Dear Church Family,
I’m sure many of you know that Governor Newsom announced on Monday that churches may resume services with immediate effect. While there are many recommendations to consider and priorities to weigh, we are indeed planning to meet for a reunion service this coming Sunday (May 31), outside on the church property at 9:00am!
The current regulations severely limit the number of people who can meet indoors—the lesser of 25% of building capacity or 100 people. Meeting outside is not only preferable from a health perspective, but it will also allow all of us to meet together for one service. Scheduling the service for 9:00am hopefully lessens the likelihood that heat could be a problem.
The rest of this email will outline our plan for this Sunday and the policies that will be in place for our gathering. While we are thrilled to be able to get together again, the reality is that there will be many inconveniences. Decisions about the format of our gathering and the necessary policies for maintaining safety are admittedly difficult to make—we want to do what is spiritually best for our church family while obeying our governing authorities and aligning with current medical advice. Not only that, but within our church there is likely a variety of perspectives on the virus and the government’s response to it. And so, on Sunday, we will all need God’s help to endure the inconveniences, to have a disposition of love toward each other, and to focus our hearts and minds on God and his Word!
Practical Considerations:
Safety Policies:
For any who are unable to attend our open-air service, Pastor’s message will be available Sunday morning on our church website.
In His service,
The elders of FCBC and the reopening advisory team comprised of Mark Forman, Joshua Rohrer, and Steve Rohrer
I’m sure many of you know that Governor Newsom announced on Monday that churches may resume services with immediate effect. While there are many recommendations to consider and priorities to weigh, we are indeed planning to meet for a reunion service this coming Sunday (May 31), outside on the church property at 9:00am!
The current regulations severely limit the number of people who can meet indoors—the lesser of 25% of building capacity or 100 people. Meeting outside is not only preferable from a health perspective, but it will also allow all of us to meet together for one service. Scheduling the service for 9:00am hopefully lessens the likelihood that heat could be a problem.
The rest of this email will outline our plan for this Sunday and the policies that will be in place for our gathering. While we are thrilled to be able to get together again, the reality is that there will be many inconveniences. Decisions about the format of our gathering and the necessary policies for maintaining safety are admittedly difficult to make—we want to do what is spiritually best for our church family while obeying our governing authorities and aligning with current medical advice. Not only that, but within our church there is likely a variety of perspectives on the virus and the government’s response to it. And so, on Sunday, we will all need God’s help to endure the inconveniences, to have a disposition of love toward each other, and to focus our hearts and minds on God and his Word!
Practical Considerations:
- Seating – Chairs will be set up in clusters for each household, with sufficient distance between each cluster. While the church can provide plenty of seating, you are encouraged to bring your own chairs and/or bring a blanket for your children to sit on. If you choose not to bring your own chair, consider bringing a seat cushion.
- Comfort – If you are particularly concerned about the sun or the temperature, you may want to consider dressing comfortably and/or bringing an umbrella for shade. There may be limited seating in the shade on the patio. If you expect to need water during the service, please bring your own water bottle.
- Children – There will be no nursery or children’s classes, though there will be accommodation for nursing mothers. We plan to limit the length of the service, but those with young children may want to consider bringing something for them to do during the service.
Safety Policies:
- Sickness – If you are feeling ill or know that you have been in contact with someone who is sick, you should stay home
- Physical Distancing – Physical distancing is the single most critical prevention practice. We will be arranging the seating accordingly, and we request that before and after the service you maintain a distance of at least six feet from those outside your household.
- Face Coverings – We request that all attendees bring their own face coverings and wear them when arriving, moving about on the property and when leaving; however, the seating clusters will be sufficiently separated so that face coverings will not be required when you are seated.
- Restrooms – The restrooms will be available, but it would be prudent to avoid using them if possible.
For any who are unable to attend our open-air service, Pastor’s message will be available Sunday morning on our church website.
In His service,
The elders of FCBC and the reopening advisory team comprised of Mark Forman, Joshua Rohrer, and Steve Rohrer
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17