Friends of Faith Baptist of North Chili,
The deacons are pleased to announce that based on medical and governmental recommendations we have been cleared to begin resuming in-person meetings at Faith Baptist Church. While much will remain as it was prior to the pandemic, we will be implementing some changes to help reduce the spread of infectious diseases.
As we navigate these uncharted waters we appreciate that there are many competing thoughts, interests, theories, and reports regarding the ongoing pandemic. We will be returning to services during a time of turmoil nationwide and alongside a time of great personal loss for our pastor and church family. Let us therefore strive for unity and love. A guideline that may seem unnecessary to one person may seem to be not enough to another. We urge each believer to put into practice what Paul spoke to the Christians at Ephesus.
I [Paul] … urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3)
Each individual and family unit will have to prayerfully decide how to proceed going forward. Some may return immediately while others choose to wait, some may want to slip in and out of the service quickly while others want to stay. May we all have the patience and humility to place others before ourselves as we navigate these complicated times. What follows are the general guidelines that we are implementing to help facilitate and encourage social distancing.
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The Sunday Morning service at 10:45am will be open for in-person gathering. It will continue to be streamed on YouTube. Please worship with us in whatever way best meets your family’s needs.
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As we continue to mourn with our Pastor, the messages will be brought to us by Pastor Miller and Pastor Richard.
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Please stay home if you or someone close to you is showing symptoms of illness.
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We want to fellowship with you and we’re glad you want to fellowship with us, but please think of this as an act of love to others in the church by staying home.
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You show love for anyone you might get sick.
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You show love for anyone that you may make uncomfortable when sitting near them.
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You show love for anyone who otherwise might stay home because they worry that others won’t stay home when sick.
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At the same time, some in the congregation have chronic allergies symptoms that may appear to be illness. Please be considerate of them as well..
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For those with allergies, try your best to be aware of your symptoms so that you can spot the difference between illness and flare-ups. This will be easier for some than others.
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Weather permitting the doors will be propped open to reduce surface touching, otherwise someone will be assigned to open and close the doors for you.
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Hand sanitizer will be available at all entrances.
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Masks will be available at the front entrance for any who wish to wear one. Homemade masks are also welcome.
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We will not be mandating the use of masks.
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The primary reason behind this is out of concern for those with asthma, copd, and other respiratory conditions that make wearing a mask difficult.
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We would encourage those who prefer to wear a mask to do so.
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Those who would prefer everyone to be masked may want to live stream the service for the time being.
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We would encourage everyone to try not to pressure others one way or the other regarding this.
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Rather than passing the offering plate, one will be placed at the rear of the auditorium.
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We request that families sit together, and that while in the building you maintain a 6-ft social distance when possible.
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Please respect each other’s personal space. There is likely a great deal of variability in what each person is comfortable with.
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Pews will be spaced further apart to help facilitate this.
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There will be no nursery or children’s church at this time in the hopes that this will help reduce the spread of germs.
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We fully understand that this will leave parents with a difficult decision to make, but we would encourage parents to bring their children to the service.
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There may be more noise in the auditorium; this is fine. “The sound of children in church is the sound of a growing church”.
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Feel free to bring whatever activities that may be helpful for your children. We will have coloring pages on hand if anyone needs them.
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The service will be streamlined and kept to around an hour in the hopes that children will be able to sit through it more easily
We look forward to being together again and sharing the unity and love that can be found in Christ alone.
God bless,
– Your Deacons