Dear Family of CCC,
What a year this has been. I am grateful that as we process the events around us we can do so with a heart full of gratitude and confidence as we press in to a deeper trust in Jesus. On Thursday November 12th, the City of Ardmore passed a resolution requiring individuals to wear a mask inside all public buildings. As followers of Jesus, we are convinced that we should comply with our city government and observe this new city ordinance until the resolution is rescinded.
Therefore, effective immediately anytime anyone is in the building, they need to wear a mask that covers the mouth and nose at all times. We will have some masks available and if you are asked to put one on, please do so with a cheerful heart. This action is a tangible way that we can express our love for one another and for our community. If you are uncomfortable wearing a mask, we will continue to make our live service available online on our web site or Facebook page for those who would rather worship from home. Thank you for being a good neighbor, The Board of Elders.
Dear CCC family.
As the country begins to reopen, I wanted to outline CCC’s tentative plan for returning to in-person services. The reason I say “tentative” is that we – the elders and myself – are leaving open the possibility of returning to an online service based on the needs and safety of our community. We are also leaving open the possibility to loosen the protocols outlined below based on the same criteria.
At this point, CCC will resume our in-person services on Sunday, June 7. While we are greatly looking forward to this reunion, we also recognize that we will need to alter some of the ways we interact during our in-person gatherings due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There are many differing opinions on what should and should not be done. I’m asking all of us to acknowledge that we are a diverse spiritual family that is committed to honoring and loving one another, even when we may disagree on how to proceed.
At this time, these are the protocols we will observe for in-person services.
1. SERVICE TIMES AND LENGTH: CCC’s building will open at 9:45 a.m. We will meet for corporate worship at 10 a.m. I will preach and we will attempt to dismiss around 11:15 a.m. We will not be gathering for Sunday school at this time.
2. FAMILIES WITH SMALL CHILDREN: All children are invited to join their families in the auditorium for the regular service. There will be no C3Babies or C3Kids classes during the month of June. We hope to once again provide our regular C3Babies and C3Kids classes beginning in July. We will use this time to prepare our volunteers to ensure that our classes are properly staffed. Our C3Kids team will provide activity bags at the entrance. Our nursing mothers’ room will be available for families that need to step out of the auditorium. The other adult Sunday school classrooms will be available to nursing mothers as well.
3. SOCIAL DISTANCED SEATING: We will make available a section in the auditorium with a reduced number of available seats for those who feel more at ease maintaining some measure of social distancing. It will be the west section of the auditorium. Every other row will be removed. We also encourage that households sit together, if possible. Overflow distance seating will be available in the commons.
4. COMMUNION & PRAYER MINISTRY: We will continue our practice of serving communion by means of self-contained cups of juice and bread. Out of consideration for those who desire to receive personal prayer, we will provide masks for our prayer ministry volunteers and discourage (but not prohibit) the laying on of hands. We hope to return to our normal practices as soon as possible.
5. SHARE LOVE NOT GERMS: As has always been our practice, we will do our best to maintain high levels of cleanliness throughout the building, with plentiful supplies of hand sanitizer. We will modify the way we greet people when they arrive, avoiding physical contact while trying to be as hospitable and welcoming as possible. We encourage everyone to continue to observe recommended wellness guidelines: wash your hands regularly, cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze, don’t touch your face, etc. We suggest that you avoid physical contact like handshakes and hugs. We ask that you not congregate in close proximity with others either in the lobby or in the auditorium. People are free either to wear masks or not to wear masks. No one will be judged for the choice they make. Let us strive to honor one another in the body of Christ.
6. FOOD & DRINK: We will not be providing coffee or for at least the month of June. This may well extend farther into the future, depending on the Covid-19 conditions in our county. People are free to bring in their own coffee. We simply ask that you use a cup with a lid. We will close access to the water fountains and so we encourage you to bring bottled water with you if you so desire.
In addition, we will continue to livestream our service every Sunday. We urge you to stay home if you are symptomatic, if your immune system is susceptible to infection or if you are especially vulnerable because of age or other factors. It’s important to remember that once you enter the building you are breathing the same air as everyone else. If this is of concern to you, we recommend that you stay home and watch the service livestream.
We will continue to follow the above protocols for in-person meetings through the end of June at which time we will outline any changes for next month.
Finally, student ministry will reopen on Wednesday nights, beginning June 10. The students will follow similar protocols as outlined above for Sunday service. In the days ahead, we will bring you more information regarding other events and ministries that will be relaunching at CCC.
Thank you all. I cannot wait to see your beautiful faces.
Artie
