Hunker Down #6: Light at the end of the Tunnel

HUNKER DOWN WEEK #6: LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL


Greetings, everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying the extremely pleasant weather the Lord has blessed us with! Take advantage of these days to enjoy God's good creation.

Sunday was our sixth Lord's Day of the "church in exile." Preparing virtual worship services has been interesting and stretching for us. It has made for some long and late Saturday nights for Pastor Kyle, our "editor-in-chief." It has had some unexpectedly positive effects, but I think I speak for everyone when I say it is not an acceptable long-term substitute for meeting together in person.

But there is good news! Here is our short-term plan for returning to in-person worship as we go forward. These plans should all be taken to be "D. v." that is "Deo volente" (God willing). I'm going to put it in bullet form for ease of reading:

• DRIVE-IN SERVICE, this Sunday, May 3, 10:40 am
  • LIVE in the parking lot (weather permitting), broadcast to your FM car radio
  • In case of heavy rain, we will still broadcast to the parking lot from the sanctuary
  • NOTE: We still plan to have a VIRTUAL SERVICE available online May 3rd, as we have had for the past several weeks, for those who still may be extra-cautious about getting out.
• DRIVE-IN SERVICE, Sunday, May 10, 10:40 am
  • Same as May 3, but NO virtual service online
  • We will determine whether or not we will meet inside the building that morning, and share that information later. We will be exercising greater caution than many will think necessary because that is the right thing to do.
• WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN WE START MEETING IN THE BUILDING AGAIN? In an effort to provide as comfortable environment as we can for everyone, one that seeks to be sensitive to those who may have concerns about gathering in large groups again, we will observe the following guidelines:
  • When we do begin meeting in the sanctuary once again, it will initially be for Sunday morning worship only, and we will seek to limit our service time to 50 minutes to try to keep restroom use to a bare minimum.
  • All entry doors will be propped or held open so that congregants will not need to touch the doors in any way upon entering or exiting.
  • Bulletins/order of service will be available electronically for you to view on your device or to print prior to attending. A limited number of printed bulletins will be available for those unable to do either of these things. 
  • We will continue to practice social distancing (6 ft) as we enter and are seated. Every other pew will be taped off in order to maintain the front to back distance. Family groups will be able to sit together while seeking to maintain the 6 foot radius. We will have tape on the pews to help represent that distance.
  • We will not be passing the offering plates from hand to hand. Instead, we will have a place for you to place your tithes and offerings that won't require hand contact.
  • For the first few weeks, we will only have the worship service, no Sunday School, adult Bible classes, children's worship, or nursery (nursery and/or cry room will be available for parents to use for diaper changing or taking small children to the restroom)
  • We will gradually add more services as it becomes apparent that we are out of the contagious zone.
  • We will continue to offer the "drive-in" option indefinitely for those who want to attend, but who feel they need to remain in their vehicles.
  • We will continue to offer the service via Facebook Live as we were doing prior to the weeks of not meeting for those unable to leave their homes.
  • We will continue to offer Bible study and prayer meetings via ZOOM indefinitely.

Just a pastoral note in closing: I really miss being together with you, congregating with you, fellowshiping with you, worshiping with you, praying with you, and singing with you. I do not like postponing our meeting together. But I also care about the WHOLE congregation, including those who may have compromised immunity and who should not gather with others. We are trying to strike the right balance with this. Meeting "Drive-In" style will help us to have some sense of gathering in community as we move toward normalcy. I admit that I do not know with absolute certainty what to do at every point, but that is why I need your prayers for God's wisdom. I appreciate you prayers and your words of encouragement. The Lord will bring us through this, and I trust we will emerge on the other side of this refined like gold. 

Hear these words which are our Fighter Verses for May 3: 
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
Lamentations 3:24-26, ESV

Grace and peace to you,

Pastor Greg
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