Dear Hebronites,

CHURCH’S RESPONSE TO NEW COVID-19 CASES IN CHOA CHU KANG

We thank God for his mercies in containing the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore and that to date, after more than a month, there is no community transmission of the infection.

Yesterday (28 Feb), the Ministry of Health reported that two newly-infected persons live at Choa Chu Kang North 5 and Choa Chu Kang Crescent respectively.

While there is no need for alarm, as a church in the Limbang and Yew Tee precincts, we will continue to exercise vigilance so as to minimise the possibility of infection among us. The existing precautionary measures to screen all who attend at our worship services will go on. Attendance-taking to facilitate contact tracing, if required, will continue. We seek your understanding and patience with the ushers who administer these procedures, especially when there is a long queue ahead of you. If you can, please come a little earlier so as to ease the congestion that swells nearer am.

Please conduct a self-check before you leave home for church. If you feel even slightly unwell or have mild flu-like symptoms (such as fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, etc.), please stay at home and participate in the worship service through the live streaming of our Sunday am services, available on our official website at . Our ushers will not admit you to the sanctuary if you exhibit any such symptom.

With the spread of the virus around the world, please stay home if within the past 14 days, you have returned from China (including Hong Kong), South Korea, Italy, Iran, or Japan, or you have had close contact with someone who has returned from these places.

In every crisis, including this viral epidemic, is an opportunity to grow in our discipleship. Let us “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12). May God deepen us in our walk with him, and broaden us in our witness of him, for his glory.

In Christ,
Rev Wong Shin Hoe
Senior Pastor
Hebron Bible-Presbyterian Church

Dear Hebronites,

PASTORAL LETTER AND UPDATE ON SCREENING VENUE FOR FEWS

It has been two weeks
since the Singapore Government raised the DORSCON level from yellow to orange.
Despite the initial panic, it appears that Singaporeans are settling down to an
uneasy calm. Last weekend, some churches voluntarily suspended gatherings but
organised online meetings instead. Many Christians also faced pressure from
family and employers not to attend church services, thinking that churches are
sources of infection–this is obviously a sweeping statement.

In Hebron, we have begun
to screen everyone who attends our services and Sunday activities. We take
their body temperature and require them to make declarations about their
health, movement, and whether they’ve had close contact with infected persons.
We will continue to do this. Please
note that from this Sunday, all persons arriving in Hebron for the am
English service will be required to be screened at the Love Fellowship Hall
before proceeding to the sanctuary. If
you do not, you will not be admitted into the sanctuary. The screening for
those attending the am Mandarin service and am English service will
be held at the Level 3 lobby. You may proceed directly to Level 3 when you
arrive.

I urge you to continue to observe proper personal hygiene and exercise social responsibility. We want to make Hebron a safe environment for all to worship and fellowship in. If you are unwell and have even one flu-like symptom, or if you have had close contact with someone who is infected with or suspected to have COVID-19, then please stay home and tune in to the live stream of our am services. The links to the services are available on our website.

This is not an easy time
for everybody. But this is a rich opportunity for Christians to exercise faith
in God, to witness for Christ, and to reach out in love, peace, and hope. We
must not miss it.

If you have any prayer
request relating to the COVID-19 outbreak, please share them with me or any of
our pastors. Some of you have already done so and we are upholding you in
prayer.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
(Romans 8:28)

May God accomplish his purposes in this crisis for us, for his glory.

In Christ,
Rev Wong Shin Hoe
Senior Pastor
Hebron Bible-Presbyterian Church

Dear Hebronites,

ADMISSION TO CHURCH PREMISES AND SUSPENSION OF SELECTED CHURCH ACTIVITIES

As the COVID-19 outbreak persists, let us continue to pray
for the sick, the quarantined, and those who help them. Let us also pray for
those whose livelihoods have been disrupted. But our confidence is in God who
is sovereign, good, and wise. Amid fear and anxiety, let us still point to the
only One who secures all things.

As of today, a few churches have suspended activities
because infected persons were at their premises. In Hebron, we will minimise
that risk materialising among us as follows:

Admission to Church Premises

Before coming to church on Sunday, please ask yourself these
three questions:

1. Have I (or a household member) recently returned
   from Mainland China, or am I (or a household member) on Leave of Absence or
   Home Quarantine?
2. Was I (or a household member) in close contact
   with someone infected with COVID-19 or suspected to have COVID-19?
3. Do I have flu-like symptoms, i.e. fever, cough,
   sneezing, runny nose, shortness of breath?

If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, please stay
home as you will not be admitted into the church building. If you display any
flu-like symptoms while already in the premises, you will be ushered to our
sick bay to await conveyance by ambulance to the hospital.

Suspension and Continuation of Church Activities

Additionally, as far as it is legally possible and
practically sound, all essential church activities will continue, provided that
(a) precautionary measures are taken, and (b) the well-being of vulnerable
persons is considered. In particular, the following will continue:

1. All Sunday activities, including worship services,
   children’s ministry, and Christian education programmes
2. All Sunday-related activities, including choir
   rehearsals and worship team rehearsals
3. All discipleship activities, including
   fellowship group meetings (such as KGs, LGs, and CGs) and prayer meetings

Non-essential church activities will be suspended until
further notice. These include camps, outings, sports, mission trips, and mass
evangelistic outreach projects.

Please tune in to our official website for updates and be encouraging to one and all that you meet.

Rev Wong Shin Hoe
Senior Pastor
Hebron Bible-Presbyterian Church

From 9 February, we will take the attendance of all English service congregants. This will assist in contact tracing by the authorities should the need arise. Persons who decline to have their attendance taken will be denied entry. In light of the foregoing, please plan to arrive for service earlier than usual during this period. We appreciate your cooperation as we seek to ensure the wellbeing of all congregants.

Whose attendance will be taken?

• Congregants of our English services
• Members: Attendance will be taken as per the usual accountability exercise mode.
• Non-members: You and your accompanying guests will be asked for your names and contact numbers. Any unaccompanied child will be asked for the name and contact number of his/her parent.

Question: I am a member. What do I do?

You have three ways to register your attendance: 1) Provide your Membership ID card for scanning; 2) Provide your mobile number; 3) Display a generated barcode of your membership ID number on your phone. See below for instructions on generating this barcode.

Step 1: Go to this website –
Step 2: Under “Parameters for the barcode”, select “Code 128” in the first field.
Step 3: Key in your membership ID number in the second field.
Step 4: Click “Create”.
Step 5: Under “Download now”, click on the PNG icon to save the image on your phone.

Question: I am not a member of your church. Why must I provide my name and contact number?

With your cooperation, we can ensure full compliance with the authorities should an outbreak occur. Please be assured that your details will not be used for other purposes.

Thank you for keeping our church safe and conducive for everyone.

Dear Hebronites,

FURTHER PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES FOR CONGREGATIONS AND SMALL CHURCH GATHERINGS

Thank you for your co-operation and understanding with regards to
the measures that we have taken in response to the current 2019-nCov infection
situation. Your prayer support has also been deeply appreciated. As you may
know, the Government has yesterday raised the DORSCON level from yellow to
orange in the current 2019-nCov infection situation. In the circumstances, I
wish to draw the attention of all members and friends of Hebron who normally
attend one of its English worship services to the following points:

1. From this Sunday, 9 February,
   attendance will be taken at the door of the
   sanctuary of all congregants attending the relevant service. This will
   assist in contact tracing by the authorities should the need arise. Attendance
   of members will be taken as per the usual accountability exercise mode.
   Non-members will be asked for their names and contact numbers. Any
   unaccompanied child will be asked for the name and contact number of his
   parent. Persons who decline to have their attendance taken will be denied entry.
2. In the light of the foregoing,
   please plan to arrive for FEWS or SEWS a little earlier than usual during this
   period. Access to all sanctuaries will also be reduced to only one. In
   particular, the two side doors of Jerusalem Sanctuary will be secured to allow
   only for exit and not for entry.
3. Persons who are visibly unwell will
   be asked to go and seek medical consultation
   at once.

Do continue to take the necessary precautions to safeguard your own
health and the well- being of fellow Hebronites. Stay at home if you have
returned from mainland China within the past 14 days or feel unwell. See the
doctor as necessary. Wear your own surgical mask if you have mild symptoms of
regular flu. Observe personal hygiene by regularly washing your hands with soap.

In every crisis is an opportunity for good. During this time, let us
bear the gospel of hope and peace to all whose paths God allows us to cross.

Rev Wong Shin Hoe
Senior Pastor
Hebron Bible-Presbyterian Church

Dear Hebronites,

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES FOR CONGREGATIONS AND SMALL CHURCH GATHERINGS

In view of the developing Wuhan Coronavirus situation, we wish to advise everyone to exercise caution and adopt the following measures. Please take time to read this before we gather as a 900-strong church this weekend. The measures also apply to gatherings on other days of the week. There are vulnerable individuals among us, such as children, seniors, and those with underlying health conditions. As such, please:

1. Do not attend
   church if you have returned to Singapore from China on 19 Jan or later.
   Instead, wait 14 complete days to be sure you are clear of any symptoms. Please
   apply this 14-day rule as long as you are travelling back from China.
2. Do not attend
   church if you feel unwell (whether or not you have recently returned from
   China). If you do, please be willing to wear a mask or to see a doctor if we
   request it.

We will monitor the situation closely and adjust our response as
required. On Sunday

• Pastoral staff will look out for
  congregants who are unwell.
• Children’s
  ministry: We will take temperatures of all children and practise hand
  washing/sanitisation.
• Hand sanitisers will be made available at key locations in our premises,
  but please bring your
  own surgical mask and sanitiser if required.
• We will provide access
  to sermon materials
  on our website for those who have opted to stay
  home.

Advisory for Frontline Personnel (Ushers, New
Friend Greeters, Teachers)

• If you are
  unwell and rostered to serve on Sunday, inform your leader and excuse yourself
  promptly.
• For this period of heightened caution, greet others with a hand wave
  instead of a handshake.
• If you spot someone
  with flu-like symptoms
  (e.g. cough, sneezing,
  shortness of breath),
  be calm and composed. Notify a
  pastor or pastoral staff member of that person at once.

As the world reacts in fear
and panic, let us entrust this situation to our Almighty God. We hold Psalm 91
close to our hearts:

For he will
deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He
will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his
faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the
night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in
darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

Rev Wong Shin Hoe
Senior Pastor
Hebron Bible-Presbyterian Church