Dear Central Family,
I wanted to give you the latest update on what is going on with our return to worship. Last night the deacons discussed this issue at length, and decided that we need to continue to hold off on our return to worship. We will continue to monitor the latest wisdom from health experts and the number of new coronavirus diagnoses as we make decisions. As of right now, we are hoping to be back to church soon after Labor Day.
This is not an easy decision for us to make. I know that there are many churches that have returned to worship. And we are just as anxious. Churches thrive and flourish when they are in fellowship with one another. However, with so many of our members at risk, or over the age of 65, we would run a risk of others getting infected that the deacons and staff feel would just be too great.
So in light of that decision, here are some things to remember.
We are still offering worship on Sunday mornings at 8:30. Those attending are required to wear masks during worship, to bring their own chairs, and to maintain social distancing so that we are each touching our own stuff. Please bring items for communion with you, as we observe communion weekly. While we would love to see everyone, please do not come until you have discussed it with your family and have decided to accept the risk.
We are making preparations for the time that we can meet together again. Proper distancing is being marked off in the sanctuary, and we will soon be purchasing a professional fogging machine and chemicals that will safely kill the virus, so that we can decontaminate after each service.
In the meantime, it is vitally important that we continue to make phone calls, send cards, write emails, and communicate with each other. There are Sunday School class teachers and presidents, deacons, shepherds, and other people that are making calls to each other. That will be the glue that will hold us together. But there may be some in the church that do not have one of these groups to connect to, so if you are able to, think through where you normally sit on Sunday mornings, and make a list of those who are around you, and commit to calling those people. This matters more than you know.
We will continue to provide the content we have been providing, including our weekly worship service on YouTube (visit Centralbc.org to access this), our zoom meetings which include: Sunday morning group devotional at 9:45, and our Bible Studies on Tuesday morning at 10:30 (we just started Revelation), and Wednesdays at 6:30 (we are near the end of the Sermon on the Mount). Information about how to join is available at the church website.
Thank you for your faithfulness in continuing to give financially to the church. This is also an important part of our life together, sharing our gifts to build the Kingdom.
Blessings to each of you, and if you have any questions, please give Gwen a call.
In Christ,
Sonny