Faith Re-Gathering Update
Faith,
Many are asking when we can once again physically re-gather. The good news is my answer is weeks not months!
As many of you know we recently surveyed the congregation on just this issue. Fundamentally, we learned the following:
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- 23% of you said you’d return at the first opportunity.
- 28% of you said you’d return immediately but with some concerns and precautions
- 23% of you said you will wait several additional weeks before you’ll return
- 21% of you said you won’t return for quite awhile
- 9% not sure
This being the case about half of our congregation has said they will not yet attend when we re-open our doors. Thus it is incumbent upon us to serve not only those who physically attend but those who want to attend but are only comfortable doing so online.
Because many of us will wait and continue to worship online, leadership believes we need to offer a weekend service we can simultaneously stream online and make available to those not physically attending. That service needs to be live and then made available for access on the Faith Youtube Channel.
Seeing this need and the opportunity for growing our online outreach, Faith’s council has approved the installation of a video system that will give us the ability to stream our services with the excellence necessary to communicate effectively.
Thus, it is necessary for us to re-gather once we have this video system installed and that system will not be installed until late July to early August. Thus, the best guess I can give you for re-gathering is early August.
I recognize this might be frustrating for some. We so long to be with each other! But we have a responsibility to minister to the whole congregation not just those who are able and willing to attend physically.
In the meantime, every week we are offering quality online worship experiences that will serve to draw you and your family closer to God. In particular, we are offering an important summer long series on the Holy Spirit that is absolutely necessary to help us navigate this unprecedented time. Please follow along with weekend services on the Faith Covenant Youtube Channel.
In addition, the Faith staff is still doing pastoral care, ministering to kids and teens, and leading weekly grow opportunities. All of these opportunities can be accessed on Realm and the Faith website.
The good news is we are weeks away not months away! God is still growing us through this time. This trial is not a deficit but an opportunity for great joy. How do I know? God’s word tells us so! James 1:2-4,
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
Patiently,
Pastor Brad