Note from The Pastor

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Note from The Pastor

Friends,

We are reopening the sanctuary this Sunday! I for one am excited about that! Last Sunday was the remembrance of Pentecost 1,990 years ago. The church was born that day. The Church Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against. The Church when gathered, Jesus promised to be in their midst. The Church in which we are the body and Christ is the head. That’s us! So, I’m excited we are reopening the sanctuary for worship. The Church is essential.

Even though we closed the sanctuary for three months we didn’t stop being the church. Commissions still met. After three weeks we met outside in our cars for worship. Food Ministry continued and became a drive-in food ministry. We stayed the church through Zoom prayer meetings and Zoom Life Group meetings, and Facebook Live services and YouTube virtual chats. Those means of connecting weren’t the best, but were the best we had.

Our new, temporary schedule for Sunday morning is 9 am Drive-in Service, 10 am Adult Sunday School, and 11 am Worship Service in the sanctuary.

Even through we closed the sanctuary temporarily, we were never governed by fear of the danger but faith in God. We submitted to governing authorities (Romans 13), but were obedient to God. We were humble recognizing we don’t know everything about this coronavirus. And we were motivated by love for our neighbor.

But now we plan to regather, knowing some of our church family are not quite ready yet to come back to the church building. That’s why we are still offering our service on Facebook Live and our webpage and doing the Drive-in service at 9 am where someone can feel more comfortable in their car. But for those planning to attend Sunday School and the 11 am worship service, here is what you can expect.

  • We will sanitize all main surfaces before you arrive.
  • We will leave the two main entrance doors open so you won’t have to handle the door knobs. The doors will be closed and locked once everyone is inside. The sanctuary doors will also be open.
  • You will be able to pick up a bulletin on a table and the prepackaged communion elements when we serve communion on Father’s Day.
  • We will tape off sections of the sanctuary which encourages spacing between you and others.
  • We will have hand sanitizer around.
  • You’re welcome to wear a mask into the building when around others. I will say more on that later in this email.
  • If you bring your children, we are offering a children’s program on the patio by the youth room and on the playground. Jeff Reynolds and Casey Rot are leading this! They will escort your children at 11 am.

In order to minimize close contact (☹) we have made some changes in our worship service in addition to seating.

  • Bibles, hymnals, papers and pencils have been removed.
  • We won’t pass the plate, but will provide baskets for you to place your tithes and offerings in on your way out or into the sanctuary.
  • Seating is limited and you may not be able to sit in your favorite pew. Try a new place. Live a little!
  • There won’t be a meet and greet time. Please visit with each other outside after the service.
  • We’ll dismiss by sections at the end of the service. That will keep our narrow foyer from getting too congested.

Some may find these changes unnecessary and frustrating. I do, too. For the short term, we feel it is best practices.

We are asking if you come inside for Sunday School or church you take the following precautions out of love and respect for others.

  • Please stay home if you have a temperature of 100.4 or higher, have a cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, loss of taste or smell or unexplained muscle soreness.
  • Please stay home if you have been in contact with someone who has recently been sick.
  • Please wash your hands well before coming.
  • Please try and maintain 6 feet of distance between you and others. I know many are comfortable with much less, while others aren’t.
  • If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 within 10 days of attending a service, please let me know.
  • Feel free to wear a mask and gloves in the service if you wish to.
  • Please do not remain in the aisles or stand in the foyer. If you wish to talk, do so outside in the fresh air.

It’s hard to write these words. Let us be humble, putting the needs and feelings of others before our own. This is a chance to show love to another even if we do not feel the need to protect ourselves to this extent.

While we will be having a drive-in service and sanctuary service, that doesn’t mean that everyone will be there. Each of us will need to make the decision of when to return on their own. We’re not all in the same situation or have the same needs. Some have health concerns that make them far more vulnerable or have family members who are which impacts their decision. Let us lovingly respect their decision not to return yet and continue to reach out to them. Let’s be the Church!

I hope we stay open and all returns to normal. We don’t know the future. It may not. We’ll keep seeking the Lord and praying. Please pray! Pray for the sick, the lonely, the discouraged, those financially impacted and pray for our nation to heal.

Let me say something more about wearing a mask. I do not like them. I’ve never met anyone who likes them. The CDC has contradicted themselves on if they are really necessary. I’ve read compelling reasons for them and against them. Let me say, I don’t know their effectiveness in preventing someone from getting COVID-19.

With the Governor’s mandate last Friday that you must wear a mask if inside public places and I am being honest here, I’m torn. Romans 13 speaks of obeying governmental authorities for they have been placed there by God. I also believe that we Americans have been blessed to live in a country with a Constitution that recognizes our liberties come from God, not government. When governments exceed their authority and order your business to close and you go out of business that, to me, violates my right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The same is true with masks.

So, I asked the Lord to give me a word on masks. Two passages came to mind. Romans 14 about eating meat sacrificed to idols. Paul’s conscience allowed him to but he realized other Christians were offended by that. So, he gave up his right for the sake of others.

The other passage was Exodus 34:33-36 which spoke of Moses wearing a veil when he spoke with the people, but not wearing one when he was in the tabernacle speaking with God.

So, this is what I plan on doing Sunday for the 11 am service. I will be wearing a mask to greet you as you enter. Once at my seat I plan to remove it. I will not be preaching in one. If I move around in common areas, I will wear one. Of course, if you have trouble breathing remove it. That’s my game plan and you will have yours. I trust this will not be a divisive issue for any church, especially ours because we are offering a drive-in service and online options.

I also want to let you know, Yearly Meeting in Canton has been cancelled. They are offering a one-day virtual meeting with voting, so we still need delegates. If you are interested, please contact me or Ted Blanco, our Presiding Elder.

Also, Carolyn Zinzner is having a second cataract procedure Wednesday. Please pray that it goes well.

Pastor Ed