delivering medications as needed. If you are feeling anxious or need someone to talk to please reach out. For inquiries of any kind, you can call Pastor Levin or our elders at any time. In addition, you can reply to this email address or contact us through one of our social media accounts on Facebook (@akronadventist) or Twitter (@adventist).

We will look forward to meeting together soon as a whole church but until then we encourage you to continue to connect with other members of your church family by phone, video chat or social media. And do not forget to pray. Pray for our leaders, our sick and vulnerable, and an end to this crisis. Let us rise up at this time with unified prayer and a trust in Jesus.

United in Christ.

Leslie Franke (Akron First Board Chairman)
Bill Levin (Pastor)

Dear Akron First Seventh-day Adventist Church Family,

I have some news to share with you today regarding our church and the COVID-19 global crises which has spread into Northeast Ohio. Many of you are aware of the number of precautions that have taken place across the state to prevent the spread of this virus. Yesterday Mike DeWine, the governor of Ohio, announced that due to the ongoing crisis he has ordered all kindergarten through 12th grade schools closed for a period of time.

This Sabbath (Saturday) we were planning to meet, as a church body, at Mayfair Christian School for a special Mayfair led Sabbath of fellow and worship. As a result of these restrictions, a sense of caution, and the logistics & planning of moving the worship service to our church home at this late hour, the Akron First Seventh-day Adventist church will be closed this coming Saturday (March 14) for ALL activities including Sabbath School and the Worship Service.

Moving forward your church leaders will be gathering early next week to finalize an action plan on how to best meet the spiritual and fellowship needs of our church family while at the same time providing a safe environment and being responsible citizens of our community. We will keep you updated as this fluid situation unfolds.

Please note, I am available and can be easily contacted by phone or email and our church office will be open this coming week. If you have questions, need prayer or care, I encourage you to reach out to me or the elders.

I invite you to join me in a prayer of protection for those who are sick and suffering from the virus around the world, their family members and all those working tirelessly to care for them.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isa. 41:10

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Bill Levin