Dear Church Family,
I pray that you’re well and safe. As these weeks of distancing go on, I am increasingly
aware of the void that not meeting together has in my life. Many of you have expressed similar sentiments as I have spoken with you this week. As we move on from this, I foresee two responses that will become prevalent.
Many will fall out of the “habit” of attending church. I know it sounds funny to call
attending worship a habit, but for years this is how many have explained their lack of attendance when questioned. Being in church was a habit acquired from childhood, a friendship, or a time where they were earnestly seeking a relationship with the Lord. There is no lasting change in their lives or love for the gospel, and it becomes easy to walk away from being a part of gathered worship. This is similar to the parable of the 4 Soils that Jesus shares, where two of the soils spring up a seedling quickly only to see it not endure.
As sad as this reality is, I also believe the opposite is true. This season will temper the
faith of many of you to see the vitality of gathering as a church like never before. The longing you have felt to gather for worship in the name of Christ has shown you how important your faith and being a part of the church is! You understand in new ways the wisdom of Hebrews 10:25 “let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do.” You have discovered church is not a “habit” for you but a central way for you to live out your life! This makes me truly excited for the future of our ministry here! I see a season of increased faithfulness and service to one another and our ministries! While it will a strange season of incrementally returning to “normal,” I believe our “new normal” will be greater than ever!
We are working on developing a plan for returning to that “new normal,” and ask that
you be prayerful and patient as we seek to be mindful of the need to gather and be thoughtful for our congregation and community.
After we have reached this point, I hope that we can resume a regular schedule of activities.
This plan takes into account precautions for distancing as well as limiting activity on campus. Additionally, we will be increasing our sanitation efforts, providing hand sanitizer stations and we have even acquired a system to effectively sanitize all surfaces in the church by fogging the areas. We are moving forward not in fear but in love for our church and
community!
We understand that some may not be comfortable with gathering during this time because of high risk factors. We believe you are the best one to make decisions for yourself and family and welcome you to come with or without a mask, to sit in the front or back, to come during phase 1 or wait to phase 3. We understand that all of us have to make wise decisions during this time; know that we are praying for you!
We are prayerfully considering when to begin meeting under Phase 1 as the 30 day “Stay
at Home” request from Governor DeSantis ends. We have been monitoring the spread of the virus locally to make these decisions. Our hope is that Lord willing we will begin meeting under Phase 1 Sunday, May 10th. This is subject to change as we await officials to give further recommendations, so be sure to look out for next week’s church update which will confirm or delay our plans for May 10th.
I love you Church and am honored to serve as your pastor. I am excited for our future and
thankful for the many prayers on my behalf during this time. Know that I am praying for you as well and as always if you have a need let your deacon or myself know how we can serve you!
In His Grace, and for His Glory,
Pastor Bob
I pray that you’re well and safe. As these weeks of distancing go on, I am increasingly
aware of the void that not meeting together has in my life. Many of you have expressed similar sentiments as I have spoken with you this week. As we move on from this, I foresee two responses that will become prevalent.
Many will fall out of the “habit” of attending church. I know it sounds funny to call
attending worship a habit, but for years this is how many have explained their lack of attendance when questioned. Being in church was a habit acquired from childhood, a friendship, or a time where they were earnestly seeking a relationship with the Lord. There is no lasting change in their lives or love for the gospel, and it becomes easy to walk away from being a part of gathered worship. This is similar to the parable of the 4 Soils that Jesus shares, where two of the soils spring up a seedling quickly only to see it not endure.
As sad as this reality is, I also believe the opposite is true. This season will temper the
faith of many of you to see the vitality of gathering as a church like never before. The longing you have felt to gather for worship in the name of Christ has shown you how important your faith and being a part of the church is! You understand in new ways the wisdom of Hebrews 10:25 “let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do.” You have discovered church is not a “habit” for you but a central way for you to live out your life! This makes me truly excited for the future of our ministry here! I see a season of increased faithfulness and service to one another and our ministries! While it will a strange season of incrementally returning to “normal,” I believe our “new normal” will be greater than ever!
We are working on developing a plan for returning to that “new normal,” and ask that
you be prayerful and patient as we seek to be mindful of the need to gather and be thoughtful for our congregation and community.
- Phase 1 - We will gather for worship with precautions for distancing between families throughout our sanctuary. Interactions will be limited and there will be no choir, greeting time, “passing the plate,” or handouts. No other activities will meet on campus throughout the week.
- Phase 2 - We will add Sunday School and children’s ministry on Sunday mornings. No other activities throughout the week on campus.
- Phase 3 - Choir with distancing precautions. Wed night activities added to the weekly calendar.
After we have reached this point, I hope that we can resume a regular schedule of activities.
This plan takes into account precautions for distancing as well as limiting activity on campus. Additionally, we will be increasing our sanitation efforts, providing hand sanitizer stations and we have even acquired a system to effectively sanitize all surfaces in the church by fogging the areas. We are moving forward not in fear but in love for our church and
community!
We understand that some may not be comfortable with gathering during this time because of high risk factors. We believe you are the best one to make decisions for yourself and family and welcome you to come with or without a mask, to sit in the front or back, to come during phase 1 or wait to phase 3. We understand that all of us have to make wise decisions during this time; know that we are praying for you!
We are prayerfully considering when to begin meeting under Phase 1 as the 30 day “Stay
at Home” request from Governor DeSantis ends. We have been monitoring the spread of the virus locally to make these decisions. Our hope is that Lord willing we will begin meeting under Phase 1 Sunday, May 10th. This is subject to change as we await officials to give further recommendations, so be sure to look out for next week’s church update which will confirm or delay our plans for May 10th.
I love you Church and am honored to serve as your pastor. I am excited for our future and
thankful for the many prayers on my behalf during this time. Know that I am praying for you as well and as always if you have a need let your deacon or myself know how we can serve you!
In His Grace, and for His Glory,
Pastor Bob