Dear Friends,
New Day Church prays that you, your families, and loved ones find yourselves well in this challenging time. COVID-19 has created a devastating impact on the lives of our members and their families. As a church that thrives on our physical gatherings, particularly, it has affected the ways that we gather. The New Day community has not been able to gather and worship in the physical presence of one another in over six weeks, and this has taken a toll on us. In the era of physical distancing, we long to stay connected to our New Day family to worship, grieve, connect, and celebrate seeing each other’s faces.
Many of us at New Day have experienced Zoom as a platform that has allowed most of our members access to worship together under these circumstances. Since we have been encouraged to practice social distancing, we have had powerful, spirit-filled worship experiences online. Our reach has expanded, and our attendance has grown stronger. We are grateful that this accessibility has allowed individuals from across the country and world to be with us in this difficult time. Our members and visitors have testified to the new ways we have experienced the presence of God weekly. Hence, we were not prepared for the type of attack we suffered this past Sunday. [This is a content warning for what follows.] We had already experienced, to date, internet trolls infiltrating our Zoom services by saying inappropriate, disturbing, or racist remarks. This Sunday, disruptors displayed graphic imagery of children being sexually assaulted. The images were violent and disturbing, and our spirits were unprepared for this level of violation.
Our guiding principles ground our work powerfully as we commit to the healing and liberation of all who join us. We are connecting with God in an authentic way, crossing boundaries, including race, class, sexual orientation, gender, and age, and confronting injustice, with the compassion and abundance of God. We believe that the kingdom of God belongs to children. We are a church that is committed to the health and safety of children in the Bronx, New York City, and beyond. We take this opportunity to stand against all forms of child pornography, child sexual abuse, and sex trafficking. We are a church where people can heal from trauma, including sexual trauma, in churches and homes. Furthermore, we as a church are exploring how we protect the most vulnerable (children and survivors of sexual abuse) in restorative ways for both victims and perpetrators.
Additionally, we take this opportunity to stand with other faith communities who have been targeted by these and similar attacks. This is our church, a sacred space, a sanctuary. We are in solidarity with other sacred gathering spaces that are being or will be attacked in similar ways. We are particularly mindful of our Muslim siblings as they enter the month of Ramadan and how that may be targeted in ways that we experienced on Sunday. We use this moment to build solidarity and coalition with all other vulnerable faith communities gathering in online platforms, particularly the communities targeted most under Christian supremacy.
Lastly, we remain committed to being in prayer with one another, providing pastoral care, mental health resources, and holding each other in this time. We have experienced and generated an abundance of love since Sunday. It is our prayer that our love and vision extends to the Bronx, all of the boroughs of New York City, and beyond.
With sincere regards we remain,
New Day Church