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Gathering Together

5/27/20 | The Weekly | by Eric Wakeling


    Our Principles + Staged Plan to Gather

     

    Dear Calvary Family,

    I wanted to give you an update on our thoughts and plans regarding gathering together. We discussed these on Sunday in our Annual Members Meeting that hundreds of you attended and our new elders were overwhelmingly approved. The following letter has some principles and plans that we are developing that includes some changes that will begin now. We are constantly updating plans as the guidelines from the government change and become more fully understood. We have received new guidelines since our meeting on Sunday so we have some more information you can find below.




    PRINCIPLES

    Calvary Church has never closed. The church is not a building. The church is the people of God gathered to grow and scattered to seek out those who are lost and in need. We long to gather again in-person as soon as we possibly can. We have seen God work in incredible ways through the Calvary community during this moment where the world has needed the church more than ever.

    Calvary leaders are prayerfully seeking the Holy Spirit’s wisdom as we prepare to gather together again. All of the decisions you will read about are subject to adjustment as the Lord leads us and as government guidelines develop and change. None of us are epidemiologists or public health officials and we simply want to care for you well and serve the Lord faithfully. We kindly ask for your grace and patience as we navigate these difficult circumstances. We can prepare but we can’t predict what changes will come.

    There are four major points we’re considering as we continue to evaluate our process of moving to in-person gatherings on our church campus. We recognize that there are many different opinions on this issue and we need to remain unified in Christ while holding these different views. We ask for Christ-like love and kindness to one another when we disagree.

    1. Public health. We care deeply about all human life because we agree with Jesus that every person has infinite worth and is created in the image of God. We also have a multi-generational congregation with many people in at-risk and vulnerable groups who we care about deeply. We consult the medical experts in our community, read the relevant research and listen to our public health officials for what steps should be taken to protect public health. We don’t want to rush into any new situation that could endanger our church family and our greater community.

    2. Theology. As of the writing of this letter, the State of California is allowing churches to meet in-person with fully developed social distancing plans but only at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less. We still have not seen a plan for movie theaters, concerts or sporting events opening.  It is our best understanding of the New Testament scriptures that we are repeatedly instructed to submit ourselves to our governing authorities unless they order us to do something that violates our faith. Given that churches are not being singled out for closure, we do not feel that our governing officials have asked us in any way to compromise our religious liberties. To honor the teachings of Jesus and Scripture, we believe we should continue to submit ourselves to the orders of the State of California. Please reference the following Scripture passages: Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:11-17; Titus 3:1-2.

    3. Witness to Outsiders. Our primary vision for these last two years has been Each One Reach One as we seek to help others enter into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Even people who have historically wanted nothing to do with “the church” are looking at us right now, and we want our decision-making process for physically opening our campus to be thoughtful and prayerful enough that even outsiders are compelled to consider the Jesus we follow. If we reopened our campus too quickly, that could damage  our witness to the unbelieving community around Calvary Church.

    4. Experience. We truly miss physically gathering together. We miss the conversations, the laughs, the hugs, and the times of singing at the top of our lungs.  We miss seeing our kids learning about Jesus together and playing on the playground. We even miss the free coffee on the patio! Unfortunately, at present, we are unable to offer an experience that is anything like these fond memories at our physical campus. We want to make sure the experience of being at Calvary Church is valuable for as many as possible. The guidelines of 25% capacity or 100 people (whichever is less) does not make sense for the size of our church. This current order will be re-evaluated after 21 days so we hope for circumstances that will improve the experience of on-campus services after that.

    Gathering together again will be a process, not an event. This update isn’t about a single date or moment when everything will get back to normal. We will have a “next normal” eventually but for now this will all come in stages. So here is our current plan for re-gathering.




    STAGED RE-GATHERING PLAN

    Stage One | NOW:  Our current state of ministry.

    • We are currently engaging with our church family through weekly online LiveStream weekend services hosted by staff; and online LifeGroups, Leadership Development groups, Celebrate Recovery, Alpha, Children + Student LifeGroups and online socials.
    • Every adult connected with the Calvary family is personally being called by one of our staff to check-in and see how we can pray for them and provide for any needs.
    • We are reaching out to meet needs in our community through Calvary’s Good Neighbor Task Force and the Pop-Up Food Pantry.


    Stage Two | VERY SOON (Sunday, June 7):  Now that we are allowed to meet in smaller groups, we want to start meeting off-campus in homes, backyards or parks for LifeGroups and Sunday Watch Parties. All of these activities MUST follow social distancing guidelines and have online options for vulnerable and at-risk groups.

    • “Watch Parties” of <30 people will be encouraged to meet together in a home or backyard and experience Sunday worship service together. The exact number of people for each location will be different based on how social distancing will work in each home or backyard.
    • Adult LifeGroups will be invited to meet together off campus in groups <30 while using online platforms to provide access to those more vulnerable who cannot yet meet in person.
    • Middle School/High School LifeGroups will be invited to meet together off campus in groups <12.
    • A few ministry events will begin to meet on campus, with permission and adhering to strict guidelines. To help care for the mental and spiritual health of our people, we will first allow Care Ministries to meet in-person on our campus in smaller groups. This includes Celebrate Recovery, Lay Counseling, Prayer Ministry, etc.
    • Pastors and staff can request permission to return to their office if it is their preferred work environment. Adherence to certain restrictions may apply. All others will work from home.


    Stage Three | AFTER THAT:     When county guidelines allow larger groups of 250 to meet or jst 25% of full capacity.

    • Gathering together on-campus in reduced numbers than the past. This would include the Sunday worship service experience and LifeGroups with certain restrictions in each of these settings. Restrictions may include social distancing recommendations, online bulletins and giving, no-touch entry points, individual communion packets, no shared food, multiple venues, reserved seating, and reduced room capacity.
    • Volunteer training will need to happen one-two weeks before the first on-campus Sunday worship service experience.
    • Middle School and High School students could meet on campus with social distance and reduced room capacity.
    • Much more has to be thought through regarding Stage Three.


    Stage Four | OUR “NEXT” NORMAL:  Full capacity in the Worship Center

    • LifeGroups meeting on-campus.
    • Children’s Ministries resume on campus meetings and events.
    • Student Ministries resume all on campus events and gatherings.
    • All other operations resume with very limited or no restrictions.

     



    IN GENERAL:

    Gathering together again does not mean returning to pre-covid ministry exactly as it had been done.     It does mean returning to different ministry opportunities that may or may not begin with Sunday morning on-campus gatherings. LifeGroups could possibly meet on campus before Worship Services. Some people will return quickly with enthusiasm, some with reservations, and some won’t return for a longer period of time.

    Sustainable safety standards/guidelines will need to be established before reopening.     Staff and volunteers will need to be trained in these practices as each ministry reopens. Phoenix Services and Calvary’s facilities team have already been discussing what will need to happen to keep our church family safe in the variety of spaces on campus. There may be certain restrictions on space use depending on how long it takes to clean spaces between use.

    Thank you again for your grace and patience as we navigate through this challenging time with many disparate viewpoints. Our primary goal continues to be to glorify God in all we do and be a true family that knows we are better together as we love like Jesus across all cultures and generations.

    May the Lord bless you and keep you,

    Eric Wakeling
    Senior Pastor

    Neil Paur
    Chairman of the Elder Board