THE WEEKLY

Dear Calvary Family,

I’m so excited to share with you our plans to regather in-person on Sunday mornings! Like many of you, I have longed to be together again. Our heart is to gather together while being safe, responsible, and respectful to state guidelines. The pastors and elders of Calvary Church continue to keep the Word of God and the Holy Spirit’s guidance as our primary filter for all of our decisions, and we have also considered your recent survey responses in our decision-making process.

Through the survey, we were excited to learn that 60% of respondents said YES! They are ready to return to services at church with precautionary masks and social distancing. Twenty percent indicated they were not ready to return; while another 20% indicated that they may be ready to return based on different factors. While there were a wide variety of reasons expressed for each of those answers, we saw a large overlap- 90% of respondents expressed that they are taking safety precautions seriously and are grateful we are considering these precautions, too.

In all of this, would you join with us as we seek the Lord’s wisdom, courage, protection, unity, and joy for the glory of God and for the good of our church and our surrounding community as we put together these plans for regathering?

Here’s the plan!

• Beginning Sunday, October 4th, we will have services in English at 9:00am and 11:00am (ASL at 9:00am). Both of our Sunday morning services will be available indoors and outdoors on campus, and both will be available online via livestream.
• Registration and check in will not be required for adults. Just come and join us for worship!
• Doors will open 20 minutes before each service for both the Worship Center and Chapel, at 8:40am and 10:40am.
• We will have limited seating indoors as we continue to follow health guidelines. Once the Worship Center is full, overflow video venues will be available in Fellowship Hall and in the Courtyard.
• Children’s Ministry will be available at both services for one year olds through 5th graders. Pre-registration is required for children during this first phase, so we can provide the best care and the right number of volunteers to serve your children.
• Middle School and High School students will meet at 11:00am in the Student Underground. No pre-registration required.
• Our service in Spanish will also be available at both 9:00am and 11:00am with limited seating in the Chapel and online via livestream.
• Masks will be required for entering and exiting all venues. Social distancing is also required. Masks will be required while singing indoors, but can be removed if seated during the remainder of the service. Masks will not be required if seated outdoors on the patio during the worship service.
• Sunday Morning LifeGroups for adults will not be meeting on-campus during this first phase of our return. We are working hard on developing the best way for these groups to return to campus soon.  
• You can help by being part of a volunteer team! There are opportunities to serve with Connections, Worship, or Family Ministries! Take a next step today and let us know you’re interested in getting involved by filling out The Card at CalvaryLife.org/card
• If you are feeling sick or have a fever, please stay home and enjoy the livestream.
• Finally, we have loved seeing so many of you at our evening service. However, in light of these changes our last evening service will be this Sunday, September 27th at 7:00pm.

More details and answers to additional questions are available in an FAQ on our website at CalvaryLife.org/Sunday

In closing, I want to encourage all of you to come on Sunday mornings if you and your family are healthy and able! I know you will be filled with joy and strengthened by the presence of God that is present in one another as we gather in person on Sunday mornings at Calvary.
 
I also understand and respect that many of us aren’t ready to return in person. If this is the case for you, will you pray for those who need to be here in person? Would those of you who are ready to be back on campus be praying for those who are unable to join us at this time? Please also be praying that we can move to the “orange tier” soon, which will allow for even more people to attend in our larger venues and increase capacity to 50% in other rooms on campus.

We are truly better together and united as one church whether we are live-streaming or attending in person. Let’s continue praying for one another as we move forward, guided by God’s Word and His Spirit.

May the Lord bless you and keep you,
Eric Wakeling