2020-05-15 COVID-19 & In-Person Church Services

Dear Church Family,

I miss seeing everyone on Sunday mornings, and look forward to the day we can worship together again.  I am grateful for the phone calls and conversations that I have had with many of you, and am grateful for all of you. Thank you for staying connected during this time of social distancing. It has been hard for all of us, but I am grateful for your willingness to keep everyone safe.  

As you may know our Governor has begun the process of reopening the Arkansas Economy.  This process has allowed for church gatherings to be restarted with numerous restrictions and safety measures in place as recommended by the CDC and the Arkansas Department of Health. As United Methodists we must also consider the advice of our Bishop and Cabinet who have asked us to wait before reopening our churches until sometime after May. It is very likely that our reopening may be several weeks away, as at this time we have been asked to not have gatherings over 10 people, until phase two of the process of reopening.  

To help us to consider all of the information before us, we have put together a Re-Opening Team that is considering the precautions and practices we must put in place to keep our worshippers safe. Thank you to all who completed the recent survey for our Re-Opening team. We will be considering information from the Governor, CDC, Health Department, the Bishop, and the recommended procedures for in person gatherings. The Bishop and cabinet will give us guidance at the end of May as to when we can reopen. At this moment they are considering reopening in mid-June.

As much as we all want to be back together in worship, we know that it is our responsibility to keep everyone safe. The first rule of the Methodists is to "Do no harm."  As always if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.  

What can you do to help?

• Consider making face masks to help our church as we prepare to reopen worship services. (You can find a couple of DIY patterns on our Pinterest page.)

• Pray for the Re-Opening Team as they consider all of the available information and as they guide us in safety measures.  

• Pray for your church staff and pastors.  

• Continue participating in online worship with us on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. and our periodic weekly devotions. 

In Christ,
Rev. John Embrey
Senior Pastor