REOPENING UPDATE
“Enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and God’s courts with praise;
give thanks to the LORD and praise God’s name.” –Psalm 100:4
Dear Church Family,
I am pleased you tell you that we are doing a phased reopening of our worship services in July. As I stated in my last update, our reopening task force developed a plan that our church council and district superintendent unanimously approved on how we will safely come together for worship and ministry. Things are going to be different than we’re used to for now, but all these changes and precautions are necessary ways that we need to take care of one another. Please read all of the details below to know what to expect from your church and what your church expects of you.
Our 10am service ends on June 28th. We will transition back to having two services on July 5th at 9am and 11am. Both services will be live-streamed but will not be open to the public. The worship team, hospitality, and ushers will use this week as a test run to ensure we have everything in place for when we do open.
On July 12th:
- The 9am contemporary service opens outdoors to the public.
- Masks must be worn by all people at all times.
- The 11am traditional service remains closed.
- Both services will be live-streamed.
- Bring your own chair or picnic blanket.
- Socially distant seating will be in the parking lot and the field next to it.
- If rain is predicted, we will give you as much advanced notice as possible that the service is closed and will only be available on Facebook Live.
On July 19th (tentative):
- The 11am traditional service will be held in the sanctuary for a limited number of worshipers.
- Masks must be worn by all people at all times.
- Reservations are a MUST. Because our sanctuary can only seat 32 people by social distancing guidelines, you will have to call the church office starting the Monday before to reserve seats for you and your family. Our number is (856) 881-3295.
- Calls only, please. Reservations won’t be taken over email, social media, or voicemail.
- Reservations are on a first come, first served basis and are only good for that week.
- We cannot admit people without reservations at this time.
- This opening date is tentative and will only happen if we have enough people in place to maintain a safe experience for everyone over the long haul.
- You can help with that by stepping up to be an usher, greeter, or live-stream or slide operator. These tasks are more important than ever and we need more people to help out. Contact our church office and let us know how you would like to help.
FOR PARENTS & GRANDPARENTS
Your kids are more than welcome in our worship services! Before you bring them, the Director of Children and Family Ministries and I have some important things we need to discuss first. We have set up a Zoom meeting on July 7th at 7pm. You can find the login details on our Facebook page and in our e-newsletter. Please make every effort to attend.
Beyond Sunday
As of right now, all classes, studies, grow groups will continue to meet online. If you lead any of these groups, more information will be sent out soon. There is a hold on outside groups using our facilities until at least the Fall. Our church office is open but you’ll need to call ahead and make an appointment if you want to go in. Please follow us on Facebook, sign up for our weekly e-newsletter The Lifeline, and check our website for the latest updates and developments.
Words of Assurance
I am looking forward to seeing you all again. But, if you do not feel comfortable coming out to worship, that’s okay! We will continue to live-stream our services every Sunday so that everyone can participate. We understand how serious this virus is and that we are not yet out of the woods. Our primary goal is to keep you and everyone in our church as safe as possible from exposure to COVID-19. We cannot do that unless everyone abides by these policies and procedures. Once more, I urge you to view following these measures through the lens of love, honor, and respect for one another. Wear your mask. Stay six feet apart. Pre-register for the 11am service weekly. Monitor your health. Stay home if you feel sick or think you may have been exposed. Tell me if you have symptoms or test positive for COVID-19. Use your best judgement. Above all, pray for me and our worship team, our ushers and greeters, our office staff, our media team, and everyone who will be worshiping in-person and online. Pray that in all things God is glorified, Christ is proclaimed, and the Holy Spirit strengthens us all in faith, hope, and love.
Lastly, I want to offer a huge “thank you” to the members of the Reopening Task Force who invested their time, effort, and expertise in this undertaking and will continue to evaluate and adapt our plan as need be. Please give a socially distant high-five to Bill and Dawn Flitcraft, Pat Heritage, Rusty Marshall, Brian and Sarah Mickle, Caryn Murtha, Ingres Simpson, and Andy Thompson.
God bless you and I’ll see you soon,
Pastor John