E-Tidings for July 16, 2020

"The Path Back to Church"

Our church’s Public Health Response Team met on Tuesday to evaluate our plans to return to in-person worship. We made a decision to delay our return until the Sunday after school resumes. School is scheduled to begin in Decatur on August 12, so our first Sunday for in-person worship inside the church will be August 16. Before reaching this conclusion, the team considered further restrictions that we would need to adopt to return this month. Restrictions like no singing even with masks would diminish the worship experience for those present and those watching online. We decided to remain true to the Public Health Guidelines we established in June. The spiraling numbers of positive COVID-19 cases in Alabama and Morgan County do not correspond with a Moderate Community Transmission rate of COVID-19 needed for a safe return.

Please join me in praying for a safe return to in-person worship on Sunday, August 16. We encourage all who are in high risk groups for suffering adverse to severe effects if you contract COVID-19 to stay home until the spread of the virus is minimized. For all who believe the protocols we have in place provide a safe environment for you, please plan to come. As one of our team members said, “We are getting mighty comfortable on the couch on Sunday mornings.” We will migrate back to church at our own pace, but it is important, for all of you who are able, to come back at the time that is right for you.

The church calendar designates August 16 as the Blessing of the Backpacks Sunday. Students and teachers of all ages are invited to bring your backpacks and computer bags for a special blessing during the service. We want to blanket you and your education with prayers for God’s direction, God’s protection, and God’s provisions. Our children’s ministry is also planning a School Supply Drive for the students at Austinville Elementary School. You can read more about this project on our church Facebook page and website.

I am completing this article the morning after our Outside Worship Service at the Daikin Amphitheater. It was great to see many of you there. We had 67 folks and there was good shade for everyone except those of us on the stage. We do plan to have at least two more outside worship services before we return to in-person worship inside the church on August 16. The services will be a bit later in the day, closer to sundown, which should give us more shade and help with the heat. Mark your calendars for July 29 and August 12 as probable dates for our next outdoor worship services.

Toby, Jonathan, and I have started our Social Distanced Home Visits. I mentioned in my article last week that getting around to everyone will take some time, but that is our goal. Our priority is on connecting with those we have not interacted with through our online media since we have been apart, but also with you we have not seen or talked with in person in 18 weeks. Our routine is to knock on your door. If you answer the door, we will back up off your porch at a safe social distance. If you can visit for a while, we want to know how it is with you and your family, and with your spirit. We will pray with anyone who would like prayer. If no one answers the door, we will leave a door hanger on your door indicating which one of us came and inviting you to call us for a return visit.

May the Lord bless you, keep you, smile upon you, and give you peace.

Yours in Christ,
Hughey

Each year our children's ministry holds a school supply drive during Vacation Bible School (VBS) to collect supplies for children at Austinville Elementary School. Due to concerns over COVID-19, we will not be holding our traditional VBS this year, but the children's ministry would still like to help support the teachers, staff, parents, and students of Austinville Elementary School.

We are asking that our church members help by purchasing school supplies (the supply list can be found by clicking here) to donate for this important project. There are two ways to get your school supplies to us:

1. Our church bus will PICK UP your donations! You do the shopping and leave the supplies on your porch, and members of our church staff will come by to pick them up and truly "stuff" the bus! Pickups will be held Tuesday, July 28th and Thursday, July 30th. Reach out to the children's ministry to let us know prior to July 28th if you prefer this method, as we will be scheduling out specific pickup areas per day.

2. Shop our Amazon List and all items will ship directly to the church or to Bailey Copeland. Once you've completed your order, you don't have to do anything else. THE AMAZON LIST CAN BE FOUND BY CLICKING THIS LINK

Note: If a brand name item is specified, please buy that brand. While it may be tempting to buy something else, some of these items have been chosen specifically by the teachers at the school to keep quality in line for all students. And yes, masks are on the list this year: no matter your personal feelings on them, remember that students may be required to wear them to attend, and we want ALL students to feel comfortable and able to learn most effectively.

These teachers and students depend on us, especially with so many families affected by the economic downturn this year. Thank you for helping make our children's ministry supporting Austinville Elementary School successful!

Thank you for your support!
The Children's Ministry Team