Coronavirus Information
In an effort to safeguard all members and visitors, we have created a Coronavirus Information page to keep you informed.
We will continue to update this page as new updates become available. Please check back regularly.
*Updated March 20th, 2020*
PASTOR PETER KIM TO THE QPEM FAMILY, Updated March 20th 2020
Hi everyone,
I want to update you on the latest decisions that the KM, CM, RM and Education Departments have made in response to the new policy by Governor Cuomo (effective Sunday at 8pm), to ban all "non-essential gatherings" and have 100% of the "non-essential" NY workforce stay home.
All In-Person services for the KM, CM, RM and Education Department are cancelled starting this Sunday, March 22 (until further notice).
All respective ministries will offer live stream services beginning this Sunday.
The Education Department will be contacting all of the parents and students with further details of the ministry plans.
Junior and Senior High students are encouraged to join in the QPEM Livestream Sunday Worship at 12pm on Sunday.
Mayor De Blasio just called NYC the "epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis". There are now over 8,299 cases of the virus in NY State, with 5,151 patients in NYC and 29 dead so far in the city.
Brothers and sisters, we need to pray. Pray for those who are sick, those in the hospital on ventilators, those who have lost loved ones, the workers who are on the front-line battling this pandemic and those who are caring and tending to the sick. Pray for the people around the world who are infected and unable to get the medical treatment they need. Pray for the people who have lost jobs, their livelihood, their means to provide for their families. Let's pray to our Sovereign God to help us in our time of need. Let's stand together in faith as the church, to encourage, support and help one another as surely, we will all get through this with Jesus. See you all on Sunday via Facebook Live for our QPEM Lord's Day Service at 12pm.
In Christ's love,
Pastor Peter
PASTOR PETER KIM TO THE QPEM FAMILY, Updated March 19th 2020
I'm sure many of you are impacted in your jobs and workplaces, especially now that schools are closed. Please let me and the Elders know if you are in need of any support, whether spiritually, physically, emotionally or financially. We are here to pray for you and to help in whatever way we can. As the situation continues to worsen here in the US and NY, the Elders and I have been in prayer for you guys as well as the decisions we make as a church. As we learn and begin to practice this new term of "social distancing" and how important it is in helping to stop the spread of this virus, we have decided the following:
In-Person Services are cancelled starting this Sunday, March 22 (until further notice).
We will continue to offer Facebook Live for online streaming of our Sunday Worship services at 12pm. Please join us at 12pm on Sunday at our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/QPEMnyc
All ministry events continue to be cancelled until further notice.
Please continue to prayerfully give your tithes and offerings to sustain the work that God has called us to do.
You can give via Venmo (@QPEMnyc)
or online via credit/debit card or bank ACH transfer at: www.qpem.churchcenter.com
Our QPEM Board of Elders is unanimous in this decision to cancel the in-person services for the sake of our members and our community. Jesus calls us to love our neighbor and we believe that in this time, we will display the love of Christ by not gathering together in person, but rather gathering together via our online community on Sundays. Our church will always continue to worship God and we will do so this Sunday when we join together via Facebook Live for worship. But for the time being, it is our church's social responsibility to love our neighbors and one another through "social distancing" and join in the efforts to help stop the spread of the virus.
We understand if some may disagree with this decision. Please reach out to me or the Elders if you have any questions or would like to discuss this further. We ask that you continue to pray with us and for our church, as we have our three other congregations (KM, CM, RM) and our Education Department still in the prayerful deliberation process for this coming Sunday. May God grant divine wisdom to our leadership to come to the decision that is best for our members, our community and our world.
QPEM brothers and sisters,
May the "peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body." "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Soli Deo gloria,
Pastor Peter, on behalf of the QPEM Board of Elders
Pastor Peter Kim to the QPEM Family, March 14,2020
We are living in an unprecedented time. Yet in the midst of chaos, God’s sovereign grace offers us peace and calm over the storm. Amen! Our QPEM Elders and I have been in prayerful discussion to seek the Lord’s guidance and wisdom over the concerns in the spread of COVID-19 in NYC and the world. We’ve also looked to Scripture and church history to see how God has called us to respond during these times of crisis. After much deliberation, our QPEM leadership has decided on the following:
We will have Sunday Worship at the QPEM Sanctuary at 12pm. We want to offer the space for our members to come and worship corporately if they desire to do so. We have an important role as the church, to offer a place of hope and comfort through Jesus during these trying times. We request the following:
a. We ask all members who are sick to stay home.
b. We ask the elderly and those with health conditions to worship from home.
c. We ask members who attend to sit with their families, to keep distance from others, to not shake hands, and to take care of their personal hygiene.
d. We ask our members to depart after service and not to congregate in the fellowship hall (snacks will not be provided). NOTE: Our Education Department will have the children’s worship services at their regular times. Parents, please contact your children’s pastors for further info.
We will offer Facebook Live for online streaming of our Sunday Worship at 12pm. For those who choose to worship at home, please tune in at 12pm to our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/QPEMnyc NOTE: Please continue to prayerfully give your tithes and offerings to sustain the work that God has called us to do. You can give via Venmo (@QPEMnyc) or online via credit/debit card at: www.qpem.churchcenter.com
We will cancel all ministry events until further notice (except for Sunday worship). This was a very difficult decision, but for the sake of our member’s health and safety, as well as the safety of those in our community, we will cancel/postpone all QPEM ministry events including the following:
a. Sunday Bible Study- Engage in God’s Word with your “Read Scripture” app and personal devotionals.
b. Wednesday Night Prayer- Pray for our church, city and world at home. Prayer topics will be updated on our website.
c. Small Groups & Discipleship Groups- Leaders will reach out to you with further information.
d. Orison (College Ministry)- Pastor Peter Hwang will reach out to the college students.
e. Evangelism Explosion- Postponed.
f. Kairos Bowling Fellowship- Postponed.
g. Missions Poker Fundraiser- Postponed.
Communication
We will be sharing updates and decisions from our leadership via email, Facebook and our website (www.qpem.org). You can also directly access our coronavirus information page at: http://qpem.org/coronavirus-information If you have any questions or concerns, please send an email to: info@qpem.org
Pastoral Care
I will be available to meet up, to listen, to talk and to pray with you during this time. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at: pastorpeter@qpem.org. Please also reach out to our Pastors, Elders, and your ministry leaders if you have any questions or needs. Our church leadership is continuing to pray and monitor the situation, so please join us in prayer for God’s wisdom and guidance during these challenging times. May our loving Father grant us mercy and healing from this pandemic and cause all these things to work together for good, for His glory!
In Christ’s love,
Pastor Peter, on behalf of the QPEM Board of Elders
Pastor Peter Kim to the QPEM Family, March 12,2020
I pray that you and your families are staying healthy and well during this challenging time. As I'm sure you're aware, Governor Cuomo has instituted a state wide ban on gatherings of 500 or more people across the state “for the foreseeable future”. Our church leadership has been in prayer throughout for wisdom and discernment.
After prayerful consideration of our member's safety and spiritual care, our church will continue to open our doors for worship on Sundays. However, we have cancelled all ministry programs for this Friday (Orison). We will also cancel the Kairos Bowling Fellowship as well as the Missions Poker Fundraiser that was scheduled for next Saturday (3/21). I will have further updates for you regarding all church events and programs outside of Sunday worship as soon as they are available.
We encourage our members to abide by the resolution that we sent out two weeks ago. In particular:
All members who are sick or not feeling well are asked to stay home.
We ask the elderly and those with health conditions to worship from home as well.
We are providing Facebook Livestream for members who desire to worship from home on Sundays. You can tune in to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/QPEMnyc) for live streaming of our services.
I'm sure many of you are wondering how we, as a church, should respond to this situation. Here is an insightful article in how the churches in Washington DC responded to the government ban of public gatherings back in 1918 because of the Spanish flu. There was great wisdom in their decision to abide to the governing authorities out of neighborly love and in order to protect public health. We will pray for that same wisdom for our church leadership in the future decisions to be made as well.
Let's always remember that during times of crisis, God says to us,
"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6). "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).
Please join our church leadership in prayer as we pray for God's protection and care for our city and the world!
In Christ's love,
Pastor Peter
