At least once a day I get the question. When? Pastor when will we be able to get back to church? Believe me, I get it. I can't wait to be back together in person. But before we get into that question, I want to just remind us that Rock Church never closed. We just left the building. The church is not a building we go to, it is a family we belong to. And every day we continue to be the church, bringing the love of Christ to a hurting world.
But the question of when we will be able to return to “in-person” worship looms large. Since Massachusetts announced that they are allowing congregations to return to their buildings this week, it has definitely caused many to ask “what about New Hampshire?” What about Rock Church? When MA announced the opening of church buildings for worship, it was under some strict guidelines. Limited numbers. Social distancing. Face masks. No coffee or food. No nursery or children's program. No communion. And while New Hampshire has not yet made an official announcement, there is a plan in development that looks very similar.
Based on the guidance we have received from the state and research we have done on other best practices, Rock Church is developing a three-phase plan. The first phase begins this week with the gradual reintroduction of in-person life groups. Many groups have been meeting on zoom. We are encouraging groups to continue to do that where it is working well. But we know there are some groups with people who do not have the technology to meet digitally. So we want them to be able to begin to meet again in person. Of course, we also want to do that in a way that is wise and safe. So we have developed our own guidelines for phase one life groups. If your group is considering returning to in-person gatherings, the first step is to contact Ed and Sherry Lucia to get more information on the process.
Phase 2 will likely be the reintroduction of in-person worship in smaller gatherings and under appropriate precautions. However, as we consider how soon we will do that and under what conditions, we would like to hear your thoughts. Would you attend in-person worship if masks are required? If there is no nursery? If we must social distance? We've developed a quick survey to get your input. We will take responses for one week. But I would encourage you to do it right now at this link.
Phase 3 would be a return to unrestricted life groups, worship and other programs. I will be honest in telling you that I have no idea what the timing of this will be. I don't believe anyone does. Please keep in mind that all of this is a work in progress. Every few days something seems to change and our plan of response must remain flexible. One thing seems certain. Livestreaming will continue. We are working every week to make that online worship experience better and better. Even as we come back to in-person experiences, if you are at risk, health compromised or just uncomfortable being back in that physical gathering, we encourage you to continue to join us via livestream.
There is much we still do not know. But we do know this. Through it all God is with us. Jesus promised he would never leave or forsake us. By his Holy Spirit he will lead us through this. And in the end, the work of Christ will continue to move forward.
God bless,
Pastor Steve
BTW, for those of you who are on Facebook, I launched a new daily devotional tool this week. It posts every morning at 6 am. Here is today’s. I invite you to check it out.