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Churches making changes due to coronavirus concerns
Churches are being forced to make changes as precautions to prevent the possible spread of coronavirus.
EUSTIS, Fla. - The Presbyterian Church of Eustis is making changes amid the arrival of the coronavirus in Florida.
The first change happened on Sunday. Passing the peace, where church members usually greet one another by touching, is different now. Members watched a video during the service instead.
“This is not simply to avoid contact,” Presbyterian Church of Eustis Pastor Mario Bolivar said. “It is to find other ways to serve the love of God.”
Pastor Mario Bolivar said these adjustments are all apart of guidelines provided to Presbyterian churches by its national governing body.
There is another change coming to the church at the start of next month.
“We’re making the decision to stay away from the communion cup where everyone takes the bread and dips it into the cup and now we’re giving little cups to each of them to cut down on some of the cross-contamination that is happening,” Pastor Bolivar said.
The church also is making sure that there is enough hand sanitizer for members.
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These changes, the pastor said, are not meant to cause fear, but to protect.
“Let’s find new ways for us to explore our faith,” Pastor Bolivar said. “This is an opportunity for us to challenge ourselves on how we pass the peace of Christ."
The pastor also said you should stay home if you’re very sick because you can view some of the church’s services online.
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